It’s exam time. Cue sleepless nights, cramming and stress. How long should an exam essay be? How do I choose which exam question to do and which should I do first? How long should I spend on each question? How … Read More
A tutorial is where you meet a lecturer either for a one-to-one session or as a small group, usually either in the lecturer’s office or a seminar room. You will probably have to read something to prepare for the tutorial … Read More
I can’t ask that question – my tutor will think I’m stupid Then ask me! I may regret this 🙂 but in an effort to find out how to help you all better I’m going to answer the top 5 … Read More
Freshers’ or Induction Week is most students’ introduction to University. Most people anticipate a fun-filled week of partying, getting to know what clubs are available and generally celebrating new-found freedom. There is an element of this but after the adrenalin-filled … Read More
My search for advice for students starting University came up with little to do with study, much to do with alcohol, partying etc. While it may be fun to read such stuff it can also stress students out because they … Read More
Lecturers do not usually tell students they’re plain ‘wrong’ unless they really are barking up the wrong tree, in which case they need to be told so that they can get back on track. Lecturers are not divine so cannot … Read More
‘I’m hitting a text wall – I read a page over and over and the words just swim in front of me – nothing goes in.’ Sounds like you’re having to mark too many exam scripts :-). If you’re a … Read More
This one is for those of you who like bullet points to break text down. 🙂 Ways to make using journals easier: Ask your tutor if s/he can recommend journal articles. Use the index!! Journals usually have a table of … Read More
Journals are excellent sources for up to date research but on a practical level they are usually highly specialised, with a natural focus on research rather than teaching and are written with academics rather than students in mind. The language … Read More
Many first year students are starting to panic a bit now that the glow of the welcome parties has faded a bit and they’re faced with what seems like mountains of work. Take a breath. Seriously. You’ve only been at … Read More
Will I get bullied by other students if they think I’m stupid or if I do well? One of the great things about university is that bullying of the kind so depressingly common in schools is rare. You certainly won’t … Read More
I’m tempted to say “Man up and get on with it” but that’s not very helpful. 🙂 There are 2 kinds of texts: primary texts are the ones you’re studying and you should be reading the whole thing unless told … Read More
Why wouldn’t you? They are the best place to gain information on what the course requires and to get help to do well in your assessments. No-one’s going to arrest you for not attending (although some courses do have minimum … Read More
I know some of you are finding it rather tough at University at the moment so I’ll share some well known Churchillian motivational comments with you. Churchill suffered from depression or ‘the black dog’ as he called it so he … Read More
You are responsible for getting to class on time. You are responsible for buying and reading course books. You are responsible for taking notes in lectures and seminars (you may be lucky and have a lecturer who provides handouts but … Read More
Everyone else is smarter than me I’m the only one who doesn’t understand this I don’t belong here I’ll never get the hang of this I’m the only one with problems I can’t ask that question – my tutor will … Read More
A seminar is like a larger scale tutorial. You’ll have 1 lecturer and anywhere up to 30 students (sometimes a few more on popular courses). Seminars can take different forms and may include students doing presentations on set topics; lecturers … Read More
Lecturers generally hope that students will have read at least a good portion of the text because if they know nothing about it then they won’t understand a lecture on it, let alone be able to discuss it at a … Read More
‘My lecturer is staring at me – it freaks me out’. It’s highly doubtful that your lecturer is a looking at individual students during a lecture. We tend to focus on content, time-keeping, generally keeping an eye on the mass … Read More
Focusing for 50 minutes (most lectures are approx 50 minutes’ long) is difficult at first but it is good to train yourself to be able to concentrate and note-taking is a really useful skill. Please remember that the lecturer is … Read More