Starting university isn’t always easy. You’re in a new place, you’ve got to make new friends, and all of a sudden you have to work everything out on your own!
To save a little of the pain, here are some things we want to save you learning the hard way.
1) Don’t Buy All of Your Course Books
You may have worked this out already, but you really don’t need to buy all of the books that are suggested to you. They will cost a small fortune and the chances are you will only ever read them once.
Save yourself some money and borrow them instead. The university library should have several copies of the books on your reading list. If you really need to own one, check out Abe Books or Gumtree for hand-me-downs from students who made the mistake of buying them last year!
2) Start Assignments Early
It’s so easy to put work off, but if you start researching the moment you’re given an essay title, you’ll thank yourself later on. Start writing as soon as you can and leave the last few days to polish the writing, rather than write it all from scratch!
3) Don’t Start with the Introduction!
Another essay writing tip: You can leave your introduction until the very end of the writing process! It can help to have a rough introduction written before you start working on the rest of your essay, but you should always re-write it once you have your conclusion.
Find this useful?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.
This is because the introduction and conclusion bookend your essay, so the introduction should prime your reader to follow your argument and persuade them of your conclusion.
4) Don’t Join Every Student Society
It’s very tempting to join everything going in the first year of university. You think you’ll have time for rowing, rock climbing, sailing, chess and samba dance!
But when it comes down to it, the likelihood is that you’ll stick to just one or two at the most. If you can avoid it, don’t shell out for any expensive gear until you’re sure that you’re committed.
5) Take it Easy on the Drink
OK, this is probably the hardest one to stick to, but alcohol-fuelled depression mixed with mid-winter blues is not a good recipe! If you are out drinking, alternate your drinks with water or fruit juice and make sure you eat dinner before you go out.
Most of all, go easy on yourself. University can be a lonely place when you’re starting out, so don’t beat yourself up if you find it hard.