Starting university, there were lots of things I was nervous about. There were lots of things I’d never done before, and the biggest one for me was studying independently. My timetable had just 10 contact hours a week, a huge drop from A levels. There is lots of advice out there on different study skills, but I’d like to talk about how to put those into practice and making sure you do the best you can academically. Being in charge of how you study doesn’t have to cause you panic, it can be really empowering.

The first place I started was by looking at the study skills I used at A levels, and the ones my teachers got us to do. Some of them worked, some didn’t, and by picking out the best ones for me at the start of the year I saved a lot of time. Something that really helped me was to write up quick summaries at the end of every lecture and seminar reading. By summarising them into a couple of sentences on a flashcard, when it came to writing essays I could flick through my flashcards to find relevant resources to start with. This was much faster than having to reread entire seminar readings and sets of lecture notes. The 20 minutes after each lecture saved me so much time when it came to essay writing and exams.

The second important thing for me was making sure I used my time effectively so that I knew I could relax with my friends- this was especially important as a fresher, because a lot of time is spent meeting new people and making new friends. After putting in my lectures, I added in societies. They’re such a good way to make friends, and it was really important to me that I timetabled in some social time. Once you have those both in, I put study time. I found it helpful to split this by subject and by activity. So, after my last lecture of the day I would do all of my flashcards for that day. The rest was split into seminar reading time, essay research time (it’s never to early to do extra research), and anything else I needed to do. If you really like being organised, put in things like your weekly shop too. My friends and I tried to make it fun by all going together, so we tried to do it at the same time every week. It’s really important you don’t beat yourself up about moving things around in your timetable, or accidentally forgetting to do something. We’re all human, and it’s important that your study plan works for you.

I was really nervous when I didn’t understand a topic. I really don’t like asking for help, and it actually took until midway through second year before I ever went to a lecturer’s office hour. I wish I’d gone sooner. It was helpful to speak to my lecturer (after all, they are experts in their field), and took five minutes to solve a problem I’d had for about 4 weeks. If you email your lecturer beforehand they often appreciate knowing you’re coming- and you can often find a time to speak to them if you can’t make their office hour.

Speaking of lecturers, getting back your first piece of coursework really helps you understand how university is different to Sixth Form. In my department coursework was marked by our seminar tutors, who then spoke to us separately about our grade and gave us verbal feedback on top of what was written down. After that first one I started writing down any extra feedback I got, because I have the memory of a fish! When you start writing future pieces of coursework it’s worth looking back at the feedback you’ve had across all your modules, not just the one you’re writing for now. I noticed I kept getting one specific comment and knew that it was a key skill for me to work on in my essays. Even now I still look back at the feedback I got in first year, and it still helps me.

The last thing that worried me about independent study was staying motivated. For some people, self-bribery works really well- using food, social occasions, or Netflix. I get really easily distracted, so at first I would often persuade myself that I could watch that episode or go for that coffee in advance, and do my work later. I won’t. I’ll just keep being distracted. I have to remove any distractions from around me, get set up, and then give myself a timer or goal before I can next look at my phone/meet my friend/watch TV. This can be too extreme for some people, but it meant I worked really efficiently and then had lots of free time in the evenings and at weekends. Work with your course mates and friends to stay motivated together. If you all have a goal to achieve before you hang out, you’re much more likely to focus on your work.

The biggest tip I can give for studying independently is to not panic. It is a big change, but one that you can make. And if you’re really struggling, there are people you can seek help from. There are study skills workshops, advice teams, and lots of other ways that you can ask for help if you need it.

 

By Hazel Rowley, Politics and International relations