Academic Orientation

Introduction to University Life

In as series of interviews, recent graduates reviewed their undergraduate lives, particularly aspects of their approaches to and experiences of studying. In this interview, two students, known by their initials as RS & CN consider aspects of their introduction to higher education.

Interviewer

I’d like you to cast your minds back to the start of your studies, to the first few weeks after entering university, and to tell me what your impressions were – what you did, how you felt – in brief, how you reacted to the whole experience.

RS

Well, it was pretty much what I’d expected. They’d told us what to expect in the sixth form, so it wasn’t such a shock. Everyone had said ‘Take advantage of the early stages to get to know people, go to things, don’t stick with the people that you know or who you live with in halls.’ Having said that though – having had school and my parents telling me what to expect – it still came as a surprise. I caught myself thinking that this was not happening to me but to someone else...

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Academic Transitions

The transition into higher education represents a dramatic change for most people, not least because their experience up to that point has been one of success and of perhaps being a large fish in a small pool. Suddenly they find themselves to be relatively small fishes in large pools and whereas previously they had enjoyed recognition and success, that success is not so easily achieved in the new setting.

In different ways both RS & CN, though differently prepared for university life, found the transition into higher education came as a shock. RS who has been told what to expect by teachers at school still found aspects of the transition uncomfortable, whereas CN has little or no idea what to expect and found the shock of having to make decisions difficult.

The term transition is used to refer to a change in one’s understandings and circumstances; such a change may be abrupt, dramatic and uncomfortable. The change from school to university can be seen as a transition, an individual may experience it as a discontinuity with their previous life and self concept. Thus transitions challenge an individual’s self concept, that is, their view of themselves, which has been formed by evaluations by significant others, including teachers, parents and fellow students. Such challenges can affect one’s confidence and academic performances, however a transition successfully managed leads to confidence, learning and development of the individual.

Managing time for study and a social life

Both CN and RS realised fairly soon that they needed to be responsible for organising their time and work commitments, both study and paid work. RS did it by means of an electronic scheduler and CN by means of a wall planner. How scheduling is done is at matter of personal choice, the important point is that it is done and that it provides you with an opportunity to be on control of your work and not surprised by events and deadlines.

There is a wealth of evidence to demonstrate that whilst last minute completion of assignments can work effectively in the short-term, when a number of assignments are due in at about the same time then exhaustion sets in and this strategy ceases work with the result that marks and performances suffer. Research also demonstrates that students who revisit their notes within 24 hours of having made them retain significantly more information than those who do not – a particular advantage when it comes to revision.

Establishing a schedule by means of which time is allocated to study, domestic tasks and recreation enables the individual to feel more in control and less prone to being diverted away from tasks. It can help to complete a time audit in which you note down how you allocate your time currently and where you might make better use of your time in future. A varied diet of activities appears to suit most individuals, especially if they have thought it through and taken into accounts their interests, needs and those demands that they have to satisfy.

CN refers to not knowing what is expected and of not being told what to do and how to do it. This is one of the main differences between study at school and study at university, there is no one there to tell you what to do. This can be very unsettling, making individuals feel that they have little or no control over what is happening to them.

Social Groups

The Interviewer returns to the role of student social and peer groups here in order to emphasise that membership of groups can be both a blessing and a danger. Yet again, this hinges on the issue of students developing as independent thinkers, capable of making their own decisions and it is one of the main objectives of a university education. The social group is useful and beneficial in providing support and acting as a sounding board for ideas, but on the other hand it can dictate what you do and when you do it. In short social groups can restrict your room for manoeuvre and independent action.