The transition between school and university is a challenging and transformative period for students, as they need to build up a new identity as university students and form new study habits. Not all schools and teachers take enough measures to prepare their students for a smooth transition to university, leading to numerous students feeling overwhelmed and alienated.
Fortunately, there are some easy steps that students can take the summer before their first year to ensure an exciting rather than overwhelming transition to university, and to build a strong foundation towards achieving their study goals. Here are the steps you should take as a student the summer before your first year of university.
Immerse yourself in your subject
Follow news about your subject, watch introductory educational videos on platforms such as YouTube, and skim through essential journal articles and books on your topic. It is a great advantage to have some essential prior knowledge before diving into your intense academic lectures and seminars at university. Furthermore, even if some concepts might seem too hard to understand, recognising them when lecturers mention them in the future will still decrease the anxiety of not belonging in the intense academic environment of your university, a feeling which a lot of university freshers experience. Instead, finally getting the answers to the questions you have had since the summer will be highly motivating and exciting.
Do not fear the unknown
Most universities give their upcoming students access to essential information such as reading lists, assessments and objectives for their future modules long before the term starts. Therefore, there is no need to be anxious about the unknown. Carefully read the objectives of each module, skim through essential readings and take note of the type of assignments you have coming up. One of the most essential aspects that predict a smooth transition to university and the achievement of anyone’s study goals consists of arriving at university with the correct expectations. This means that as long as you clearly understand what your subjects require of you, and what they entail, you are already establishing what your future study goals should be and how they can be fulfilled.
Work on developing your critical thinking
One of the most challenging skill gaps that students experience in their first year at university, is their lack of critical thinking skills when examining new concepts and theories. While secondary school focuses on simply memorising and a basic understanding of concepts, university education emphasises the importance of forming compelling arguments and critically evaluating concepts.
Your university’s academic skills section should have guidance towards improving critical thinking. If that is not an option, there are plenty of free resources from other universities that advise on how to develop this skill. One first step would be to examine the ideas that some of the suggested module readings are promoting, find the arguments behind these ideas and identify gaps, or limitations of the research process. These should be mentioned in the limitation sections of journal articles, and you can start asking similar questions even when reading non-academic articles. This practice is highly essential, as it will be required for most of the university assignments in the future. Thus, building a foundation the summer before first term will make all the new concepts more engaging and interesting, resulting in an easier path towards achieving your study goals.
Connect with current or future students
Group study sessions and discussions have been proven to be highly efficient study methods, therefore connecting with current or future students from your university is a surprisingly good way to ensure a smooth transition to your first term and ease the path towards achieving your study goals. Having students that keep you accountable is also highly motivating, as in university most of the studying is individual, the professors simply offering the main ideas in their lectures with expectations that they will be further studied individually. In addition to having correct expectations regarding what their course entails, studies found that the most successful students use motivation and encouragement from their university peers to support their autonomous study.
In conclusion, some students experience significant challenges during the transition from school to university, and that leads to a strenuous path towards achieving their expected study goals. While some schools effectively teach their pupils the skills necessary for university success, a lot of students find themselves at a disadvantage in their first year of higher studies. However, the steps compiled in this blog will ensure that any skill gap can be managed. This advice will help improve the transition process and pave the path towards planning and achieving your study goals. Here you can find more advice on essay writing, revision and note-taking. Follow UAPP for more advice on achieving your study goals!
