Basics Money Accommodation Studying Grades Organisation Work Links
Basics ————————————————————————————————————————-
There are over 400 places in the UK that you can study for a degree.
More than 400,000 full-time students were accepted into higher education in 2007.
Three-quarters of university applicants start by thinking about what course they want to study; the other quarter start by thinking about where they want to study.
Most people choose a university between one and two hours away from home.
UCAS are the organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK.
Undergraduate courses are for students who have A-Levels, the International Baccalaureate, or vocational qualifications.
Postgraduate courses are only available to students who have already achieved an undergraduate degree.
Most universities break down different subject areas into departments, schools and faculties.
Take a course that you’re passionate about and you'll study harder.
Taking a course that you don't like, but which you feel is safe and respectable, will frustrate and de-motivate you.
Not all universities allow students to change courses.
Every year, over 50'000 students drop out of university in their first year.
Four out of five graduates say that going to university was worthwhile.
Money ————————————————————————————————————————-
Most UK students doing their first degree can get a student loan.
Student loans don’t have to be paid back until after you graduate and have a job paying £15,000 or more.
Grant money is contributed by the Government towards the living costs of some full-time students and doesn’t have to be paid back.
High-street banks offer students interest-free overdrafts of up to £2,000.
The average student will graduate with debts of approximately £15,000.
Ways to increase your available funds include: saving money before attending university; getting a part-time job; working full-time during term breaks; borrowing money from family members; selling unessential items on eBay.
Join the National Union of Students (NUS) to get discounts on a huge range of products and services.
Get your bank statements and phone bill re-directed to your new address so that you can keep up-to-date with your finances.
Take advantage of no-charge ATMs when you see them; planning ahead for the next few days.
Your time and money will quickly disappear if you say 'yes' to everything.
Dividing your bank balance by the number of weeks in the university term will give you an estimate as to how much you can spend each week.
Failing to budget appropriately causes unnecessary stress.
Accommodation ———————————————————————————————————-
Living with people taking the same course as you will likely improve your studies.
Halls of residence are the shared blocks of accommodation that many students live in during their first year at university.
If halls of residence are unavailable, you will need to arrange a house-share with other students; your university can provide you with details of local letting agents.
Both halls of residence and rented accommodation should be fully furnished and have facilities for cooking.
Check your new accommodation for damage and missing items as soon as you move in.
There are hundreds of companies competing to offer you cheaper gas, electricity and water; changing companies is easy to do and may save you money.
If your name is listed as the bill payer, service providers will expect you to pay even if you are let down by a house mate.
Failing to pay bills on time can result in your credit rating being affected.
The fine for not having a TV licence is currently over £1,000.
10% of students get burgled at some point during their student life; without insurance you'll struggle to replace your things.
Spend 15 minutes at the start of term making a list of the make, model and serial numbers of your electronic items; this helps the police to track them down if they are stolen.
Having a desk to work at is essential; if you study in too much comfort then your mind relaxes and wanders from the task at hand.
Studying ———————————————————————————————————————
People in the year above you can advise you on books, essays, exams and tutors.
You don’t need to buy all of the textbooks on the recommended reading list.
Save money by buying second hand textbooks from last year’s students.
Before buying a textbook, check the website of the book publisher to find out if it's due to be updated.
A lecture involves someone standing at the front of a room / hall and talking to students (numbers could be up to 200) whilst they take notes.
In lectures, concentrate on understanding the ideas and principles rather than copying down the facts and details.
Don't take notes about something unless it's directly applicable to what's in your course book or what lecturers have said.
Seminars normally involve 10-20 students and la lecturer discussing the material covered in the previous lecture.
The average student will have twice as many lectures as seminars.
Studying with others allows you to share resources, knowledge and ideas.
Spend some time studying with someone who is better at a subject than you are and some time with someone who is struggling with it.
Pay attention to the publication dates of your research sources.
Always read through the bibliography of the good academic books / papers that you find.
Asking librarians to help you find books / papers / journals / articles saves a lot of time and hassle.
Local libraries will normally loan books to your university library if you request them to do so.
Use Wikipedia as an initial point of research but don't cite it in your bibliography.
It's a fine line between using pre-written essays as a study tool and plagiarising.
Don't study more than 3 hours at a time.
Take a 3 minute break for every 30 minutes of studying.
It's a scientific fact that natural light aids learning.
Sleep and rest are essential for your brain to function properly; it being counter-productive to study 18 hours a day or stay up all night before an exam.
Your mind and body need to be healthy for you to reach your academic potential.
Grades ————————————————————————————————————————
Students are assessed using a mixture of exams, essays and project work.
UK universities use the following grading system: 1st, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd; with a 1st being the highest possible grade.
Percentage score required to attain each grade: 1st = 70%+; 2:1 = 60-69%; 2:2 = 50-59%; 3rd = 40-49%.
Officially, university work is marked as a percentage of 100%; however, most lecturers give a maximum of 80%.
At many universities, the first year of a course is seen as a foundation / familiarisation year; the work completed in that year not being taken into account when a final grade is calculated.
A dissertation is a 10'000 - 15'000 word assignment that all final year undergraduate students are required to complete; it generally accounts for at least 10% of a student's final grade.
University level work is expected to be well researched and referenced.
Work handed in past a deadline is normally automatically downgraded.
Exams only generally take place at the end of the academic year i.e. March to June.
Confirm the details of all exams because some lecturers will have specific rules / procedures.
If a student achieves less than 40% in an exam, they normally have to re-sit it at a later date.
Aim to achieve the top grades, but don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t attain them.
Every student graduates with the grade that they deserve.
A graduate is someone who's successfully completed a degree and graduation is when they’re officially awarded that degree.
Organisation —————————————————————————————————————
Be realistic when making study plans / timetables.
Use two timetables to organise yourself: the 1st being an hour-by-hour weekly timetable; the 2nd being be for the term as a whole.
The deadline for an assignment / essay / project is normally at least a month after the work was set.
Write up a schedule for every essay that you get set; giving yourself a series of milestones to accomplish by specific dates.
Deal with one essay / project / exam at a time; focusing on just the task in hand.
When you're busy, prioritise by writing to-do lists.
Move some study time from the week to the weekend when there are less people and distractions about.
Your university will likely have some study facilities available at all times i.e. throughout the night and weekends.
By getting to know your lecturers, you increase the chance of some friendly help when you need it.
Lecturers are required by university policy to be in their office and available to students for a set number of hours each week.
You're paying for a service so tell your university if you’re not happy with them.
There are times to study and there are times to have fun; to have the full university experience, you need to find the balance.
If you can't find time for doing any of the things that you like to do then you've misunderstood what is being expected of you by your lecturers.
Your university years are the perfect time to try out new things; get involved in activities, join a club or play in a team.
Use some of your free time for a good cause by volunteering or fundraising for charity.
Work —————————————————————————————————————————
An estimated 90% of students take on paid work at some point during their university years.
Christmas and summer holidays are opportunities to earn money, enhance your CV and focus your mind on something new.
Taking a gap year after a year or two of studying is a good way to refresh yourself and gain some life experience; use it for working, volunteering or backpacking.
Attend any free workshops (body language, interview technique, public speaking etc.) that your university offers.
Make use of your university's careers service; their sole purpose is to help students find a job.
Start applying for work placements / internships as early as possible because there's always more students than positions available.
Talking to students who have already finished their year in industry is the best way for starting to arrange your own work placement.
Start applying for jobs as soon as you enter your final year.
The UK is a knowledge-based economy that highly values a 3-4 year university degree.
Having a degree dramatically increases the number of career options available to you.
Being a university graduate halves your chances of ever being unemployed.
A few years after graduation, the majority of degree-holders are earning more than people of the same age without a degree.
A graduate will earn an average of £400,000 more over their working life than someone who didn’t go to university.
Basics Money Accommodation Studying Grades Organisation Work Links
www.hero.ac.uk : In-depth university information. Where to do and what to study. What to expect at university.
www.thegooduniversityguide.org.uk : University guide. University league tables. FAQs.
www.timesonline.co.uk : University guide. Articles on university life.
www.push.co.uk : University reviews. Articles on university life.
www.education.guardian.co.uk : University league tables. University profiles. Subject profiles.
www.ucas.com : Official university applications website.
www.slc.co.uk : Official Students Loan Company website. Types of loans and grants available.
www.nusonline.co.uk : National Union of Students website. Student news. Apply for a student discount card.