HOW DO I STUDY?
How you study at university varies greatly, depending on the subject and the university you have chosen. The exciting thing is that, as opposed to most schools and colleges, universities have specialist facilities that are specifically designed to enhance your learning experience. The way you are taught at university is very different from your school experience. There is a lot more freedom for you to choose your own modules and subject areas and lecturers will not be monitoring you in the same way that your teachers do now. What this means is that you will have to take a lot more responsibility for your own learning, you will need to ensure that you get your work done by set deadlines, with no one there to check up on your progress. This is not to say that lecturers will not be available to help you if you need it, it merely means that it will be up to you to seek advice and to assess your own needs much more than you would have done in school or college.
science based subject then you might have labs and practical sessions, instead of tutorials and seminars.
Assessment is usually done in form of exams and coursework, depending on your course. Make good use of the library and specialist facilities during your preparation time and remember to draw on support from your fellow students and university staff, especially in your first year.
At university, your course will generally be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Lectures usually involve a large number of students and you could be one of a hundred others, sitting in a large lecture hall while your lecturer stands at the front of the room and, usually using a power point presentation, teaches you a certain part of the set syllabus. During a lecture it is up to you to take notes, or to record the session so that you have access to the content when the time comes for exam revision.
Tutorials and seminars are different to lectures, in that they involve a smaller number of people. These sessions are very useful as they give you the opportunity to go over what you have learned in the lectures and to ask any questions you may have. Often you will be asked to prepare for your seminars or tutorials by reading set texts that are then discussed during the session. You will also get the chance to work on small group projects with other students and to present your findings in presentations and essays. If you are studying an engineering or
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