14 | Greenstone EDUCATION FEBRUARY 2018
14 | Greenstone EDUCATION FEBRUARY 2018
Starting university : what to expect
The transition from high school to university is one of the biggest you ’ ll ever make . What should you expect from your first year at university ?
W hile the freedoms that come with leaving home for the first time will occupy most students ’ thoughts when it comes to their first year of university , the reality of studying at the undergraduate level quickly dawn on many for whom the experience will be quite often a shock from the confines of the school classroom .
The first few weeks at university are amongst the busiest of a young adult ’ s life anyway , but the challenge of new learning styles and independent study can add to what is already a very full plate of activities for most .
Put simply , university is very different from school in terms of what is expected either in the classroom or the laboratory . While high school instructors both teach and ensure that work is completed with the intention of achieving a basic level of education , the role of university lecturers and professors is largely to provide students with a framework and the skills from which they can explore their academic subject .
For the uninitiated , this leads to one major difference between the two – no one tells you what to do at university .
Randy Vener reflects on how some first year students react to the challenge of being responsible for their own study programs and workload . “ There ’ s a look in the eyes of many first year students as they adjust to so many changes in their first few weeks with us . Many can ’ t believe their luck that there ’ s no one saying , ‘ do this paper by tomorrow ,’ or ‘ read chapter three tonight .’ This kind of freedom can go to a student ’ s head , but the good students recognise that they need to set their own targets and work consistently and steadily to ensure that they keep up with the pace of university studies . It ’ s all about maintaining a balance between studying and living .”
“ I thought I was in heaven after two years of high school . But then it dawned on me that the free time was what university was actually all about .”
Perhaps a further difference between school and university is the way in which students are actually taught and expected to learn .
Dr . David Brown , an experienced teacher of first year undergraduate students believes that many of the most obvious pitfalls in adjusting to studying at university can be avoided . “ Universities now offer study skills support , helping students adjust from how they studied at school to what we expect in the classroom as a first year . The key is to understand that lectures offer only a basis from which to understand a particular subject – the tip of the iceberg if you like and the real heart of a topic comes in the form of independent study and the opportunity to discuss your views in either lectures or a tutorial .”
Another major difference between university and the school classroom is the amount of time receiving face-to-face tuition . First year students enrolled in an arts or humanities degree typically spend a maximum of 12 hours a week in class , while engineering or science students can expect no more than 20 hours a week , leaving more than enough time for life outside of the classroom .
But successful students will very quickly recognise that such “ down time ” should be at least partially invested in preparation , research and work in labs , to make the most of the academic part of their university experience . Spend your time wisely .
Like many university teachers , Dr . Brown has great sympathy with students new to the university environment . “ I remember my first term at university very vividly – seven hours of lectures and tutorials a week , one essay for each course each term and nothing was compulsory .
“ I thought I was in heaven after two years of high school . But then it dawned on me that the free time was what university was actually all about . It allowed me to get to grips with the subjects lecturers were introducing me to . I could explore what interested me and what I enjoyed . I learned to develop my own opinion and my own view and once I had done that , there was time to do everything else as well .”
There is no doubt that the first term or semester at university is full of distractions , but being aware of what is expected of you as a student and how subjects are taught can make a big difference to making the most of all opportunities and settling down to a successful university career .
There will still be challenges but knowing what lies ahead can make a significant difference to those first few weeks .