Study smarter, not harder.

5 THINGS TO Lectures and chill?

DO TO
SUCCEED IN Note taking, for you.
FIRST YEAR OF
STUDY AT Balance is key.
UNIVERSITY:
Resources are essential, use them.
1. Do – Study smarter, not harder.
• Do so by regularly revising over content. This can be achieved by simply reading over notes, watching youtube videos,
listening to lecture recordings or using resources course coordinators suggest. It is important to focus on topics or ideas
that you struggle to comprehend. Regular revision allows fixedness in your memory and will allow for critical thinking for
assessments over a long period of time. Thus, the amount of studying required will instead be spread across time and
reduce stress levels.

2. Do – Lectures and chill?

• Substitute Netflix for lecture recordings and call it a date – between you and your studies I mean. Do not rely on lecture
recordings to be available as they are not ensured so attend all lessons. However, if available, watch the recordings to
be able to make more elaborate notes or to note down concepts you may have missed in class.
TIP: The speed of these videos can be manipulated, do so to reduce the duration of the recording overall.

3. Do – Note taking, for you.

• Many students have different methods for taking notes. These may consist of brief bullet points, diagrams, multi-coloured
notes or not taking notes during the lesson but instead after with the use of recordings, and so forth. Discover a method
best suited for you to be able to easily revisit content and retain knowledge.

4. Do – Balance is key.
• It is easy to prioritise one’s social life over their studies, and vice versa. This will create a detrimental habit for your well-
being. Through time management and communication, find a balance between your social and academic
commitments that allow you to flourish in both areas.

5. Do – Resources are essential, use them.

• Whether this entails areas that are designated to particular student bodies or office hours implemented by course
coordinators, be aware of all study resources available to you. The study locations and staff are accessible in order to
help you succeed as much as possible by providing safe spaces for studying and asking questions; don’t let them go to
waste.
 5 THINGS NOT TO DO TO SUCCEED IN FIRST YEAR
OF STUDY AT UNIVERSITY:

Miss a lesson, they will not miss you.

Procrastinate.

Cram. No not cramp, cram!

Eat unhealthily.

Wait.
1. Do not - Miss a lesson, they will not miss you.
• Whether it be a lecture, lab or workshop, avoid missing any form of lesson as much as possible. It may seem easier to
watch recordings instead of attending classes, as these are not guaranteed, I advise attending lessons. This allows for
greater engagement with the course coordinator and student peers. You are responsible for your own learning, take
control of it.

2. Do not - Procrastinate.
• Procrastination is a common inclination among many students and although excellent grades could be achieved at
secondary level, this is a destructive habit to maintain. It will not only affect your effectiveness as a student in future years
of studying, but also affect grades in present tense with the lack of time allowed for studying and constructing
assignments.

3. Do not - Cram. No not cramp, cram!

• Cramming, not to be mistaken with cramping, is the action of studying a subject for a short period of time prior to an
assessment. This may be effective for short-term knowledge however, it results in a lack of extensive comprehension
which will result in lower results as you are assessed on how well you understand the content. Instead, study regularly
ahead of time to ensure academic success.

4. Do not - Eat unhealthily.

• Due to the advantages of certain unhealthy foods in terms of costs and time efficiency, they are preferred by many.
Although convenient, if maintained for a long period of time, this diet becomes detrimental for the body and so forth for
the brain. This also applies to energy drinks, more specifically, caffeine. Do not rely on these substances but instead
allocate time each day to prepare healthy meals, sleep for 7-9 hours and to exercise, as these all help to maintain your
well-being.

5. Do not - Wait.
• Try to start an assignment as soon as the criteria and content is provided. This will allow sufficient amount of time to ask
any questions and produce a draft for thorough feedback from course coordinators, tutors or peers based on your
specific written piece of work.