I chose to go to university because I thought it would be a good opportunity to broaden my horizons and enrich my knowledge. I had enjoyed my A Level subjects, albeit finding them rather challenging, so I felt continuing to university was the right choice for me. Here, I will provide a guide to how I settled in and the things to be aware of whilst you provide support for your young person.
Looking back, there were a few things that
I would have appreciated having more
information on before going to university.
Despite watching lots of videos on YouTube
and attending Open Days, I should have asked
what the timetable would be like for someone
studying my subject and what I could expect
from assignments. It was a relief knowing that
the assignments were spread out over a couple
of weeks and there weren’t too many early
starts!
I could also have asked for more information
on managing finances and scholarship
opportunities. Some universities offer
scholarships and bursaries and your young
person may need to apply before starting their
course.
I also think it’s a good idea once students are
at university to familiarise themselves with the
different departments across the institution and
be aware of what school/department they are
part of. Each school has different opportunities
and perhaps a separate team of wellbeing
officers who make decisions about things like
coursework extensions and student support
services.
When I started university, I found speaking to
older students incredibly helpful. There are
lots of Facebook groups where people ask
about modules and provide general university
advice. Now I’m a student ambassador, I
meet more students across the university,
and it’s great to hear their words of wisdom. I
would strongly recommend attending events,
especially freshers’ events which will help
your young person settle in.
As the assignments started appearing, I found that developing a good organisation system was helpful. I found making a list of deadlines on a sheet or paper and adding these to my Google calendar worked well.
One thing I would really recommend that
students do before they go to university is
to check if they are eligible for the
DSA (Disabled Students’ Allowance). This
enables equipment and specific software to
be given to students who have a disability, to
help make their learning easier. Applications
can take time, so this should be started as
soon as possible.
Depending on the student’s situation, if they
have been eligible for extra time at sixth
form or college, this should be the case at
university. If applicable, and judging from my
own experience, students are usually
allocated a disability adviser who can provide
help and support with study adjustments.
If I could make one final suggestion, it would
be to regularly check emails. All the
opportunities, trips and events are usually
sent through email, so it’s really important to
stay on top of that!
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