12 Academic Tips for univeristy 🎓

Heading off to university this September? or going into your second or third year? Here are some of my academic tips for university that will help you transition from A-level to university work or to help you hit higher grades: 

• Ask your seminar leaders to review essay plans and ask them questions - they’re there to help! I wish I did this more in my first year as it would’ve helped me flag problems in my essays sooner.

• Buy all books second-hand or on eBay to be as cheap as possible. I use worldofbooks.com and Abebooks.com Some can also be read online via the library so always check! 

• Speaking of the library, make the most of it! - take books out and watch how other people are studying. This is an opportunity to see what people are taking with them to the library and how they’re taking their notes.

• Organise everything! I use Notion to organise all my classes and meetings each week. I will be uploading a second post to explain how I do this, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

• Don’t leave essays to the last minute- think of which question you’ll choose and start a basic plan of ideas as soon as the questions are released.

• I can only speak as an English student, but YouTube has helped me a lot in understanding course content. Many university lecturers from different universities will upload their lectures, talks, or reviews on different texts. 

• If you’re studying Shakespeare, you may also find YouTube helpful by watching interviews with the actors in different productions. They usually talk about their characters and their opinions on them which gives you a different angle. 

• Have a cheat sheet for the writing format you’re required to use in your department. My sister had one with her degree and let me use it and it’s so helpful! It tells you how to format every kind of text and gives examples of how to use them. 

• Question the marking of your essay if you believe they have been unfairly marked. Not always, but sometimes your essays may be marker harsher than need be and bringing this up could help you get from one grade band to another. If you feel your essay has been unfairly marked, don’t be shy to bring this up with your tutor. If they still believe it has been fairly marked, you’ll still receive further feedback and constructive criticism that will help you with your next essays. 

• If you think you may be eligible to apply as a DDS student, go for it! Some universities offer help for disabled and neurodiverse students which may include a personal mentor, advice and guidance, and a disabled student allowance. From my experience at Royal Holloway, the DDS has helped me with my mental health and has given me the tools to manage my studies alongside any difficulties that might arise. At Royal Holloway, eligibility includes a disclosed disability, a long-standing medical condition, a specific learning difficulty or mental health condition. To learn more about the DDS services at Royal Holloway click here  

• Royal Holloway offers CeDAS (Centre for the Development of Academic Skills) meetings which help you improve your writing and I recommend looking into them if your university offers this too. 

• If your university provides it, go to your library induction and take notes. They will tell you where everything is, how to print, and how to take books out which are all crucial come exam season!