Attitude (Part 1)
EXTRAS
A degree is hard. And university can be a confusing place.
But how you face up to these challenges is something you can control.
Introduction
So, you’re at university for the first time. How do you feel?
If you’re nervous, that’s okay. Away from home and your usual circle of family and friends. Food shopping for yourself in an unfamiliar city. And a set of buildings that currently make no sense at all, even when you’re holding a map.
Also, it’s not like school, is it? You suddenly face responsibilities. Expectations. Standards of behaviour. The classrooms might seem like school but what goes on in them is very different.
How will you cope with these changes and, more than that, have a successful time at university? Part of the answer to that question lies in something you CAN control: your attitude.
Resourcefulness
You may not have realised it at the time but most things relating to studying at school were handed to you on a plate. Texts chosen. Chapters and articles printed out or made available online. Sources selected for you and cut into easily-digestible gobbets. Questions provided to help you find your way.
In your first year at university, some of these things may continue to happen as you’ve become used to. But as you travel through your degree, you’ll find this less and less common. Increasingly, you’re the one responsible for your study.
So, the first attitude you must develop is resourcefulness.
You must find out where to access primary and secondary source materials.
You must learn to accumulate material that is helpful and find a way of storing it in a way that can easily be retrieved when needed.
You must cultivate learning practices that both aid your study and are suited to your way of working.
And you must develop the skills necessary to contribute to seminars, produce good assignments and demonstrate your knowledge effectively.
This all takes time, of course. And there will inevitably be a process of trial and error involved. But if you embrace this fact of life at university early on you will be far more likely to do well.
Taking ownership
Closely allied to this is the idea that you assume responsibility for your learning.
It is not automatically your tutor’s fault if you don’t understand something.
Have you done the required reading?
Have you asked your fellow students if they are having problems understanding something?
Have you sought clarity from your tutor or other members of staff?
The second attitude you must develop involves taking ownership of your studying. Make sure you are doing everything possible to help yourself learn.
Self-Discipline
Universities are great places to meet people, socialise, have a good time. To many students, this is what makes going to university an attractive prospect. And rightly so. Letting your hair down, enjoying life and all it offers is a valuable part of learning. It helps you develop as a person.
BUT…
It’s important to remember why you have decided to go to university in the first place.
Sure, there may be some who can afford to party all day and let someone else provide for them in the future. But if you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’re not one of the lucky few who can get away with living like that.
Finding a balance between working hard and letting off steam is a vital skill you must learn. And this requires the development of a third attitude: self-discipline.
You should first work out how much time you spend in lectures and seminars per week (as well as how long it takes to get to and from campus).
Then think about how much time to allocate to your reading lists, researching in the library etc or writing assignments. A sensible amount would be around 12-15 hours spread across a week for these activities.
Finally, think about social activities and breaks such as walks or other physical activities. Don’t forget you’ll need to eat regularly as well!
You can manage all this with a simple monthly Wall Planner – you can usually download these from the internet. You might also want to use an academic diary.
Having a visible breakdown of your weekly and monthly activities will help you manage your time most effectively and engage in social activities without jeopardising your studies.
More...
Developing a good attitude is about more than yourself. In Part 2 we will look at how the way you handle relationships with others affects your ability to succeed as well.