School leavers say…

School leavers at Edinburgh Napier University

What's uni really like? How will it be different from school, and what will help you make a success of your uni studies? Hear what these students said, and ask yourself some questions, too… Are you ready?

Uni is completely different from school
Become an independent learner
Keep up with coursework

Ask for help when you need it
Make time for your life!
Are you ready…?

Uni is completely different from school

So what's uni really like? It's challenging but it's also exciting - you'll be expected to really stretch yourself both as a learner and as an individual. At school you may have known lots of people and had many friends. At uni you might not know many people at first and you could find yourself in very big classes. You might be surprised at the mix of ages too. It can be overwhelming at first! To help get you started, there are lots of activities for new students, and you'll soon find you make new friends.

Coming to uni is an amazing opportunity to make new friends

I came from quite a small town, nowhere near Edinburgh, and had always had my set group of friends from as far back as primary school, and what I was most worried about when coming to uni was being completely alone and having to make a new set of friends, on my own, for the first time. Don't get me wrong though, it's been an amazing experience, and has definitely taught me a whole new range of social skills.

Robyn

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Uni is totally different to anything else

Uni is totally different to anything else. It's a lot more social and more interesting than school or college. You should take advantage of all the opportunities that are available as you might not get the chance again.

Clare

Q1 What might help you get started at uni?

Become an independent learner

Another way uni is different from school is that you're in charge of your studies. There is less interaction with staff than at school, and more emphasis on independent learning. You'll have fewer classes, but that doesn't mean you have lots of free time! You'll be in charge of when and how you do your studying. It's important to be organised, and to plan your studies from the start.

Study groups

It's useful, I've found, to have study groups with other students in the class, and to go over any past papers or any issues you're having. Sometimes one person understands a topic better than another person, so you can work together and just help each other.

Romana

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Tutorials

Tutorials I find were very helpful, they often gave me a better understanding about what I had been taught in lectures. They provide the opportunity to ask questions, which isn't always easy. But I learnt that it's better to ask, as there is always someone else who doesn't understand the same thing as you.

Elaine

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Q2 What's meant by being an independent learner?

Keep up with coursework

At uni a lot of your assessment is by coursework. (You'll be told early on what the deadlines are for each assignment). It's common for several assignments to be due in around the same time, and most require quite a lot of reading, so it's really important to plan your time and start coursework early. Make sure you organise your files and notes as you go along. And try not to miss lectures!

Don't leave coursework to the last minute

Get on with homework and coursework as soon as possible, even if it's just looking at the question. Don't try leaving it to the last moment, even if you do work better under pressure.

Eve

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Don't be pressurised by your friends!

My course gives out reading chapters every week, which I find really boring, but I soon realised that if you don't keep up with it, then everything is just going to get a lot harder. It makes it awkward as well because some of my friends from halls don't have as much to do as me, and you need to make sure you're not feeling under pressure to go out instead of keeping up with it all - which, as annoying as it sounds, is ultimately more important.

Robyn

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Q3 What might help you keep up with coursework?

Ask for help when you need it

At the beginning you might feel uncertain about asking questions, perhaps because you don't know the staff too well, or you're in a large class. But no-one expects you to know everything! Always ask if you feel you need help. If you have any problems, you can email the appropriate person. Some lecturing staff have times when you can drop into their office and ask for advice. You can also contact student support if you feel you need additional help.

Talk to other students and teachers

Don't be shy talking to teachers and students. You can get a lot of help from them, and you can work together.

Eve

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Asking for help

Lecturers are quite helpful, as long as you make an appointment in advance. Email them, don't go to their room and just expect them to help you. At the start, there are also tutorial groups which you are assigned to with a tutor and five or six students who come every week and just meet and just talk about any issues you're having, and just to get to know other people.

Romana

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Q4 How might you ensure you get any help you need?

Make time for your life!

Uni is an amazing opportunity to meet new people, try new things, and just enjoy yourself, as well as to learn about your subject. If you can find a good balance between study and the other important things in your life, you'll really enjoy your time. Of course you have to work hard on your studies to succeed and get good marks – but take some time out too!

Flat sharing takes teamwork

The thing that I wish I'd done that first week when I moved into halls, was make a cleaning rota for the flat, because it turns out that it's really stressful having a pile of dirty dishes surrounding you when you walk in the door, with nobody willing to clean them up!

Robyn

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Highlights of being at uni

Moving to a new city and especially away from home was very scary but also very exciting. One of the first things I noticed about Napier was that there were many students, all from different places, and in the same situation as me. Getting to make friends from student accommodation and my course was definitely one of the highlights.

Elaine

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Q5 How might you make the most of your uni studies?

Are you ready…?

So you're thinking about uni study, or perhaps your application has already been accepted. What might help you make the most of your time at uni?

Why not make some notes here? You might find it useful to save these, to look at again later.

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And finally…

Have balance between fun and study. That's very important!

Eve