Your time spent at a university is memorable. During this period, you make new friends, form study groups, and spend sleepless nights studying. Students bear heavy tuition fees and put in their best efforts, attending classes to make the most of their time at university.
Many individuals think those are the only ways to receive all the benefits of university life. And while you should attend all lectures and complete all assignments, there’s so much more you can get out of this phase of life.
It’s why our dissertation writers in UK have come up with the following great tips to help you utilise your university time doing productive things:
1. Make the Most of those First Few Weeks
Don’t stress yourself about your classes because teachers won’t burden you initially. So, enjoy your freshers’ week as this time won’t come again. Therefore, use this initial period of the first few weeks to get some stuff done. For instance:
- You can make friends
- Learn about famous restaurants
- Figure out how to issue books from the library
- Attend course orientations
- Tour your campus
- Go to the freshers’ fair and learn everything you want to know about your university
- Gather information about the facilities your institute is offering, like societies, sports clubs, and volunteering opportunities
The first part is important! That’s because you’ll live with your housemates and interact with classmates on a daily basis. So, spending time with them until you feel comfortable will make life ahead easier. But, of course, since everyone is trying to adjust over the first few weeks, that could take time.
Don’t worry if you discover a certain subject/course isn’t for you. You can change modules, courses or universities in the first few weeks. However, you might have to bear some loss if you cannot apply for a refund of your fees.
Another thing many students don’t know is they can seek support for:
- Finances
- Mental health problems
- Other university issues
For example, you can ask for financial assistance if you face budgeting issues.
2. Do Not Assume the Initial Few Weeks Mean Everything
Don’t limit your focus to how well you perform in class during your initial university weeks. Your entire university experience does not depend on those first few weeks! Don’t stress yourself if you don’t do that well on a test or assignment. Sure, first impressions are important, but you shouldn’t lose all hope if you fail to make a good one. You’ll get time to work hard and improve your scores. Consistency will impress your professors much more than a one-time high test score!
3. Build a Good Relationship with Your Teachers
On that note, don’t shy away from seeking help from teachers. They’re there to assist you. So, if you are struggling to understand any concept or want to discuss the topic for your essay, you can ask them. That said, remember your teachers will have other things to do. So, email them first and book your slot for such discussions. Build a good relationship with your professors so that you can receive out-of-class guidance when you need it.
4. Participate in Career Fairs
Gathering information about different careers is good. Attend career fairs where you may get an opportunity to ask your questions of potential employers. Participating in a career fair might also encourage you to work hard so you can get your dream job. Career fairs are also good places for exposure to valuable contacts. You could tap those when you’ve graduated to find out about employment opportunities. What’s more, these affairs can also result in internships. So, if you’re looking for one, put yourself out there.
Finally, Human Resource professionals and other recruiters also visit university career fairs. Get in touch with them, and you will learn about the hiring process of renowned companies and their criteria for hiring candidates. Ask them about the soft skills they usually look for in candidates. Then develop or improve those skills to raise your hireability factor.
5. Take Advantage of Job Placement
Some universities have a proper department to manage different online portals and social media pages where they post jobs for students. Students can apply for some jobs by sending an email to an employer. In others, they have to send their resumes to their institutes. The departments working on job placement try to find the right candidates and suggest to companies to hire them. If your university has a job placement department, you can contact them. Others don’t do active job placement but will help you find the right job according to your skills and qualifications. Find out the perks your institute offers!
6. Plan to be the Best in the Talent Pool
Students usually try to focus on getting a degree and don’t research their career field. However, it is crucial you stand out from the rest of the graduating crowd. Two things would really help you—and your resume—shine:
- Having hands-on work experience while studying
- Completing an individual project
You can join an internship to achieve the first goal. You should start working to improve your skills in your domain. As we mentioned above, career fairs can be sources of internship opportunities. Bulletin boards and the university page are other places where you might find job postings.
Look up ideas related to your career-of-choice for the second goal. For instance, if you are interested in digital marketing, you can create a blog to write and upload blogs on various marketing topics.
7. Give Your 100% to Studies
You must attend lectures and seminars to complete your degree. Remember you are paying a significant amount for each seminar, lab practical and lecture, so try to be regular. Record what you learn during these sessions. For instance, you can download and use various apps on your mobile and laptop to prepare digital notes. These recordings and notes will help you when you revise learning material.
8. Explore Famous Places
Most individuals who enrol in university are from another city or country. Therefore, they should avail this opportunity to explore different malls, restaurants, famous places, and destinations. Keep an eye out for interesting upcoming events. In short, get out of your house and enjoy!
9. Take Advantage of Your Holidays
Plan your holidays. If you’re going home, enjoy family time and good food. But also plan for a productive vacation by:
- Joining a part-time/full-time job
- Volunteering your services at NGOs
- Joining a club
- Enrolling in a course
You will find various opportunities to make your summer holidays memorable and productive. Don’t miss out!
In a Nutshell
You may have to say goodbye to university life in a few years. However, the memories you make during this period will remain with you. Therefore, we recommend maintaining a balance between your studies and other activities so that you will remember this time fondly. That said, if you’re struggling and require dissertation writing services, you can reach our expert writers. We know dissertations well!
Author Bio
Leo Bradley is a senior blogger at UK Academic Writers. Before joining our team, he worked as an academic expert and was associated with various education institutes where he guided students. Leo loves blogging, and most of his articles are for helping students overcome challenging academic situations with innovative ideas and solutions.
