University is hard. Everybody tells you that the jump from GCSEs to A levels is the hardest thing you will face in your academic career, but University is one of the hardest, most rewarding things I have ever done.
The 9am lectures are a killer and sadly Unilad is not a reliable source that you can cite but the feeling of freedom and independence makes up for it, not to mention the drinks prices at student nights. You meet people that you wouldn’t usually and they become friends for life.
I currently study Global Health at Queen Mary University of London and I wouldn’t say I’m loving the early morning lectures but I’m definitely enjoying being able to do what I want and be who I want to be. That really is the best part about university.
The Access Project (TAP) prepared me for university by offering a second support system outside of school. Having to commit to a meeting each week with my tutors and making the journey to their offices, which were really fancy, made me more independent. Being able to sit down with adults, who weren’t teachers or family members, gave me a newfound sense of confidence. In our tutoring sessions we wouldn’t just discuss trigonometry or differentiation, but what my plans for the future were and how I was coping with exam stress.
TAP also helped me communicate better with my teachers. By asking more questions in class I gained a better understanding of the content and my teachers knew where I was struggling. These skills allowed me to connect with my lecturers, both in class and by email. The independence I gained from TAP meant that I was better prepared for all the personal study and reading that you are expected to do. Trust me, there’s a lot of it.
The one piece of advice I would give is to get involved. Join the Quidditch society (yes this really exists) or the netball team, maybe even try to volunteer at events. The more people you meet and the more you do, the better your time at university will be.
Katie-Rose Briggs, Queen Mary University of London
Source: tap orig