Tips for Freshers

Whether you are coming from school, college, or employment, you may be wondering how university will be different from what you are used to. Of course, many things will be the same, only at a higher academic level. The main differences are:

• You have more control and independence over what, when and how you study.
• Understanding and critical thinking are more important than remembering.

This page explains some of the things that will help you succeed in your academic studies at university. Click on the links below for more on any of the topics.

Firstly it's up to you to organise your study - both how you're going to do things and when. You may find that all of your assignments are due at the same time, so a bit of forward planning for staggered deadlines will save a lot of panic at the last minute. There's plenty of help and advice available if you're unsure about how to do anything - your course tutor, personal tutor or the Study Advisers are all good people to ask. More tips on planning your time.

Get yourself informed about things like timetables, room locations, deadlines and guidelines for assignments. It's your responsibility to do this - no-one will remind you! Your Course Handbook is your best source for what you need to know about your course of study. Make sure you know where you've put it, or how to access it online - you'll probably need it later in the term. More tips on getting organised.

Don't expect to read everything on your topic - it would take a lifetime! Be an active reader - think about what you want to find out before you start. Choose a few texts to read thoughtfully rather than trying to skim read many. Alternatively, if everything on the reading list is out, ask the Library staff for help to find something that will be equally useful. More tips on reading effectively.

Make useful notes, not copious ones - if you try to write down everything the lecturer says you won't be able to focus on listening. Make notes of selected points and underline the important ones to make them obvious. Add any thoughts of your own that arise, but make it clear that they're your own ideas, perhaps by circling them. Check what's going to be on handouts - you may not need to note dates and figures, for instance. More tips on effective note-taking.

Develop your own arguments - always start by asking yourself "what do I think about this?" Then ask yourself why you think that - it might be something you've read, or something from your own experience, or just plain logic. That way the argument you develop will always be your own and will have good evidence to support it, even if you find later that someone else has come to the same conclusion. When you write it up, for every statement or argument you need some evidence and some critical thinking. So you write what there is to say, then where did I find that out, then how do I think it works and why do I think that. More tips on critical thinking.

At university it's not about how much you know, but how you understand it. That usually means knowing the major issues and debates and putting what you've found out about the topic into that context. It also means being able to communicate your understanding, so knowing how to structure your work and write clearly and academically is really important.  More tips on structuring your writing.

Think critically about everything you read, see or hear - consider whether you agree or disagree with it and then (most importantly) work out why you think the way you do. Remember that just because it's in print (or your lecturer says it), doesn't mean it must be right. More tips on critical thinking.

Get referencing right - you're expected to include every source you use while researching an assignment in your bibliography, and to add a reference to your text whenever you use a direct quote, paraphrase or idea from someone else's work. Lots of long quotes are a bad idea - get used to using mini-quotes of a few words wherever possible. Always ask yourself, "have I shown how this quote supports my argument?" Check your course handbook for your dept's preferred style. More tips on using references in your work.

Know when to ask for help - and where to get it - there's a lot to get used to when you come to university, and no-one finds it all easy. One of your most important responsibilities is to yourself - to recognise when you need help and to know where to get it. There are plenty of people whose job is to help you get yourself sorted. You can talk to your personal tutor, or a Study Adviser, or a Counsellor, or one of RUSU's Student Advisers. See the SOAR (Skills Opportunities at Reading) website for more suggestions.

And finally… develop your skills! - Just as you will grow and flourish at university, your study practices will need to develop too. You can help this process by learning from feedback from your tutors, and by reflecting on what you do well, or could do better. Reading this page is just the start - explore the rest of the Study Advice website for more ideas!

Good luck, and enjoy your time at Reading!