All colleges are different and it’s hard to know what it will be like until you get there, and.  Everyone says that it is not like school or work, or home. So, what IS it really like? We aim to give you a realistic view, based on things students told us they wish they had known.

“I am terrified of going to university, particularly in a city far away from home because I strongly dislike change to my routine.”
(student considering applying for university)

“I had a really good experience at university. I had more control over my environment so I was much happier there than at school. There was a strict timetable at school but during breaks there was no schedule at all – I didn’t know how to deal with that. But at university I could control my own time much more.”
(Michael, former student)

Whilst all students look forward to the prospect of becoming more independent; the reality of making new friends and getting used to a new environment and way of studying, can be challenging and takes time to get used to.

One of the best (and in some ways scariest!) things is that nobody checks up on you or tells you what to do. You will find that a lot of your study is self-directed. This means that you are expected to be an independent learner and you will be responsible for planning when you are going to work, managing your own workload and conflicting deadlines.

Typical challenges students who took part in our survey told us about are:

• Time management which is one of the biggest problems, especially during the first year when everything is still new.
• Coping with large amounts of learning material, with lots of variation, that needs dealing with quickly and efficiently.
• The new social environment – new tutors, other students, the people you live with, etc…
• Life skills – laundry, cooking simple meals, budgeting, keeping up with uni info (social media channels and your UHI email once set up – don’t ignore it as it’s the only way UHI NWH will get in touch when you start), sorting out a student bank account, registering with a GP, managing technology (back everything up!).
• Finding your way around campus –  it’s a good idea to use spare time allowing yourself to familiarise yourself with the buildings you need to visit.
• Navigating your Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – learning how to find lecture recordings, readings, discussion boards, and submission links can take time, but it’s worth exploring early.

“In my experience college is more “relaxed” than school, for example, you are much more in control of creating your own routine and working out what works best for you rather than having to do everything in one ridged way schools often want you to do things.  

Learning is much more self-motivated and directed allowing you to work to whatever study/learning schedule works for you if you meet the deadlines for specific things. There is a lot less “you have to do this” type talks from tutors/lecturers as you are there for your own goals and development. 

A big difference that took me a while to get used to was how differently lecturers/tutors act and treat you compared to how teachers did in my experience. I found that they see you much more as equals, as opposed to a kid that doesn’t know anything, they are much more open to listening to feedback and what you need from them. They are also always so happy to help you with your learning and understanding e.g. if you need something explained in a different way, they don’t make you feel like a burden for not understanding or needing things explained differently.” (current student)

Your calendar is your friend, and if you use an online one then you can get reminders on your phone/computer.

• Organise your workspace – use a fixed workplace to study, or go to the library. Find a place where you are distracted as little as possible. Make sure that there is only stuff on the desk or table that you need for studying – no distractions!
• Manage your time – try to figure out on what activities use your time ineffectively and minimise these. Plan your day so that e.g. chatting on social media and web browsing does not take up more than 1 hour, get up and start studying earlier in the morning if you are planning to go out in the evening, etc.
• Cope with bad days – there are days when nothing works, e.g. you cannot find the solution to a problem in the assignment, you cannot focus on the task, etc….STOP! Go out and get some fresh air, go to the gym or the cinema or something else you enjoy. Sometimes you simply need a distraction.
• Routine – devote regular time periods to your work. It stops things getting too last minute and panicky.
• Look after yourself – eat and drink healthily and regularly, shower regularly, wash your clothes, get some exercise and make sure you have enough sleep.
• Get going – sometimes it’s difficult to get started with your work when you know it’s not due in for a while. “Free writing” can help – it doesn’t matter if what you’re writing is rubbish, just make yourself write for 10 minutes and you might find it easier to get on with it. There are other tricks you can employ like filling a Word document with headings, subheadings and bullet points and turning those into sentences and paragraphs.

1. If you have moved out of home, can you cook simple meals, do your laundry and manage your finances? – We would recommend you practice shopping for and cooking simple meals prior to moving away. Make sure you have a plan for managing your laundry and housework.
2. Do you know how to use the calendar function on your phone or computer and can you synchronise it with your UHI account? – The UHI ServiceDesk can help if you are unsure: IT and Digital Infrastructure – Servicedesk
3. Do you need support with time management, note-taking or reading academic material? – You can access online resources to help with gaining study strategies: Essential Student Skills.  Your allocated Learning Support Worker will also be able to help you in these areas.