Preparing For Year Two at University

Image thanks to Stuck in Customs

Hi there!


I cannot believe it but this year has gone so quick! We are nearly at the end of July already which means there is only a few more months until we go back to university again. I personally have been thinking hard about the new academic year and what it is going to mean for me, as I'm sure you guys are too. 


So, thought I would put a bit of a guide together of all the things which have been going through my mind to help you along the way. I've also been doing so much research and asking different people what the second year is like and I thought this might be helpful to you too.


Passed or Failed?


First of all, you may have received your grades from last year. If you passed - well done and keep up the good work! If you failed however - do not despair. There are so many different options which you may not realise are available to you. As soon as you can, try and speak to your module leader and see what your options are. They will talk you through what it is you failed on and find ways of overcoming this, or even transferring onto a different course. What ever you decide to do though, do not think of it as a failure or a waste of time. You have gained experience from this and can only go forward!


Some of you might also be retaking some exams you either missed or didn't quite make the grade. Again, don't panic, make the most of this extra time to revise HARD. Make sure you get a good night's sleep, eat well and feel good whilst revising and before your exam. I will be writing an article on how to ace exams so watch out for this soon!


Work experience


If you think about it, there are way more people going to university than before and so you need to find something which sets you above all the other people who will be graduating in two years time. Now that your first year is over, you might be starting to think about your future and what you want to once you've finished. Also, your course may be offering a placement module (as mine is) and so you need to start thinking about whether you want to do this module and where you are going to do it. Visit your careers advice service at your university and find some work experience placements they might be advertising. They may also be able to point you in the direction of volunteer work or work experience conventions to get yourself involved in. 


Not only will gaining experience in your spare time look good on your CV, it demonstrates you can work on your own initiative and puts you above all the other people coming out of university with no experience. So use this spare time until you go back to university to take part in this and it will help you sooo much.


Preparing for study next year


The second year of university is generally going to be harder than the first. This is because (in the case of my course - Geography BSc) the first year covers lots of A-level information for people who have never done it before. The second year brings in new information which you may not know and in more detail and so you could find this harder.  To counter this, you need to study harder than you did in the first year and work to develop your skills further. For example time management and organisational skills are all very important to organise yourself. These skills are also very important after university so you need to be able to demonstrate you are proficient in this skills. 


Get yourself organised with new books for your modules and file your old notes away properly - you never know when you will need these! Try and get hold of module times and make a provisional timetable so you can organise your life around your new timetable. 


Research your options after university


As well as sorting yourself out academically,  you need to think carefully about your future too. So researching on the internet, going to the library and asking around for advice on travelling, studying abroad, working or just taking a year out will all help you decide what to do after university. Trust me, the earlier you figure what you are going to do, the better chance you have at succeeding by planning it now.


Decide where you are going to live/who to live with


By now you should have decided what you are going to do for accommodation for the next academic year but if you haven't definitely sort it out now. Think about how much your budget/loan will cover per month and the kind of place you want to live. Do you want to live with your parents still because it's cheap, but not close to uni? Or do you want to live with friends? Or how about living in private accommodation somewhere else? These are all things you need to consider.


Make sure your finances are organised before you get there


Budgeting is the key to living well at university. If you spent all your money on going out last year and none for everything else, learn from your mistakes and plan this year and STICK TO IT. If you need help, have a read of my article on money and how to cope with it and 16 Ingenious ways to save money.


So I hope you found this guide useful, if there's anything I've missed off people let me know or send me an email if you have any questions. I will try and help the best I can. I don't know about you but I am very very excited about going back now!