Study skills for university

Preparing for university usually brings to mind the many steps of the university application process: UCAS, personal statements, interviews, exams. However, a successful transition to university also involves considering the academic shift from studying A-Levels or BTECs to higher education.

For many students, this will be the first time they’re able to focus on one subject and manage their learning independently. It is important to remember that your students have already used many of the necessary study skills during their time at school and college. University will bring the opportunity to develop their learning style even further.

To effectively develop their learning style for university, your students need to become aware of how they study, and which routines and techniques work best for them. This is the principle behind metacognitive knowledge.

Your students will study more effectively when they become more conscious of which techniques work best for them. This could be a certain learning strategy, or knowing when they’re most productive in the day.

To achieve this, you can encourage your students to think about successful and unsuccessful revision strategies after exams or tests, or how they might approach improving their understanding of areas they’re less confident in.

By gaining a deeper knowledge of their own study skills, students will go to university feeling more confident that they have the tools to face challenging assignments and examinations.

The ability to self-reflect will allow your students to respond to feedback. Students tend to focus on the grade for a piece of work, rather than the feedback of what went well and how to improve. At university, feedback is even more crucial as it is central to a student’s academic development.

This is particularly true for courses that are lecture and seminar-based. Comments on assignments are unique opportunities where students can gain personalised feedback on their understanding of a topic. Going over the written feedback on tests or assignments at school or college can prepare your students to respond positively to feedback in higher education.

In addition, your students can build essential learning routines for university by reflecting on past feedback, and using this to check their own work before handing it in. University work is less scaffolded than A-Levels or BTECs. As such, your students will need to be confident in reading over their work, with previous feedback in mind, before submitting their assignments.

Independent study comes with more responsibility. However, reassure your students that there’s a wide range of support available too. This varies from drop-in sessions and tutor support to transition activities for starting university.

For example, Middlesex University offers a Ready for Anything programme. This includes sessions on approaching assignments, academic writing, and time management.

Studying at university provides an exciting opportunity for your students to take charge of what they’re studying. This involves choosing the modules they’re interested in, picking their dissertation topic, or researching areas they find interesting. By reflecting on their current studies, your students will find that they’re already on the right path for taking on new challenges at university.