Advice from our Year 1 tutor
"Get involved in the research community (come to research talks, join the Surrey Reproducibility Society, take part in studies on SONA). Don’t worry too much about grades in Year 1, now is the time to learn new skills and try things out!"
Dr Aife Hopkins-Doyle, Lecturer in Social Psychology
Advice from our Year 1 student rep
1. Be open
There are many things to experience in university from social opportunities to academic support - however, these resources are only useful if you try them.
For example, when I was in my Foundation Year, I would liaise with my academic/personal tutor a lot, alongside that, I had signed up for the Peer Assisted Writing Scheme (PAWS) which reflected in my academic work. In Year 1, I made use of the services at the Centre for Wellbeing, which helped me establish coping mechanisms with the workload and tackle personal problems.
This would serve as a reminder that university is not just an institute for academic development, but overall personal development too.
2. Learning doesn't stop outside of the classroom
University requires a new dynamic way of thinking, learning and completion of academic work, which cannot be achieved only in the classroom setting. Becoming an independent learner is mandatory. Through your early academic tutorials you will learn some "survival skills" that will help you get on top of your workload, which will carry you throughout university. Adopting a 9-3/9-5 approach may be helpful.
3. Be kind
If you're coming to university straight from sixth form or college it may be daunting. Or as a mature student, an international student or student with seen or unseen disabilities. The point is, the cohort is diverse, with students from all different backgrounds. Being kind to each other and connecting would make the transition into this year much easier. This could be done by making group chats, joining societies or initiating conversations with peers, whatever way you prefer.
Also, remember to be kind to yourself. Treat yourself like someone that you really care about. You would want your loved ones to be happy and healthy, so be that person for yourself. If you need support, you can always get in contact with a support service such as Peer Support, the Centre for Wellbeing, Samaritans and SHOUT.
And don't beat yourself up over assignment feedback. Your criticism should be constructive, which you can discuss with your academic tutor to help you improve in your future assignments.