There is a great emphasis on supporting first year students in their move to higher education, but how about the support students get for transitioning into their second year? 

January saw us meet the halfway mark in our longitudinal study focusing on students learning journeys from their first to their final year. We invited our participants to a face-to-face event in the Victoria Rooms where we dined on pizzas and offered a chance for students to share their ‘top tips’ to first-year students before moving to the focus groups. As you can see below, students had very direct advice to give to their first year peers, this may be worth sharing with your students before they go off for the summer. 

What the students said … 

Group 1 said…  

1. Make use of the most ‘free’ summer you’ll have. Do something memorable! 

2. Start planning for your academics next year. Create a calendar, get into a routine, budget spreadsheets etc. 

3. Go to your accommodation early to get your housing and bills set up. 

4. Reconnect with family and friends or join societies 

5. Keep your revision notes from your exams. Anything that you can do to make your second year easier will help. 

Group 2 said…  

1. Keep on top of things! Use calendars to help you manage your time / events; make attending uni a habit – LOCK IN EARLY 

2. Housing – consider who you’re going to live with CAREFULLY. Consider if you want to stay together / in that place for 3^rd year. You will be ok – you can still find places AFTER the panic 

3. Societies – join both academic and non-academic societies – do outdoors-y stuff / things that would cost loads if you did it privately. Join committees. 

4. Well-being – sign up for the student GP!! 

5. Use the support you’ve got – personal tutors, friends, lecturers, mentors, they’re there for you. 

6. Watch out for BURN OUT! 

6. Participation – don’t be afraid to take part in things! BITE THE BULLET – no one is more conscious and aware of your existence as you are – DO THE THING! 

Group 3 said…  

1. Lock in! Prepare for more work 

2. Stay in touch with your mates 

3. Be more active with your course and develop skills to solve problems – practice. Don’t fixate on one thing, manage your time. 

4. Look into summer opportunities – travelling, internships 

5. Show up to everything – routine. 

6. Take advantage of reading/consolidation week. 

7. Don’t do too many societies but don’t be scared to join new societies 

8. Don’t have a breakdown – look after yourself – have a support network 

What the academics said … 

We also asked the three Academic Director (Inclusion, Belonging and Community) from the three faculties to share their advice to first-year students moving to second year 

Dr Jessica Roy – Senior Lecturer in Child and Family Welfare, School for Policy Studies 

1. Try something new. New friends and experiences aren’t just for first-years! Try out a new society or attend an event . Having something outside studies (and paid work) can be really helpful for wellbeing. 

2. Make use of your personal tutor, lecturers and office hours / drop-in sessions. You can go to all of them to ask questions about your studies and academic support. In fact, academic staff really want you to come and ask questions because we know it can really help students feel more confident in their studies!  

3. Try not to compare yourself to others. It can be stressful to realise that some people are further ahead on preparation for teaching or assessments. The thing to focus on is what you are doing. Everyone moves at their own pace – that’s ok! 

Dr Joel Ross – Associate Professor in Engineering Experimental Practice Education 

1. Use the taught content to anchor your day, degrees are designed around normal working week hours.  Put in your lunch, tea /supper etc with friends and see what you can make of the day towards your degree while on campus in-between. 

2. Universities are huge melting pots of people, make use of opportunities to support each other’s learning.  Maybe use your personal tutor group and nominate a member each month to book a study space each week and work together.  Your knowledge of the subject is hugely increased by trying to explain it! 

3. You’re a… human, presumably? If you’re not well, give yourself the opportunity to recover quickly, take the day off and rest…  Looking at slides through bleary eyes and sneezing is unlikely to be a good learning strategy. Actually, this should be point 1. All things are easier if you are healthy to start with. 

Dr David Lawson – Senior Lecturer – School of Biological Sciences  

1. Look after your wellbeing as part of your studies. How well you sleep, eat, move, and rest has a real impact on how focused and motivated you feel. 

2. Second year usually needs a bit more active time management. Keep experimenting with different approaches until you find ones that work for you. Don’t try harder, try different! 

3. Remember, the second year is still for learning. You’re not expected to be perfect. Make mistakes, use the feedback, and focus on what you can do differently next time. 

To sum up 

Considering all the ‘top tips’ above, there are three main takeaways: 

1. From the start of the academic year, plan out your time, know when your assessments are due so that you can work around them. 

2. Seek out help when you need it, everyone is here to support your success. 

Look after yourself, whether it be your daily routine, or trying different things for a change of focus – its never too late to do something different.