A GUIDE ON HOW TO SUCCEED

FIRST YEAR OF UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION:
The transition from high school into tertiary will be difficult
because of the changes you would have to make to adjust
to the structure and the system at university. School leavers
need to understand that tertiary study requires
independent study as well as responsibility. This means that
if you do not hand in assignments, then you fail and the
lecturers will not chase you down for them. Therefore, you
have to take responsibility for your own learning. It is not
impossible and it is very achievable. Here is a few tips that
can be helpful to you during your first year of tertiary
study.
 TIPS THAT ARE
HELPFUL AND TO
CONSIDER: This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.

This Photo by Unknown author

is licensed under CC BY.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

1) MAKE A PLAN/
TIMETABLE PLANNER
Making a plan and a timetable
planner is important because it
keeps you on track on what you
need to do. This will help you
prioritise the events that are
important and ensure that
assignments are handed in on
time.
2) ATTEND ALL
LECTURES, TUTORIALS
& WORKSHOPS
Attending all your classes is
important because there are
things highlighted by your lecturer
that is not in the recording. Don't
rely too much on the recordings
and go to all classes unless you
are really sick.
3) BREAK UP
ASSIGNMENTS INTO
SMALLER CHUNKS
There are going to be big
assignments, but breaking up
the assignment will help you take
it step by step. This will avoid any
cramming and handing in
assignments last minute. This is a
helpful way of retaining
information for any subject and
this can used to study new content.
Assignments may seem difficult
and impossible at first, but if you
break it down, then the
assignment will be more easier to
handle.
4) REVISE OVER
YOUR NOTES DAILY
After each lecture you have,
revising and making summary
notes will help you with
your understanding of the
content learned. It will also
identify the areas which you may
be struggling in; therefore, ensure
that you follow it up with your
lecturer or do extra research
about it. Revising your notes daily
will help you remember the
content long-term.
5) ASK FOR HELP

Always ask for help when you are

struggling because the lecturer
cannot read your mind. If you do
not approach them earlier, you will
start to fall behind. Address the
issue earlier so that your lecturer
can help you. Do not expect
yourself to know everything and
know that there are always people
that can help you in all areas. Take
advantage of all the support
available to you so that you
can succeed.
6) TURN OFF YOUR
PHONE
When you enter the lecture room
or any tutorial or workshop, turn
off your phones. This will minimise
any distractions. For
example, notifications from social
media.
7) DO THE PRE-
READINGS AND PRE-
LABS
Although the pre-readings and
the pre-labs do not worth
anything, it is important to do
them. This will help you get an
insight on what the lecture or the
lab will be about. This also avoids
any confusion. Do not think that
you can understand the lectures or
the labs even if you do not do the
pre-lab or the pre-readings.
THINGS TO AVOID
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

1) DO NOT CRAM AND
LEAVE ASSIGNMENTS
TO LAST MINUTE
Cramming your assignments will
not help you get the marks that
you are capable of getting. It will
not help you get anywhere and
this will become a habit. You will
also stress about it and therefore,
start to procrastinate. Divide your
assignment up into smaller chunks
to avoid last minute assignments
and cramming.
2) DO NOT SKIP
LECTURTES, TUTORIALS
AND WORKSHOPS
Skipping the lectures or the
workshops will make you fall
behind everyone else. If you think
that you can just catch up with the
recordings, then think
again. There are some important
things that the lecturer highlights
that is not in the recording. For
example, key points that you must
learn for the test or what is not
required of you to learn.
3) DO NOT TAKE
NOTES ONLY
When you take notes in a lecture,
it is also important what you do
with those notes. If you want to
retain information learned, you
cannot just read over your notes
and expect to remember it long-
term. You can make flash cards,
mind maps and summarising your
notes also helps you remember the
content. It is not enough for you to
just take notes.
 4) DO NOT
PROCRASTINATE
Procrastinating will not help you
complete your assignments. To
avoid procrastination, you need to
be organised and start your
assignments early. You can split up
your assignment and do it bit by
bit. You have to have a positive
mindset in order to complete the
task. Do not waste your time.
Although the due date may be far,
there will be other assignments on
top of that assignment. If you do it
early, then you can focus on other
things or enjoy time to yourself.
5) DO NOT COME
UNPREPARED
Do not expect your lecturer to
provide any pens and paper for
you. Do not come to your classes
unprepared because that is not
going to help you with your
learning. You will not be able to
take any notes. Therefore, be
organised so that when you revise
your notes again, it is clear to
read and it is understandable.
6) DO NOT COME
LATE TO CLASSES
Be punctual to all your classes
and this is important so that you
do not miss out on anything
important during the lecture.
Coming late to your classes also
disturbs other students and to
avoid this, come a bit earlier and
find a good seat.
7) DO NOT GIVE UP

If you get a grade or fail

anything, the most important thing
is, to have resilience. Never give
up and remember who you are
doing it for and why. If you feel
defeated, then you will never
reach the goal you want to
achieve.
8) DO NOT EAT
UNHEALTHY FOODS
It is important to take care of
your health and one way of doing
that is to avoid eating
unhealthy foods. Avoid eating
and drinking foods which contain
too much sugar. Also, limit how
many cups of coffees you have
a day.
CONCLUSION:
Quoted by Oprah Winfrey, "Education is the key to
unlocking the world, a passport to freedom"
Quoted by Dr. Seuss, " You have brains in your head. You
have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any
direction you choose"

Good Luck!