Welcome week, society fairs, meeting flatmates… Starting university is truly a nerve-wracking experience, even before diving into the academic side of it. At the end of the day, after all the parties and pub trips or society socials on Wednesday nights, you chose Exeter for a reason. For many of us, that reason is primarily the degree you’ll earn after your three-year-long academic adventure.
As a humanities student, I am constantly overloaded with deadlines, essays, and essay plans – but this doesn’t have to be complicated! The critical thing to getting everything under control is to keep track of what you have to do and when you have to do it. That bit has already been decided for you by your module convenors or seminar leaders – the rest is up to you.
The critical thing to getting everything under control is to keep track of what you have to do and when you have to do it.
My first essay was about a topic I loved during A-level Politics, so I already had prior knowledge about it, and all that was left to do was structure it and reference appropriate resources. My second essay, however, was far more difficult. It was a different Politics module, far more philosophical than I had ever done before. Upon receiving feedback from my lecturer on my essay plan, it was incredibly difficult not to feel discouraged as I realised I had misunderstood the question almost entirely.
Ultimately, I scored better on the essay than I thought I would, yet I still felt discouraged by the evaluative comments I had heard from my lecturer. It is so important to remember that if this happens, it is nothing personal – your lecturers are there to help you and want you to succeed – it looks good for both you and them if you score well.
… your lecturers are there to help you and want you to succeed
I like to romanticise my academics as much as possible by remembering that my hard work will pay off in the end – whether it’s the end of the term, the academic year, or the end of my degree. That end goal and my overbearing fear of failure are enough for me to get stuck in and get organised, and my daily to-do lists and I are indeed a match made in heaven – I definitely recommend trying this method yourself!
There may be times when your compulsory modules will not align with your favourite topics to learn about, in which case, it is even more crucial to understand what the content is about. Do keep in mind the advice I have given throughout this article – make the most out of your online and physical resources, as well as your lecturers and seminar leaders. No one is out to get you during your academics, and your university experience, both academically and socially, is nothing to be scared of – it is truly an exciting new time that takes time to get used to.
