From School to University - Keele University

Making the leap from School to University

Greater independence

University is different from school and to some extent, different from the world of work, as at university you need to become your own boss, your own manager. Contact hours with your programme tend to be minimal and most time is spent in private study. Therefore being motivated and self-reliant is essential.

Unlike school, there are no teachers looking over your shoulder and telling you what to do; you must discipline yourself, telling yourself what you need to do each day, week and month and be aware of the negative consequences if you do not manage your workload (such as unnecessary stress, possible failure of assessments, etc). It's entirely up to you if you want to do hardly any work, stay in bed most of the day, understand very little and ultimately fail your assessments and be asked to withdraw from Keele: that's your choice as an adult. However, we very much hope it is not the choice that you will make.

These are some quotations from a site that is part of the University of Melbourne's excellent "Transition (from School to University) Programme".

  • "You have to really be prepared for your time management and you have to work on it. You have to be independent in your work study. In the first week you're all relaxed, you have nothing to do and you go and have fun but the next week you have 3 assignments piling on top of you. You just have to spread out and be prepared for it and be independent on it."
  • "It's very much self directed learning which is good so long as you keep up to date."
  • "I found that despite going to lectures, the information didn't go into my head so I had to go out of my way to read textbooks and do other stuff to help me understand so I could pass the exams."
  • "Don't just rely on what you do in class, you have to do a lot at home to complement what you do in class."

As you can see, you're not alone and students all over the world find the transition from school (where you are largely provided with all the information that you need to learn) to University (where you need to actively go and get the information yourself and manage your own workload), a stressful change.

Financial worries

Coming to University straight from school may mean that you have had very little experience in managing a budget and thus money management can be challenging. The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone in finding budgeting difficult and that there are many sources of advice and support at Keele.

First, there is the Student Financial Support Office. The Student Financial Support Office can offer advice on sources of student funding and general budgeting advice around expenditure such as tuition fees and accommodation, and managing income from sources like grants, loans, part-time work, and banks. They also give information about the bursaries and scholarships available to some students and administer a small emergency loan fund. The Financial Support Office is based in 42 The Covert (near to the Leisure Centre) and is open Monday to Friday 09:00 - 17:00. Call 01782 734087 for an appointment.

The Independent Advice Unit is another great source of free, independent, impartial, non-judgemental advice, information and representation. IAU staff are trained to advise on a wide range of topics, including financial matters such as debt, fees, grants and loans – see http://www.kusu.net/iau

You can find information on the national support available to students for the Academic Year 12/13 here

Homesickness

Coming to University is probably one of the first times that you have been away from home for an extended period and been away from your family and friends. Therefore loneliness, homesickness and feelings of isolation are very common and perfectly natural, especially near the beginning. As the Keele Counselling website explains:

Coming away from home for the first time can feel quite scary and is a big transition to make. You may have started University life with eagerness and excitement about being in a new environment but it's suddenly hitting you how much you're missing the familiarity of life at home and the people you have left behind.

You won't be the only one! Lots of students can struggle with such a massive adjustment and any feelings of homesickness at any point in your uni life is completely normal.

It is really important to realise that you are not the only one feeling homesick and that it doesn't in any way mean you are inadequate. Suddenly, you find that, instead of being a central person in a small unit with plenty of peripheral activities and friends, you have become an anonymous member of a five thousand plus community where you know no-one. Understandably you may feel shaken and lonely and long for the secure and the familiar. Sometimes the emotions are completely overwhelming. You may like to view  the student counselling homesickness pages.

A great way to meet new friends is through joining a KUSU student society or the Keele VE (volunteering.kusu@keele.ac.uk) Scheme as getting to "know new people can become part of the process of learning something new." Groups such as these are great ways to make friends and boost your CV.  Mind, 'How to cope with loneliness' is available.

If you are feeling extremely isolated, you should speak to your Personal Tutor, your Resident Tutor if you live on campus, contact one of the Chaplains or University Counsellors or the Independent Advice Unit in the Students' Union. Sharing your feelings and worries with a sympathetic listener can really help you to manage the transition.