The Space in Between: Transitioning from School to University

Qudsiya Baig

Hello! I’d like to start by saying congratulations for getting your offers! You should all be very proud of yourselves, especially because you’ll be joining one of the best universities in the UK (no bias here of course). As exciting a time this is, I also remember how daunting this transition period was for me and so, I hope you find some comfort after reading this blog post.

Guys Campus

First thing to remember, you are not alone.

Given that King’s has a huge campus with lots of different buildings, libraries and study spaces, you might be anxious about getting lost. Or you might be nervous about what lectures, seminars and workshops are like as you’ve only been accustomed to classroom lessons until now. Whatever your worries might be, be assured that you will meet lots of other students in the same boat as you who will help you through this and vice-versa. After attending a few timetabled sessions you’ll get the hang of how to prepare for each session and it will become second-nature to you in no time!

A big campus size means a large student body and many potential friends. My advice is to attend as many freshers events as possible and strike a conversation with as many students as you can. I remember going to the KCLSU welcome fair where I won a few Domino’s vouchers, which I decided to share with a few students I met at the fair. Fast forward to four years later and I am still friends with them!

Another great way to make friends is by joining one of King’s MANY societies and sports teams. You don’t need any previous experience so don’t let that stop you from trying something new. It’s a great chance to build long-term friendships as you will be regularly attending team meetings. It’s also a good opportunity to meet students from outside of your course, which can be very refreshing (speaking from experience!).

Consistency is key.

Though the “classroom” dynamics at university are different, you can still adapt your study techniques to match the new workload. It’s not that work at university is tremendously difficult but that the load itself is considerably large compared to A-levels. My advice to you would be to make sure to keep up with your lectures and don’t let the pile build up. Use your weekends wisely to catch up and carry out a ‘end of week review’, which can help to consolidate everything you learnt during the week. Weekly to-do lists and monthly calendars with deadlines (and lots of coffee) are something that helped me to stay consistent, so I definitely recommend trying it out!

If you ever find yourself not understanding any content, just email your lecturer and they will get back to you during their office hours. It’s a bit different from going up to your school teacher at lunch time but it works just as well.

“Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it”. Wise words from Dumbledore and ones that apply to King’s too!

Good luck with your exams and I hope to see you all at King’s soon!

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