My First Term at University
I started university on October 1st, 2015 and finished my first term on January 29th, 2016. If I needed to describe that time of my life in a few words, I'd use interesting, exciting, scary and varying. Kind of like a medium rollercoaster ride that went up most of the time. With this post I want to keep hold of my memories during my first term. I'm afraid I cannot really give anyone any groundbreaking advice, but maybe this post might help a little nevertheless. The most important rule, however, would be: Stay organised!
But before I got to study what I wanted to study, I needed to get in. On September 16th I finally got the results of the entrance examination and let's just say it was quite emotional. I mean, who wouldn't be if everything worked out and you were allowed to do what you wanted to do? So yeah, things were settled and I was looking forward to October.
Since I joined a Facebook group a few days before, I knew about a little gathering of students of my subject (or major...however you wanna call it) on the first day before the first lecture, so I decided to go there as well as I didn't know anyone. There I got to know three kind girls that I always visit lectures with ever since. I like that thing about university that you always seem to get to know new people in different lectures, classes and courses. You can just talk to someone sitting next to you in class and it's not so weird. Because I didn't have a class at the same time as my "lecture group", I got to know someone else who is now a good friend of mine since we have so much in common! :D
The lectures and classes were mostly interesting but of course there are some that you find a little boring. The majority of my lectures were introduction classes so we acquired some basic knowledge about our subject. And of course we got some homework which was pretty much reading a certain article all the time. And yes, you needed to read those because there would be questions about them in the exam at the end of term. The lecturers were pretty good as well, some of them were also able to make the 90 mins a little funny.
I had two exams this term and one of them was very big and very important for the rest of my studies. You might have already guessed it, but studying for university is so different from what I know from school. It's just a lot of information and facts to prepare, to read and to get stuck inside your brain. And because the amount is so huge, it is essential that you stay organised and create a study plan for yourself so you will be ready for the exam in time. What you also need to consider is that your motivation will be limited if you study something that you don't like (Keep that in mind when you decide what you want to study! But remember, there's usually going to be something, like a course or a class, that you won't like!) because you will dig very deep into the topics of your chosen subject.
My exams were alright. Naturally I was very nervous although I had studied so much during the last weeks. It was very hard to say if you passed after sitting the exam though. I did pass the first (and imporant!) one - yaaaay! I still don't know the results of the second one. Hopefully I passed, but if not I'll be able to try again. You need to pass all of your exams in university, that's something that's kind of different from schools here.
After the first exam, we were invited to a party in a student flat, which was quite nice. I sort of felt out of place though since I didn't know a lot of people and I'm a shy person, so yeah...I hope there are better parties to come. :)
I think I listed everything that was worth mentioning from my first term at university. I am really looking forward to the next term (Although I am not sure if my subject is the right one for me...a lot of students have such worries by the way) and hopefully I will be prepared in a better way for what is yet to come. With my study experiences from the past term, I really want to able to do so.
Underneath you can find a picture of my personal university essentials and a Snapchat picture of my campus in autumn.
See you soon!
Julia Annabeth x
But before I got to study what I wanted to study, I needed to get in. On September 16th I finally got the results of the entrance examination and let's just say it was quite emotional. I mean, who wouldn't be if everything worked out and you were allowed to do what you wanted to do? So yeah, things were settled and I was looking forward to October.
Since I joined a Facebook group a few days before, I knew about a little gathering of students of my subject (or major...however you wanna call it) on the first day before the first lecture, so I decided to go there as well as I didn't know anyone. There I got to know three kind girls that I always visit lectures with ever since. I like that thing about university that you always seem to get to know new people in different lectures, classes and courses. You can just talk to someone sitting next to you in class and it's not so weird. Because I didn't have a class at the same time as my "lecture group", I got to know someone else who is now a good friend of mine since we have so much in common! :D
The lectures and classes were mostly interesting but of course there are some that you find a little boring. The majority of my lectures were introduction classes so we acquired some basic knowledge about our subject. And of course we got some homework which was pretty much reading a certain article all the time. And yes, you needed to read those because there would be questions about them in the exam at the end of term. The lecturers were pretty good as well, some of them were also able to make the 90 mins a little funny.
I had two exams this term and one of them was very big and very important for the rest of my studies. You might have already guessed it, but studying for university is so different from what I know from school. It's just a lot of information and facts to prepare, to read and to get stuck inside your brain. And because the amount is so huge, it is essential that you stay organised and create a study plan for yourself so you will be ready for the exam in time. What you also need to consider is that your motivation will be limited if you study something that you don't like (Keep that in mind when you decide what you want to study! But remember, there's usually going to be something, like a course or a class, that you won't like!) because you will dig very deep into the topics of your chosen subject.
My exams were alright. Naturally I was very nervous although I had studied so much during the last weeks. It was very hard to say if you passed after sitting the exam though. I did pass the first (and imporant!) one - yaaaay! I still don't know the results of the second one. Hopefully I passed, but if not I'll be able to try again. You need to pass all of your exams in university, that's something that's kind of different from schools here.
After the first exam, we were invited to a party in a student flat, which was quite nice. I sort of felt out of place though since I didn't know a lot of people and I'm a shy person, so yeah...I hope there are better parties to come. :)
I think I listed everything that was worth mentioning from my first term at university. I am really looking forward to the next term (Although I am not sure if my subject is the right one for me...a lot of students have such worries by the way) and hopefully I will be prepared in a better way for what is yet to come. With my study experiences from the past term, I really want to able to do so.
Underneath you can find a picture of my personal university essentials and a Snapchat picture of my campus in autumn.
See you soon!
Julia Annabeth x
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