Getting into study

Learning at university: what is it like?

You will have heard about the difference in culture between school/college education and university. Whether you have just completed a qualification or have not studied for a number of years, learning at university is different. Here at the University of Cumbria we want you to be able to make the most of your time with us, and we want you to join the university community.

Independent learning

  • Working on your own to research a topic and produce a written assignment
  • Limited guidance from tutors
  • Self-motivation
  • Time planning and organisational skills.

Subject Resources

We have created subject resources to help with your learning – click on your subject area and find useful websites, journals, books and eresources tailored to your course, plus who to ask for help.

Deep approach to learning

This is the desired approach in higher education. Those who adopt a deep approach will attempt to make sense of new learning by relating it to their previous knowledge. Instead of trying to extract facts, someone taking a deep approach will constantly be asking 'how does this fit in, what is the argument, are there alternative explanations?’ Assessment becomes more of an active engagement with ideas, rather than a simple reproduction of course content. 

Critical thinking

Adopting a critical approach to what you read or discuss in lectures and seminars is all part of a deep approach to learning. Tutors want you to question ideas, evaluate the validity of different arguments, compare and contrast different view points and identify how strong the evidence is on each side. Take a minute to view this short video tutorial from the University of Leicester.

Skills for learning

While at university, you will develop a number of skills that will be essential for your success as a student, and beyond, when entering a profession or pursuing your studies at post-graduate level. Completing a project with fellow students and presenting its outcomes enable you to develop your teamwork, problem solving and presentation skills. Having to meet assignment deadlines sharpens your planning and time manageipadbooksment skills. Effective research and writing skills are vitally important in achieving good grades. All these skills are highly valued by employers; so take every opportunity to develop them. You may struggle at first; many students do, but make sure you seek advice from academic tutors and learning advisers in LISS. 

Making the most of lectures and teaching sessions

As you attend your first lectures and seminars, you will soon find yourself gathering an increasingly large amount of information: module information, reading lists, discussions, lecture notes and slides, handouts, articles for reading, etc. So, how do you make sense of it all? Should you write everything down? Should you read everything? Here are a few tips:

Making notes:

The note making process is selective. You simply can’t write everything that a lecturer says. You need to engage with the concepts that are presented by identifying the main focus of the lecture and note the key ideas and theories. What is the central topic? What are the main ideas that link to it? What are the important arguments or justifications for each idea?

Notes can take the form of a diagram or a mind map rather than just linear text. Check out the Cornell method of note taking which is another useful approach. You will eventually develop a system that works for you.

Ask questions!

You may be shy or uncomfortable about drawing attention to your lack of understanding but you will actually do your fellow students a favour if you ask questions. You will not be the only one who is unclear about the meaning of certain concepts and theories. So, take the opportunity while you can. Tutors respond well to questions; it shows you are interested in their subject. It often takes one student’s question to generate a discussion that can benefit all.

Prepare for each session

Review your notes before the next module session. This will help you connect ideas together and make sense of the more complex theories and ideas as you work through the module. In addition, tutors may have pointed out chapters of texts or journal articles to read. In many cases it is an essential element of preparing for the activities planned by tutors in the next session. All this preparation and reading will ease the writing of the assignment that inevitably will be required at the end of the module.

Get organised

The volume of information you gather at university is huge and it is important to keep everything in some sort of order. Don’t wait till you have your first exam or major assignment to find out you can’t find crucial notes and information. Keep separate module files, always indicate the date and module title on your lecture and seminar notes, keep notes of recommended reading (tutors often give tips about what text or journal article to read) and be systematic in keeping the reference details of everything you read as this information will be needed in the writing of your assignments.

Reading lists: is it worth starting early?

You may have been sent reading lists to consider before you arrive at university. In some cases, there may be essential reading to do before you start your course. It is probably a good idea to read a couple of books before you arrive. Don’t rush to buy all the books on the reading list; you‘ll have a better idea of which texts are essential at the start of the first term and many of them will be available through the library.

You can use the electronic reading list catalogue to view the reading lists provided by your tutors for modules that you will be studying. You can enter your subject as a keyword search e.g. ‘english’ and follow the module links. The links will take you straight to our library catalogue where you can discover the locations and availability of the books. Click here to view our Reading Lists. 

Worried about writing your first assignment? Help is at hand.

Whether you have experience of essay writing or not, most students worry about their first assignment. Tutors expectations are different at HE level (level 4 and above) to that at level 3 (e.g. A levels, BTEC Diplomas) and students often need time to adjust to these new requirements. Here are some tips to get you started:

Plan ahead

Most essays are between 2000 and 3500 words in length and many students underestimate the time it takes to put together a good quality essay of that length.

Don’t wait till the week before the deadline. Plan ahead and start on your assignment about 4 weeks before it is due. You need to give yourself the chance to understand what is required, carry out research around the subject, write and refine your work. Late assignments are penalised; usually, a late assignment is not awarded more than a pass, regardless of its quality.

Make sense of the brief

It is not uncommon for a student to write the most fantastic essay, but, not answer the question or meet the assignment brief. Unfortunately, when this happens, the tutor has no choice but to fail the work and ask for a resubmission. So, it is really worth spending some time examining what you are asked to do. Download a useful list of definitions of key terms. Also, check the learning outcomes that the assignment aims to assess; you have to make sure you address all of them in your work. This should also help you draft an essay plan.

Research the topic

Check the module reading list and access key texts from the library.  Check what other texts may be available on the assignment topic and don’t forget to also have a look at e-books and e-journals.

Write the first draft

This may be daunting at first.  The best approach is to get writing even if it is rough to start with; it will help you gather your thoughts on the topic.  Academic writing follows certain conventions, so take a look at this quick introductory guide.

Redraft and refine

This stage can take the form of a number of drafts and redrafts.  These are necessary to achieve structure in the form of a coherent and logical series of paragraphs.  Don’t forget to proofread your text for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors; marks can easily be lost when this isn’t done.

Check those references!

Pears and Shields (2010) Cite them right: the essential referencing guide has been adopted by the University of Cumbria as the standard guide to referencing for students. The new 8th edition is available to purchase from Amazon and other book retailers. Referencing drop-in workshop sessions will be offered during the first term and online help will be available in Skills Zone on Blackboard. LISS Learning Advisers are also here to offer you guidance on referencing during your course. And can provide support in the following areas:

  • academic skills
  • library skills
  • IT and learning technology

Assignment Survival Guide

Being faced with your first assignment at university can be a daunting prospect. Staffordshire University have developed a piece of software which might help you to cope. The Assignment Survival Kit (ASK) has been designed to help you to plan your time and the steps you might need to follow to survive and produce your first piece of assessed work.

You can use this kit even if you don't have an assignment to complete at the moment – so why not try it out? Add a range of different dates and see the suggested timescales and activities, so when you do have an assignment, you will have a better understanding of what will be required to complete this successfully.