peer support students

First Year is a BIG Deal

University life can be absolutely fantastic!! It can also be new territory for some... here are our five tips to help you with those new realities!

bullet point Find support services
All universities offer student counselling, mental health, sexual health, disability services, careers centres, accommodation and financial support. One of the first places to look for these services is on your university’s website under the heading, Current Students you can also find all of these services linked in our interactive Student Engagement Infographic. Students should also attend orientation - whether that is online or in person!

Make friends and talk to other students. New students should take every opportunity to make use of the Peer Support network. These are often fun-filled sessions run by senior students who can offer first year students tips and insights in how to tackle their first year fears! First year students should also become familiar with the university library and the Skills Centre that focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills. All of these services have learning resources within this course. Engaging with these resources can help you develop your research skills, writing, maths and study skills by attending a range of free workshops, including academic writing, reading strategies, making oral presentations and time management. In addition to the asynchronous resources available, there are lots of opportunities for you to engage through online platforms. You can keep up to date with the Skills Centre timetable and book your session here, connect with the library through their Ask Us service here and connect with IT services here. Remember if it doubt-reach out.

bullet point Keep up-to-date with readings
One common theme across different faculties is that a good assignment is one where arguments have been debated and claims supported by evidence. In order to do this well, students need to do the weekly readings assigned in their individual courses. You also need to read beyond the required list. Lecturers are not interested in students’ personal opinions. They’re interested in students’ opinions that are informed by evidence. That is, supported by the readings and research the student has done. New students may feel overwhelmed by the volume of readings they’re expected to do but, the good news is you don’t have to read every word in a text. You need to scan sources for relevant information, and utilise it to help you form your argument. Both the Library's Introductory sessions and Finding Resources for your Assignments will help you find additional material while the Skills Centre's Building an Academic Argument and How to Write an Essay will help you incorporate your research and develop these skills.

bullet point How to avoid plagiarism
Learning how to reference reading sources correctly, to avoid plagiarism, is an essential skill. At the start of semester, most students have to complete online modules which explain the complexities of academic integrity. Getting this right is important. Students caught plagiarising risk failing a course or being expelled from their degree. What this means for students is everything you read which has informed your thinking must be included in your reference list. Students shouldn’t only provide a reference for each work they’ve cited. You also have to make sure the formatting of the reference is accurate. Depending on what you’re studying, you may be asked to reference in different styles. Check with your School or Department which referencing style you need to use before you start. Proper referencing demonstrates to lecturers (and potential employers) you can pay attention to detail, and that you’re part of an academic community and respect the rules of this community. Students can adopt good habits from the beginning of their studies by recording all details of the reading source in their notes, including the author’s last name, title of the text, year of publication and page numbers. Make sure you explore the note-taking sessions available for lectures and reading. You can also learn more about why we cite and reference in the Skills Centre's Cite-seeing session.

bullet point Manage your time well
Learning how to juggle social and academic commitments is one of the most difficult challenges for new students. One of the best ways to manage study workloads is to draw up a semester plan. This can take the form of a timeline or calendar. Students should start by entering in all assignments and exams on their semester plan and then work backwards to allocate time for researching, draft planning, proofreading and checking references. In this semester plan, you should also account for other commitments including work, socialising, sport and exercise and perhaps even a good’s night sleep. Check out our Time Management session to gather more information and discover more time management tips. Don't forget, you can also book a study coach to help you discover your personal time management plan.

bullet point Enjoy university life!
If you’re not happy with your course or subjects, you should get advice from your faculty and connect with the First Year Experience Coordinator as soon as possible. Students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning progress, but you should still talk to your lecturers about any concerns you might have. You should be able to enjoy your time at university. It’s acceptable to transfer to another course, but it's good to talk it through. Change of Course applications must be received from a currently registered student (in UCC) in the Admissions Office. Application is usually open for 2-3 weeks from the start of the academic year. The following requirements apply:

you must have the points required for entry to the course you wish to transfer to;
you must satisfy the minimum entry (matriculation) requirements for that programme;
there must be a place available.
Please make an appointment with the First Year Experience Coordinator in order to discuss your application.

Finally, university is not just about studying hard in order to achieve one’s career goals. It’s also about making life-long friendships and connections.

Reflection

Now download our very own Tips for Success in First Year! by Noirin Deady, our First Year Experience Coordinator at UCC