Most people say that university years are the best time of one’s life. This is true if you make the most out of your university experience.
It is a time when lifelong memories and friends are made.
If you strike the right balance, then you can gain maximum value from your course, develop your career, and have fun!
You can shape your university life such that later on, you can reflect positively on how it went.
In this article, I share 5 top tips for turning a great university experience into an even better one.
1. Focus on your Learning
In a bid to make the most out of your university experience, and to make it memorable, it is easy to lose sight of the main reason you are there – your studies.
Engaging with your studies is important to gain maximum value from your course.
Try attending all your lectures and seminars and paying attention in class.
You will likely have a few taught hours, about 14 to 15 hours per week.
University requires a significant amount of independent study.
Setting a routine is important.
Plan when you are going to do your independent study.
This is especially important given all the other commitments that come with university life, such as house chores, grocery shopping, meal preparation, part-time work, and social activities.
At the start of each week, plan your activities for the week. Schedule time in your calendar for when you will do your independent study.
This will help you effectively utilise the gaps between lectures and seminars, as you can use this time for revision or working on assignments.
The benefit is that, in addition to staying on top of your course and getting work done on time, you can do exciting things in your spare time on weekends.
Another top tip is to engage with your learning from week 1.
Otherwise, you may find yourself lagging very quickly.
It will then become a mammoth task to catch up.
Especially when you need to apply your module content when completing coursework/assignments. You won’t be able to get started on your assignments as soon as they are handed to you, as you’ll have to revise your lectures first.
So, to do well in your course whilst making the most of your university experience, concentrate on your lectures and seminars, and stay on top of your learning from the beginning.
2. Get a Part-Time Job
Some of us must work part-time to be able to pay for our living expenses.
But even if you don’t need the cash, working part-time can be a worthwhile experience.
Who wouldn’t want extra cash, right?
You can use it for social activities and trips to different cities.
Or, if you’re the future-thinking, financial planner type, then you can save the extra money.
Cash is certainly the main driver, but it is not the only benefit of part-time work.
Firstly, it demonstrates initiative to prospective future employers.
Additionally, you develop key soft skills that are transferable to a future role in your field.
Employers seek skills such as teamwork, time management, effective communication, and problem-solving.
You can use your part-time job experience to demonstrate these in your CV.
Some employers value soft skills more than technical capability.
They want to hire someone who can adapt, think analytically, and creatively solve problems.
If you get a part-time job that is relevant to your future career, then that’s even better.
It might create a path leading to a full-time job once you graduate.
And you will have a stand-out CV, putting you in a strong position to apply for that dream role you’ve always desired.
An important note is to keep your hours manageable.
A recommended maximum is 15 hours per week, but 10 is preferable.
This would enable you to enjoy the benefits of part-time work without having a detrimental effect on your studies.
International students are allowed to work up to a maximum of 20 hours per week.
If you work the full 20 hours every week, you might struggle to keep up with your university workload.
You can save some money outside of term time as you are allowed to work full time during university holidays.
I will do a separate article detailing all about part-time jobs, including how to search for and apply for jobs. Stay tuned!
3. Participate in Extra-Curricular Activities
There are lots of opportunities to get involved at university, which will help you get the most out of your time.
You’ll find several sports clubs, societies, and social events to participate in.
(a) Sports Clubs
You may be playing a sport before coming to university, which you can continue playing. The resources and facilities may help you get to that next competitive level.
As I mentioned in a previous article, if you were playing a sport at a competitive level before university, you may be eligible to apply for a sports scholarship.
The scholarship could be applied towards your tuition fees or to helping you develop in the sport, for example, professional coaching, services of a sports nutritionist, physiotherapy, and sports psychology.
British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the national governing body for university sports in the UK.
They organise leagues and competitions for a wide range of sports up to the national level.
So, if you play at a competitive level, it’s worth joining the competition team of the sport of your choice and considering participating in BUCS.
(b) Societies
Societies are a great way to meet people with common interests, whether academic, cultural, recreational, or social.
They cover everything from academic support to performance, campaigning to networking, culture, language, hobbies, gaming, charity, and much more.
Whatever your interests are, you’ll be sure to find something.
And if you can’t find one you’re interested in, you can start your own!
Participating in societies can help you stand out in job applications.
It shows you have time management and organisation skills.
Even better if you hold a committee role in a society, as this helps build leadership skills and shows that you can handle additional responsibility on top of your academic work.
(c) Events
Different parts of the university hold events throughout the year – the students’ union (SU), the library, your faculty, and student halls.
The SU usually organises the largest number of events.
Most of these are social.
However, there are also academic, skills development, and personal life events.
By personal life events, I mean those that would help you in your day-to-day life whilst at university. For example, a housing fair to help you find accommodation, a part-time jobs fair, wellbeing events, and financial management events.
Through these events, you can get information on where to go if you need support.
Skills development events may include workshops and volunteering. These are a great way to develop soft skills.
Social events such as games nights, cinema nights, and society events help you unwind, meet new people, and make friends.
You can have a look at Coventry University Students’ Union’s website to give you an idea of events generally run by students’ unions.
Extra-curricular activities demonstrate the development of soft transferable skills, which strengthen your CV.
Besides that, these experiences are usually rewarding and fun, and I would encourage you to participate.
4. Build a Good Relationship with your Tutors
Your tutors want to see you succeed.
Establishing a good relationship with them can boost your chances of success.
You will feel more comfortable asking for help from a lecturer with whom you have a rapport.
And how do you build a rapport?
You start by getting noticed, for example, by sharing thoughts and asking insightful questions in lectures and seminars.
You can also visit their office during office hours to ask questions or seek general advice about your studies and career.
When you’ve gotten to know each other well, you naturally won’t hesitate to ask for feedback on your work.
This is important for coursework.
I would highly recommend getting regular feedback while working on coursework.
This will help you clearly understand what is expected, giving you the best chance of scoring high marks.
It also helps you learn new things, for example, by allowing you to consider different perspectives that you would have otherwise not considered.
Working on coursework when you’re not entirely sure which areas to consider for research can be frustrating.
This is where guidance from your lecturers can make a difference.
Knowing what to focus on ensures the best use of your time and makes the experience enjoyable.
I know you might feel hesitant to ask specific questions about the coursework because it can feel like you are asking for answers to a piece of work that they have set. I have been there!
But trust me, it’s fine.
You are not asking for solutions to the work, you are only asking to be guided.
Another benefit of a good relationship with your tutors is that you can ask them for a reference when applying for a job.
And if you’ve done well in their module, they’ll happily provide a favourable recommendation.
5. Set Yourself Up for Career Success
Taking steps towards building a successful career is a great way to make the most out of your time at university.
The following activities will help you build a strong experience portfolio.
(a) Placements
Gaining work experience during your degree will help you stand out when applying for graduate roles.
The best way of getting work experience in your field is through placements.
Placements are year-long sandwiched in your degree or shorter placements in the summer.
Placements give you real-world experience.
Working in industry helps you see how the knowledge and skills you’ve developed in the first 2 years at university is applicable in real life.
You get to see real-world problem-solving.
Placements are mandatory for some courses, especially medical field courses.
For some, it is an option. However, I strongly encourage you to do a placement.
Courses where undertaking a placement year is offered as an option, the placement year is usually between years 2 and 3 of your studies.
Effectively, 2 years of university studies, a placement year in industry, then you return to uni for your final year (in the case of a Bachelor’s degree, there is an additional 4th year if you are doing a Master’s course).
Courses where placements are compulsory are structured differently.
(b) Career Development Events
Start attending career development events, such as workshops and careers fairs, from your first year.
Going to careers fairs would help you explore opportunities for work experience early on.
You will learn about opportunities that you weren’t aware existed.
You might think that you can find the same information online, but speaking to someone in person always helps.
It might open a door to an unexpected opportunity.
Meeting different employers will give you information about the different companies and initiate your thoughts on which places to apply to for placements/graduate roles.
(c) Make your Summer Count
Over 4 months of summer holidays is a long time to let it just go by.
Plan ahead and make it count!
As mentioned previously, you can do a summer internship/placement, which is probably the best possible use of your summer.
You’ll be gaining work experience in your field.
The summer internship could also lead to the offer of a full-time role after you graduate.
Best of all, you’ll be paid a competitive salary. The extra cash could come in handy in your next academic year.
You could also work full-time over the summer in jobs such as retail.
You’ll make good money, alongside developing transferable soft skills that you can demonstrate on your CV.
The money can go towards funding your tuition fees or living expenses when the term starts.
In the same job, you could transition to part-time work when the term starts, avoiding the hassle of having to look for a part-time job whilst studying.
Summer camps in USA is another popular option. Imagine being paid to have fun!
Finally, you can volunteer abroad. This is a good way to explore a new country whilst contributing to a good cause. You’ll surely learn important life lessons along the way.
Conclusion
There are lots of things you could do to make the most out of your university experience, I have shared some examples in this article that I got involved with during my time at university.
However, there are lots more. 1 article is not enough to cover all of them (maybe a part 2 of this article would be a good idea).
Your university might be offering some extra experiences.
It is worth exploring the different opportunities to find something that you enjoy doing.
Engaging with your learning, participating in extra-curricular activities, and asking for regular feedback from your lecturers will help you do well academically and develop as a professional.
If I were to stress on 1 subject out of what has been talked about in this article, then it is work experience!
Be it volunteering, a part-time job, or placements, they will be very beneficial.
Make a point to gain some form of work experience whilst at university, and the benefits will quickly become obvious.
What are your hobbies?
Which sports club have you thought about joining?
