Beginning university can be intimidating—between meeting new people, navigating campus, and living alone for the first time, there are countless new experiences and challenges.
And on top of all of that, there’s the classes themselves.
Most university courses are an entirely different experience from high school. Even the amount of people in one class can seem overwhelming when walking into a lecture for the first time.
Academically, students should really focus on managing their time well, said Erin Currie, an academic adviser at Carleton’s Student Academic Success Centre (SASC).
“Courses at university require more involvement than those in high school and many students struggle with the study skills required to succeed,” Currie said. “Learning how to manage time effectively can be the difference between a successful student and one who feels defeated and stressed.”
Currie’s number one piece of advice? Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
“The best tip we can give to first-year students is to be aware of and use the student support services that are offered on campus,” Currie advised.
“Carleton also has a mobile app that students can download and use to help them find their way around campus, access their class and exam schedules, find all of the support services and access all of Carleton’s current news and information,” Curie said.
Peer Assisted Study Sessions, or PASS, are a particularly popular way for students to seek help outside of their professors and teaching assistants in an informal setting.
“PASS is different from tutorials, discussion groups, and labs,” SASC’s co-ordinator of supplementary instruction, Kaylee Mask said. “It is a relaxed, informal environment, where students are not being graded or judged in any way.”
“It aims to create a welcoming and supportive environment where you can work through the important material or ask that question that you were too nervous to ask in lecture,” Mask said.
Third-year law and political science student and previous PASS facilitator, Katrina Crocker said the main challenge she helped students with was adjusting to the “lecture style,” of their new learning environment.
“The challenge was adapting to this, and trying to decipher what is and what is not important to write down, as well as what material will appear on the exam,” she said.
When things become difficult Crocker said it’s important to take a step back and breathe.
“University is something that takes time to transition into and can be a struggle for everyone at some point,” she said. “There are tons of services dedicated to helping you succeed academically at Carleton, so don’t give up!”
