If you’re reading this, you’ve made it through your first year at university in one piece and now you’re faced with life as as a second year. Congratulations.
But have you thought about how the second year might differ from the first? To help out, we have a few suggestions for surviving your second year.
1. Adopt a Fresher
After a year at uni things are a little different. You now feel confident about navigating campus without getting lost. You’ve made new friends, so you’re no longer surrounded by strangers.
As such, consider extending a little kindness towards the new first years as they wander around looking confused by everything; it’ll make them feel welcomed and you get to feel good about yourself.
2. Get to Know Your Lecturers
You’ve probably got a better sense of your interests by now, so it could pay to get in touch with lecturers or seminar leaders who teach the topics you enjoy most.
Lecturers are usually happy to recommend further reading if asked (they’ll probably just be delighted you were paying attention) and even a little extra research can gain additional marks on your work.
3. Straighten Up and Fly Right…
The first year is a time of excess, the freedom of university life inspiring many to indulge in all sorts of things they wouldn’t want their mothers to know about.
Find this useful?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.
The second year might require cutting back a little, simply because many universities use a weighted average mark system and your work in the second year will often count more towards your final degree than it did in the first year.
Thus, if you spent your first year mostly in the student union bar and/or partying hard, you might have to start skipping the odd night out when an essay is due.
4. …But Leave Time to Unwind
Even though you should take the second year seriously, it’s still important to relax and have fun sometimes. And even if taking on a bunch of extra commitments in the second year might look good on your CV, it can be counterproductive if you don’t leave enough time to get your work done.
5. Think about Life after Uni
You’ll probably be surprised by how quickly the next two years whizz by, so it makes sense to start planning for life after university.
This could involve visiting careers advisors or jobs fairs, or gaining work experience via an internship. At the very least, you should consider your skills and create/update your CV.
Alternatively, if you’re thinking about continuing your studies, the second year is a good time to research postgraduate courses that might interest you.