The challenges of the transition from A-levels to University
Every year, the UK’s cohort of A-level students is faced with the same question: “Are you going to apply for uni?”
As it turns out, almost 40% of A-level students go on to study at university each year, which means that almost 40% of sixth form students are writing UCAS applications, and figuring out which course best suits their interests and future career plans.
The transition from school to University is a challenging time, students have to learn how to fend for themselves in a new environment, with a brand new group of people to study alongside, and live with. On top of the change of scenery, the support structure is very different at university. It can take time to adjust to more unstructured, self-guided study and many can feel the pressure of being left to their own devices when it comes to completing coursework and revising for exams.
To gain an insight into challenges associated with this transition, we interviewed Evie B, a first-year undergraduate studying Engineering at Cardiff University.
Not only did Evie face the usual challenge of moving away from home to study at university, she moved overseas from Jersey to pursue her education.
What were some of the challenges you experienced when going from school to university?
The first challenge comes when you’re still at school and have to decide which type of course you want to apply for, and what type of university.
We asked Evie how she chose her course, and how she settled on studying at Cardiff university.
I've was fascinated by science throughout school. I chose biology, maths and art for my A-levels, and it was hard picking something that linked all these subjects together. I had to think a lot about what I wanted to end up doing because I also really enjoyed my art. But then I really liked maths at the same time. And what I I found was that engineering brought all these three subjects together.
Deciding what to study at university is a monumental decision, not only will you have to commit to the subject for 3+ years, but it will also decide, or at least influence, your career.
What advice would you give A-level students who are starting to think about what to study at university?
Some schools and colleges will have career guidance classes, and even members of staff on hand to help students apply for university. I remember having my sixth form tutor talk to me about what my options were, and the best way to approach writing my personal statement which I found really helpful.
I tried to make my UCAS application support two different degree courses, so that I would have some flexibility with what I applied for. I tailored my application for engineering and biology. It was really hard writing my UCAS application for two different subjects, but looking back, it was definitely worth doing.
leaving your options open by applying for two different courses is a good strategy for those who are more undecided and want to buy themselves some time after the application deadline.
Evie’s college in Jersey encouraged her to complete her UCAS application by December, leaving plenty of time to mull over the decision she made before A-level results day determined her future.
It gave me a few more extra months to actually think about what I wanted to do in case I changed my mind
Open days
A key factor in deciding which university to attend comes down to visiting the campus on open days. These are fantastic opportunities to meet some of the lecturers and get a feel for the facilities you’ll be studying in, and the environment you’ll be living in.
This isn’t always something that can be done however, many students simply live too far away to be able to attend the open days. In this scenario, settling for a virtual tour of the campus is your best bet, you’ll still be able to get a sense what the campus is like and get a good insight into the course structure from the published materials.
Were there any challenges you experienced when first starting university?
More and more students see going to university as a continuation of their education, but this isn’t the case. The difference between A-levels and studying at university is like night and day. Transitioning to an environment where you have to be very self-motivated and self-reliant can be an incredible challenge for a lot of new university students who assume that their lectures will follow the same format they did during college and secondary school.
If you want something, you kind of need to chase it
The self-guided nature of university leaves some students relying on a schedule and routine that they had at college. But for others, it provides the freedom to experiment with a schedule and routine that works for them. One of the biggest differences between college and university is the freedom to figure out how you like to work, and to roll with it.
You've got more free time to put things into your day that you want to do, like go to the gym or to go for a walk, which is definitely more motivating because then you've got a better balance than at school, where it's just so structured
The transition to university does drop you in at the deep end, but there are benefits to this!
Dealing with homesickness
Homesickness is an inevitable part of moving away for uni, and can present itself in a variety of ways. For some, homesickness kicks in straight away: they’re in a different environment they haven’t settled into, they aren’t friends with their flatmates yet, and their family is miles away. Some students find homesickness to be less immediate, it creeps up as they go about their new routine, and all of a sudden, they realise they haven’t called home in a while, and miss their old friends.
It's quite a big shock to the system, it's this sudden kind of influx of :“everything is different now and I can't just go in the other room and pester my siblings or go and talk to my parents.
Chatting to people you live with, or your course mates can be helpful when feeling homesick, even if its just for the distraction.I think your friends do help distract you from being homesick.
Advice for current A-level students thinking about going to university
Going to university is a big decision, and taking some more time to think about it isn’t a failure, plenty of students go on to do a degree after a gap year, or even after working a career for 15 years.
We asked Evie what advice she would share and as well as talking about investing the time to properly research the course and the university you want to study at, she shared this gem:
There’s quite a lot of things I wish I’d known before going to university, and locating all the lecture rooms before your first day is one of them!