2.2 Student insights: how to get the most out of life and study in EES

As you begin your studies at Exeter you’ll probably be overwhelmed with information and advice about how to get the most out of your time here. We asked some of our recent graduates what they wish they knew when they first arrived. Here’s their advice to you…

1. If you’re an undergraduate, take your first year seriously.

“People will say that first year is the easiest and that you don’t need to put in much effort as it doesn’t count. This is the worst advice you could take… It is your one chance to set yourself in a strong position for the rest of your degree. If you put in enough effort to excel in your first year, you will find the following years not only easier but more enjoyable too. Use this year wisely and to your advantage - if you want to be a high achiever then you should treat this year as your most important. Success will follow!” - Georgia

“The academic work in the first year lays important foundations and prepares you for advanced modules in your degree. Make mistakes and most importantly learn from them because you are likely to apply some of those important techniques throughout your education. Play hard and enjoy your first year!” - Lee

2. Attend timetabled classes

“I found the best way to get the most out of my degree was to engage in as much of the formally arranged stuff as I could. This may sound silly, but just making sure I went to all the timetabled teaching made everything make much more sense, as it’s delivered in such a progressive way.” - Tim

3. Build social networks

“Networking with a core group of people, who were passionate about the course, allowed us to have constructive discussions on the theory and gave us the ability to bounce ideas off each other which helped with understanding.” - Matthew

“I found having someone to work with and being able to test each other gave me a much better understanding of the more complex concepts I studied as well as making me work harder to not let him down. This was reflected in my grades where I performed better in the modules we did together than the ones I revised for on my own.” - Tom

“Revise with people for a few hours, better or worse than you - you can either learn something from them or consolidate your knowledge by explaining things and a bit of a break from just revising alone - uni isn’t a competition, helping others won’t harm you (so many people forget this)” - Rebecca

4. Engage with your lecturers

“Utilising office hours is also very important as professors appreciate students who want to learn and get good grades.” - Helena

“Unfortunately I did not fully utilise those who taught me whilst at Exeter until my final year. I assumed that lecturers would not have enough time for a little student like myself. However that is not the case. Use the office hours. Send appropriate, well-articulated emails. Work tirelessly at the tutorials and then when you can’t find the answer, ask your friend. If both of you are continually getting the same incorrect answer, then go and see your tutor.” - Freya

“Don’t do it alone, I found that talking through things with other people helped my understanding. This includes not being afraid to ask questions – lecturers have office hours for a reason and everyone finds some things difficult to comprehend.” - Jamie

5. If You Have Optional Modules, Choose Carefully

“Go into your degree with an open mind and select a diverse range of modules in your first (and probably second) year of your course. This will mean by third year you’ll hopefully know what area you really enjoy and can go all out on selecting final year modules in that area. It makes final year exam season far less painful.” - Cai

“Ask the years above about modules, I’ve heard so many people say they threw a first away by choosing modules poorly.” - Rupert

“I think it’s imperative to choose modules that you are interested in and play to your strengths. I tend to be better at maths than essays so I went more down this route in choosing modules which I think enabled me to perform to the best of my ability. I have my academic personal tutor to thank for this as he advised me on the modules he thought I would be strongest at the beginning of the year.” - Tom

6. Persevere and work hard

“Be organised. Be realistic. And try your absolute hardest. You will graduate and have a grade next to your degree for the rest of your life - put in the work so that it’s a grade you are proud of.” - Freya

“There is no shortcut to academic success - consistent hard work and perseverance throughout the term, plus some sacrifice during the (finite) revision period will bring results.” - Sophie

“In all honesty, my success came from a lot of hard work and putting in time and efforts when others wouldn’t. I spent most evenings during the week going over my notes until I fully understood what was going on. To me, this was essential in order to prevent myself from failing any module (which was a large concern of mine). I was THAT confused and doubtful of my ability. I wasn’t doing it to become a high achiever in my year group and had never even considered this a possible option… until results day. This is when I realised I finally understood. By struggling, I gained determination to succeed. By ALWAYS asking for help, asking “how did you get to that figure” (even when no one else wants to hear the answer) and by going over and over a concept so many times until you understand it… I somehow found myself achieving over 80% in my first year and managed to sustain a similar average throughout each year of my 4-year degree.” - Georgia

7. Balance study and social life

“Get involved! I’ve been heavily involved in music and sport here, and ultimately those are the memories that I’ll take away. Finding something that you enjoy and that helps to relieve stress is important, and it can give you something to look forward and to break up hours of work.” - Jamie

“I think most importantly for myself it was managing to maintain a healthy work life balance. Finding time to relax with friends and completely take your mind off difficult material is vital. If you are able to combine the two and ensure that when you work you really focus on that but also find the time to relax then you are most of the way to succeeding in your degree programme whatever that may be.” - Ryan

“It wasn’t always perfect but over my time at university I managed to balance a good social life, part time employment, appropriate academic focus/study and pursue a graduate career path. After all that was done I still had time for a generous helping of FIFA. In my experience we all say we’re too busy out of habit rather than reality.” - Owen

For more insights into student life, check out the University’s student bloggers here.