Undergraduate Degree - Survival Tips

So I graduated in July with a 1st Class Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology (yay!). It was a great three years and I've learnt so much from it, not only about biology but also how to persevere and stay organized!. As it's now August and nearing the start of a new academic year, I thought it would be fitting to make my first post about essential tips for university survival.

A very nervous me at graduation!

Tips for surviving your undergrad 

1. Be organized! This is the most important thing. Get a planner/calendar, and use it to keep track of coursework, directed reading, social dates, shopping etc. You will be busy at university, so managing your time is important. This blog is so useful when it comes to organization for university - the author is an organization nut just like me!

2. Don't skip lectures. You're paying all this money to get a good degree, don't waste it by not going to lectures! Even if you think a class might be pointless, go anyway. I can guarantee you will miss out on something if you don't turn up. If you're like me you will go just for the satisfaction of knowing you gave it your all.

3. Use the library. For the past three years, the campus library has been my home away from home. I live about 10 miles away from my campus, and so when I go to uni all of my spare time for that day (unless I have errands to run) is spent in the library doing assignments, directed reading and such, which means work gets done and I have less work to do when I go home! 

4. Don't leave things until the last minute. This kind of goes hand in hand with number 3, but it's so important that I don't mind writing it down twice. When you get a piece of coursework, start it right away. Same goes with directed reading. If you leave things until the day before they're due in your work won't reflect your true potential, and you won't get the grades you want. Little and often is the key to things like research and reading, and that way you're basically revising your classes all the way through the year and you will be in better standing come exam period.

5. Make notes. I am obsessed with note taking, so this is easy for me. It's important to take notes based on lecture material, even if your lecturer provides you with handouts or you have the notes online anyway. Make notes, and put them in your own words! The best way I have found to do this is to make a summary page for each lecture I have. That way I can easily refresh my memory on the main points of each topic, which helps a lot during revision. 

6. Do your own work! This is probably the most important point of all. Whatever you do, do your own work. Don't copy off others. Don't work with a partner on coursework. Don't let anyone read over your work before it's handed in. Your grades will suffer and so will your reputation, and the person you're copying off will also suffer. Be original!