Making the most of your move to university

Moving away to university is a major change personally and academically, and there's lots for students to consider, whichever subject you're planning to take. Lyndsey has given us her top tips for successfully navigating the move to higher education.

Check UCAS hub

Universities will already have been given access to your results and will update their decision on the UCAS hub. Once you have collected your results from college or school, (don't go on holiday on this day as other people cannot collect your results for you. Not even with your permission!), check the UCAS hub. If your chosen universities have decided to offer you a place, your status for your firm and/or insurance choices will change to unconditional and the universities will tell you what to do next. Although you will have access to the UCAS Hub from 8am, it can take up to 24 hours for your details to be updated, so don't worry if this is happening to you! For further information, visit the UCAS website.

Prepare for university life

After celebrating, it's a good idea to prepare yourself for university life as soon as possible. If you will be living away from home, you will need to go shopping for the essentials needed for your accommodation, such as bed linen, kitchen equipment, etc. It is also a good idea to practise skills, such as cooking, cleaning and housework, if you have never had to do these independently before. If you are not living away from home, you will still need to think about other essentials, such as stationery and any compulsory textbooks that you will need to buy. 

University life is also more independent than college or school life, so I also strongly advise you to think about how you are going to best manage your time and learning outside of lectures and seminars. If you have any specific learning needs, it is also well worth speaking to the university's student support service so that they can speak to you and set up any additional study support that you may need. Many universities also have online resources and workshops that you can access once you have received your log in details. Use them!

Get involved with university life as much as possible

University isn't just about work - it's important to take time out to relax and have fun! Many universities have student ambassadors who are there to explain anything that you need help with (e.g. where to go if you get lost moving around the campus). I also strongly recommend speaking to the student union. Not only can they offer you discounts, but can also tell you about clubs and sporting activities that you may enjoy. Look at your chosen university's website for further information.

If you did not get the results that you hoped for, here are my top tips for what to do next:

Check your options

If you only missed the required results by a few marks, your firm choice university may still offer you a place, especially if other students have changed their minds and declined their offers. In this instance, speak to the university. Please note that the admissions teams will be very busy so it may take a while for you to speak to someone up until the week after results day. If you did not meet the required results for your firm and insurance choices, you could still be accepted to another university through clearing. 

If this is the case for you, you should have automatically been referred to this service on the UCAS hub. If so, your status will say 'you are in clearing' or 'clearing has started.'  You will also see a clearing number under 'application status' on the hub. Please note that you can also use the clearing service if your results are better than expected, or if you have met your insurance offer but have changed your mind about accepting it. For more information about how clearing and clearing plus work, have a look at the UCAS website.

Get professional advice before making any decision

Most, if not all, colleges and schools will have their Higher Education/Careers officers available to speak to students on results day. As well as helping you to consider your options, they can also support you through the clearing process, or other options.

Explore other options

Another alternative is to re-apply the following year and resit your A-Level examinations or consider a different course. For example, some universities offer foundation year degree courses for those who are not quite ready for degree programmes. This option is especially worth considering if your A-Level studies were severely hindered by external issues that put you at an educational disadvantage. The number of UCAS points varies between universities. You can find more details on this online. Another option is to apply for a degree apprenticeship. You should also go to your Career/Higher Education Officer for further advice when exploring these options.

Lyndsey is a Chartered Psychologist, Chair of the BPS's Standing Committee on Psychology Education in Schools and Colleges, a member of the Association for the Teaching of Psychology committee, and the Association for the Teaching of Psychology Representative on the BPS London and Home Counties Branch and the Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology (DART-P) committees.

She has broad experience of teaching accredited and non-accredited psychology courses from OCN level one to degree level to students from diverse backgrounds in a variety of sixth form and further education settings since 2002. She is also a former A-Level psychology examiner for AQA, and a former GCSE psychology examiner for OCR.

Nuttanicha adds:

If you get accepted to your first choice 

1. Congratulations! You did it! Now it's time to prepare for the next steps in your academic journey. After completing the enrolment process, most university courses will release their syllabus for each course a few weeks after the enrolment times, and you will have access to your university portals and online library. It's highly recommended to look up the course syllabus quite early on as a taster for what the classes would feel like. Although there is no pressure to complete all the readings before the start of classes, it is always a good measure to be as prepared as possible. Having a head start on your first day, and will help you to easily grasp topics and lessons. 

2. Join the allocated group chats of your degree and your course. Make friends and establish a small group of people you can ask questions to (i.e. if schedules for classes have been changed, where to get ID cards, which entrances to go through) this helps you to easily connect with classmates and other people relevant to your time at University. Don't be afraid to reach out to people or be afraid about 'fitting in', other students are just as eager to make new friends to help kick-start their university life. It also helps put into perspective that everyone is new, and therefore going through exciting changes just like you! 

3. Get involved in things that interest you. Ask around about clubs and societies that you can flourish and thrive in. Universities have multiple society clubs catered towards hobbies, academic degrees, and social aspects. You could join your degree's society to further enhance what you are passionate about when it comes to your course. Some societies focus on cultural aspects like numerous countries have their own societies, so if you're missing a bit of life back, these would be just like a home away from home. 

If you did not get into your first choice...

There is no need to panic. Sometimes we did not get the results that we had initially wanted, however, this just means that, as one door has closed, another window opens up. Do not allow the results to consume you, but rather let's think about the next step on what it is that we can do. 

1. Be positive! It is not the end if you had not gotten into your first choice. Understand that maybe it was not the right fit for you and that there are better options to look at. See what other options are available to you (i.e. universities, degrees, pathways) and try to picture where you would flourish the best. Be open-minded and ask questions. This is a good time to explore other things and see whether you would be a good fit for other degree courses or universities located in other cities. Explore what universities have to offer and allow yourself to learn new and exciting things about yourself. 

2. Communicate with your counsellor, teachers, and peers. Your university counsellor would be the best person to speak to when you are lost about what to do next. They will know what to do with the results that you have been given and will help you map out your future University journey with you. Your teachers will be there to support you and offer sound advice on where you can improve in the future as well as guide you through the next steps. Your peers will also be a helping hand when it comes to feeling lost. Speak to them and see what they are doing with their results. Sometimes it is best to look to your peers for ideas as they are also going through the same experiences as you. See how they are handling their situation and reflect on what you can do about your circumstances.