The first few weeks in a new academic year can be hectic with forms you need to get in order, all the friends you have to catch up with and the welcome back events you want to attend. Even if you’ve just stored away your stationery after finishing that last exam, dedicating time now can save you the stress next academic year by making your time on campus count.
Contact your lecturers and tutors
Someday the time will come when you need references for postgraduate study or to secure that first job. Staying on good terms with your lecturers and professors is as simple as a thank-you email at the end of term to tell them you appreciated their module. Be sincere – if you have genuinely enjoyed their course write to them, you don’t need to contact each professor.
Consider asking your personal academic tutor for personal feedback so you can find out where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Knowing this can help you plan with where you still need development for the next year.
Start planning for your career
Whether you are going into your penultimate year or your final year, applications for internships and graduate jobs for 2017 will open as early as 1 July 2016. Spend your summer doing research into what exactly you want to do, make a list of all the places you wish to apply to, and start contacting them at the first opportunity you get. Competition for these positions is extremely tough, so it is never too early to start thinking ahead.
The Careers and Employability Service is open throughout the summer to support you with your career research. Check the website for online support and details of drop-in sessions during the vacation www.soton.ac.uk/careers.
Post-graduate applications
If you are going into your final year and have plans to pursue postgraduate education, start planning right away. Go to the admissions website for universities you are interested in, take note of all deadlines, especially those for scholarships and funding which can be as early as October 2016. Start contacting potential referees; you may need up to 3 and more often than not, depending on the course you apply to, they need to be academic referees rather than employers.
You will most likely need certified copies of transcripts, award letters or more to make your application. These can take weeks to arrive so make sure you contact the University well before application deadlines to avoid last-minute panic. For more details, see here.
Get the reading lists early
Sliding into a chair on the first day of your module come September and facing a long reading list is daunting for even the speed-readers. Getting an early jump on it – even just a few articles – can help you manage the stress of work piling up from the start of term.
What the Academic Skills Hub can offer
A great way to prepare yourself for the start of the new academic year in October is to invest some time working through the self-paced interactive modules of Skills4Study. Modules are available for:
- reading and note making
- writing
- critical thinking
- referencing and plagiarism
- group work and presentations.
Use the diagnostic test at the beginning of each module to identify your individual strengths and weaknesses in academic skills.
Go to http://library.soton.ac.uk/sash/home and click on the Skills4studycampus link and follow the ‘institutional login’ link to get started.