Academic Tips

Working towards a degree is challenging: after all, anything worth having is worth working for! The staff at the University of Aberdeen are here to help - don't be afraid to ask!

• Establish a regular study routine
• Attend all classes and complete any preparation in advance, e.g. reading, preparing answers to set questions, solving a problem or preparing a presentation
• Write up the lecture notes soon after the lecture to make sure you understand them; add to them from the recommended background reading.
• When asking for help, try to have a specific and direct question, and do this early - not just the day before your assignment is due!
• Use your tutorials or seminar groups to ask questions. Take the initiative; if you don't understand something, the chances are someone else in your class has the same question
• Questions are encouraged and respected at university, so don't just answer them, ask them too!
• Talk to your lecturer or tutor. They'll have lots of good advice to help you cope with your studies and to help you understand your lectures or the subject. Often they'll advertise times when any student can pop into their offices, or you can always send them an email
• Suggest to classmates that you study together or form a study group