Discussing a ‘jump’ to university seems scary. I would say there definitely is a jump from sixth-form, but this does not have to be a negative thing. There are many great changes that come as part of the jump to undergraduate study. For me, choosing to study History at Manchester meant I could choose from an abundance of modules, literally choosing my course for myself. You definitely feel more knowledgeable, able to really invest in the subject rather than just learning facts from a pre-composed textbook. Responsibility work both ways, things are not handed to you by any means, just as in the transition from GCSEs to A-levels. But there is so much freedom for you to explore your own interests. It definitely has paid off choosing a subject I enjoy. From my experience at least, by the end of sixth-form you come to resent part of your sixteen-year-old self for their choices, a teacher or two, or just your experience in general. At university, there is time to really work out what you want to know and what you enjoy about learning.

Assessments, which for me means essays, are definitely the largest change when coming to university. Often, this means balancing multiple deadlines alongside regular timetables, extracurricular, and your social life. Dealing with a completely new way of writing, with thousands of words and strict referencing styles, definitely felt overwhelming at first. But even with these essays, there is a freedom, a chance to work out what you are interested in and what you really think. In some ways, this is much an improvement on sixth-form assessments. Yes, maybe you have to remind yourself more to do extra bits of reading throughout the term, something I would definitely recommend, but assessments are often relatively few and far between, and there is a good balance between those that count towards your degree and those that don’t. It is definitely a positive change from the rigid exam timetables of earlier years.

One other change when coming to university is the number of contact hours, especially in Humanities subjects. We all think the same thing at first – great! A day off here, a night out there, and a chance to go home early if you are lucky enough to have Fridays off. But with this, I definitely felt a change in how I could build relationships with people, both to teaching staff and others on my course. It took me much too long to realise this does not have to be the case. All staff offer office hours and these really are great ways to get help with assessments, or just get to know more about their interests. It may feel awkward but it is definitely worth it! Universities are literally a hot bed of interesting people who know interesting things, and office hours are really the place to go to make the most of this.

My time here is slowly creeping to its terrifying end, and the jump to post-university life is feeling even more uncertain than my jump to university. Retrospectively, it is easy to think what was all the fuss about? Every jump feels scary when you take it, and that’s ok, but there is so much possibility for enjoyment here, not just socially, but academically too.

Written by Rosina Read, a 3rd year BA History student

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