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Going to university is the start of a new adventure which you get to be the main hero of the story. Throughout this experience, you will discover yourself, form strong opinions, solidify your knowledge and build relationships. The question is: What makes a university experience fulfilling, and what to do as a first-year engineering student to ensure success? We will explore this in detail in this post.
Life as a first-year engineering student is a significant milestone. Students get to adapt to university life, get introduced to the fundamentals of their engineering course, and form relationships that can last a lifetime. As students get acquainted with their course, they learn the challenges of their engineering degree and how much time and effort they need to succeed.
Students in their first year will have many questions and doubts regarding their course, and more than often, those questions are answered at the end of their first year, such as knowing how much time you need to study to pass, how difficult is your course, and what are your week points in this course. The first year can often be difficult not because students expected to know too much about the field they want to be in but the ability to adapt to university life.
The best way to take full advantage of the university experience and embrace the change is to ask others who have already done an engineering degree which you can learn more about here Life As an Engineering Student. What can a graduate engineer teach you?.
How to adapt to university life
From my experience as a Civil Engineering student, adapting to university life comes down to three things time management, connection and planning. There is a lot of flexibility in university study, especially for undergraduate degrees, which open many possibilities for doing other activities while studying. Therefore, being able to embrace this experience comes down to those three things:
1- Time management
While you are doing your course, you might have to do a part-time job or a sport which means you need to manage your time effectively. Good time management is to avoid multitasking. Multitasking can disrupt your thinking, making it hard to concentrate on one thing. Therefore, instead of multitasking, practice focusing on one task at a time through effective time management.
Time management will allow you to allocate enough hours to your study while maintaining good performance on your other activities. The best way to achieve this is to experiment with how much time you need to go through your weekly study while allowing enough time for other things, such as exams and assignments. You are essentially trying to find how much time you need for university so that you can fit everything else around.
Effective time management starts by understanding your limits and your ability to learn things. It is important not to be hard on yourself if it take you longer to absorb information, as engineering degrees, in general, are pretty challenging. Successful students usually have a good idea of how much time and effort they want to put into their degree.
2- Establish connections
Connections give you a chance to learn about people’s experiences so that you can avoid mistakes, anticipate challenges, and do things better. Establishing connections can do many things for you. First, help you pass your subjects through exchanging information, group study and asking questions. Second, make you adapt quickly to university life through social events. Finally, increase your professional network as many connections can potentially introduce you to employers and successful people within your industry.
Networking and connections are keys to expanding your knowledge in your industry and having the best university experience. It is unwise to go through university without establishing connections. For example, people with a wide range of connections can study smarter by focusing more on the critical areas of the subject and having access to past exams and questions, which can significantly increase their chances of passing any subject.
On the other hand, university connections can open the possibility of finding employment or an internship as early as possible. Most universities have career events, webinars and clubs that can significantly increase your chances of landing your dream job, finding successful people in your industry and learning about the big players or companies in your engineering field.
3- Plan ahead
Planning can make you adapt quickly to university, especially if you are a busy person and have to work, study and do other activities such as a sport. Planning can make you work efficiently instead of doing everything randomly. This can make all the difference if you are on a tight schedule and have complex assignments to deal with.
Having to do a difficult degree such as an engineering and STEM degree can be confusing, specifically if you are learning a new concept that can take students some time to grasp new ideas fully. A major contributor to students underperforming in an engineering course is stress which is very much associated with not having enough time to do anything, which is bad planning.
Once students learn how much time they need to study, they need to know how to plan their studies. When people are stressed, they can fall into the trap of working without a plan. This is why it is essential to understand principles such as the Pareto principle, which states that 80% of the outcomes come from 20% of causes. When people are stressed, they just do anything, thinking it is better than doing nothing that can sometimes be part of the 80% of causes that only contribute to 20% of the results.
This is why it is vital to plan and study smart. From my experience, I have learned that there is no substitute for taking good quality notes during lectures. You can attend a 2-hour lecture while only listening instead of actively taking notes, making it easy to forget the details. Taking notes can make you understand things quickly, making you more likely to plan ahead. There are many prospects of good planning which fall into the 80/20 rule:
- Take good quality notes during the class
- Start assignments early
- Priorities to most critical and urgent tasks
- Aim to do things once and do it right to the best of your knowledge
- Research before writing and leave report editing to the end
- When in doubt, ask questions and seek help
- Revise before attempting assignment questions
Personal experience as a first year civil engineering student
In my experience, the first year was the hardest, not because I had to learn many new engineering concepts but because of my perspective when I first started university. Most of what you learn in your first year as an engineer is usually general physics and math and some fundamentals that introduce you to your course, which is not that challenging if you put in the effort.
What was challenging was the way I approached university. I was still in the school mindset, which took me a while to learn how to manage my time, establish connections, and plan well. After doing this for a few years, I have realised the degree itself is not difficult if you put in enough time and work hard on yourself. I have put all my success tips on doing civil engineering degree here: How I Become a Successful Civil Engineering Student?
I have learned that most people who do difficult engineering and STEM degrees usually have some interest in the field they want to be in, but their approach to doing the course is totally wrong, which makes them lose interest quickly.
If I were asked to evaluate the engineering course and the subjects I did, I would probably come up with two lists. The first list is engineering subjects that I enjoyed studying, even if it was challenging. The second list are subjects I did not like and found extremely boring. List one will probably have way more subjects than list two, indicating that I have liked around 80% of what I studied.
I am making this comparison to show that it is essential to battle through because you might do some subjects that can make you hate this degree. Many people (usually 20%) drop of their university degrees within the first year because they struggle to connect with their engineering degree resulting in dropping out of what could be the best thing ever happened to them. Learn more about How To Not Get Bored While Studying And Enjoy Your Study
FAQ by first-year students
What is the biggest challenge for first-year students?
The most challenging aspect for first-year students is understanding the challenges of their course. The biggest challenge in doing a degree in engineering or STEM is the amount of time spent studying. While it is true that some students might spend more time than others due to the difference in intellect level, success in any course comes from consistency, attention to detail, asking questions and putting in the required time you need to succeed.
How different is University from School?
There are many differences between university and school. The biggest difference is the flexibility in the study. Usually, Students can choose the study load, the type of subjects they want to study and the time they want to study. In addition, students can make their timetable to fit their work and hobbies, which makes it more interactive and less restrictive than school.
Can you even work while studying if you do an engineering course?
In general, you can work and study as an engineering student if you plan your week well, priorities your workload, spend less time doing unnecessary tasks and fit your work around your study. Learn more here: How Engineering Students Balance Work And Study? A Guide.
Can you maintain good results while working part-time?
It is possible to maintain good results if you study full-time and work part-time if you work on a fixed roster without extra shifts to focus more on your study.
What type of work should I be doing while being a university student?
In general, there are two types of work you should be doing as a university student. First, work that is close to or within your major, which gives you experience and offers you exposure to the workforce. Second, jobs in sales or retail can boost your communication and people skills.
How much time do engineering students spend studying?
On average, engineering students require a minimum of 30-40 hours a week to stay on top of their course. That time is needed to attend classes, write your notes, prepare for your assignments and practice for exams.
For every hour spent in a class, expect to spend the same time studying. Therefore, if you are doing four subjects with two classes for every subject that goes for two hours per class a week, then you should expect to do at least 32 hours of university work (4 Subjects x 2 Classes per subject x 2 hours per class x 2 study time = 32 hours). However, this can take longer if you factor in your assignments and exams, easily taking your study time to 40 hours a week.
How many hours should I work if I am doing an engineering degree?
It is recommended not to do over 32 hours a week or three days so you can still have time to attend classes, self-study and prepare for your assignments and exams. Doing longer hours can stress students and make you fall behind in your study.
There are 168 hours in a week. If you take out 15 hours every day on sleeping, eating and other activities, and 32 hours spent on work a week, you are only left with 31 hours in a week to study, which can be extremely stressful if you go over (168-15×7-32=31 hours).
What to do during the final exam period?
Try to take time off work, social and recreational activities and spend as much time studying. This way, you are not wasting time, are less stressed, and focus your effort toward your exam.
How can I get over stress while studying?
Stress happens when you have no clue how to finish something or think you do not have enough time to do it. You can get over anxiety by studying consistently and preparing well for your assignments. In general, you can cope up with stress if you plan things ahead. Learn more about How To Beat Stress, Fear & Anxiety as Engineering Student
