What is Studying at University Like?

Discover some key tips on how you can succeed in learning at King's College London.

Studying at university is an exciting time and there are lots of new things to navigate. If you've already studied at university, you'll have worked out how to be a successful learner in lots of ways. You'll build on your existing academic skills and develop new ones as you study a new area. If you’re new to studying at university, then here are some tips to help you develop your learning skills.

How do I manage my time effectively?

You'll need to take responsibility at university for managing your studies. How do you manage your time now for study, work, family or leisure commitments? You might use a phone app, online calendar, journal, or a wall planner.

As a student you have weekly commitments as well as submission deadlines across the year.

Tips for time management

• Check each module handbook and add key dates and times to your calendar.

• Check what types of learning will be done in-person or online and what you’ll need to do outside of that (e.g. using online learning resources).
• Use an online calendar. Plan other study commitments, such as reading and research, around these key dates/times. This will help you make the most of your live learning time.
• Break down longer projects into smaller tasks.
• Consider when and where you study best.
• Vary your activities. Include time for rest, personal and leisure activities, as well as any paid work.
• Review regularly, e.g. weekly/termly basis — it’s unlikely to be perfect first time.
• Keep doing what works and, if it’s not, try something else!

Your program handbook will let you know how many credits each module will have, and this will give you an indication of how many hours of learning you should dedicate to each one. Your department will tell you what's expected in terms of how much study time out of class you'll need to do.

What’s my role as a student and the role of others?

It's up to you to read information the university and your department sends you to make sure you understand what’s expected of you on your program.

You're in charge of your learning journey, but there are lots of people around to help:

Personal Tutor

Your Personal Tutor is an academic member of staff in your discipline who will discuss your academic progress with you and can chat to you about your future plans. You’ll meet with them regularly throughout your program, sometimes in a group with other students.

Module Leader

Your Module Leader/Convenor is a teaching member of staff in charge of how your module works. You may also encounter Lecturers who only do one or two sessions with you because of their specialist knowledge and expertise; they will also be a great source of help if you have a question about your module content or assessment.

Your department will let you know about scheduled office hours for key members of staff and how you can contact them with questions.

How can I support my studies?

Reflect on the statements in the 'Preparing for learning' section of the Starting Your studies: Reflection Tool to see where you feel you're at and identify areas you want to explore for yourself and chat to your Personal Tutor about in your first and ongoing meetings.