Top Skills to Learn Before Coming to University

82 Months Ago

We’re getting closer and closer to Freshers Week now! There’s still time for you to make sure you have all these important life skills, and no, we're not talking about how to down a pint.

How to do laundry

I remember standing in Sainsbury’s during Freshers Week, having to google what on earth the difference was between bio and non-bio laundry tablets. A lot of students will have never approached a washing machine before. It might be a useful idea to get your parents to give you an express course on laundry and ironing so you’re not left totally clueless. While it is tempting to take your laundry back home, it’s a vital life skill you’ll need to learn eventually.

Academic skills

• You’ll need to learn good time management skills so you don’t leave coursework and revision to the last minute.

• A surprisingly difficult skill is asking for help. If you’re stuck in a lecture or a tutorial, nobody is going to come round and ask you if you’re understanding it all. If you have questions you’ll need to stick around at the end of the lecture or tutorial and have a chat with your lecturer/tutor.
• You’re also responsible for making sure you do all the required reading for your courses - nobody will check up on you!

• When it comes to essays you’ll need to make sure you have an eye for detail, especially regarding your spelling and grammar.

• Lectures can move pretty quickly so you might not have long to jot down your notes. Find a way that works for you, whether that’s writing in shorthand or typing up notes instead. Remember a lot of lecturers will post PowerPoint slides online to Vision (the virtual learning environment), but these are unlikely to be full sets of notes, just brief outlines. So if you know the slides will be available after class; jot down the information the lecturer says, not what they have written in the presentation.

How to Budget

You’ll be paying for your own accommodation, food, and socialising for the first time, so you’ll need to make sure you don’t blow all of your student loan on Jägerbombs and pizza. Plan ahead and make sure you keep enough in the bank to cover your regular payments and a little bit for emergencies. Try drawing up a budget before you arrive in September. Realistically, this might change when you get to Edinburgh.

Professional skills

emails: whether you’re emailing a lecturer or applying for a job/internship, you might want to brush up on your email etiquette. It's time to dump that cringe email address you have like madlad2000@hotmail.com or foxyladyxo@msn.com. Information Services have a good top tips guide for students.

CV building

Dust off and update your CV before you come to uni or create one if you don’t have one, especially if you’re thinking about applying for a part-time job while you’re here. The Careers Service runs daily CV builder workshops Monday-Friday 10.15-11am and 3.15 – 4pm. For more information visit: http://www.careers.hw.ac.uk/cv.php.

 Talking on the Phone

We never used to like doing this either, but when you get to uni, no one else will do it for you. Do adult things like calling your bank or mobile phone company to sort out any problems straight away! Just get it done so it doesn't cause you problems later down the road.

Cooking

You might have some cooking experience already – if so, great! But if not, do some experimenting at home or get some great recipes online. Start with the basics like cooking pasta, stir-fries, omelettes and baked potatoes.

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