In your first year at university, you will build the foundations of knowledge and academic practice that will support you through more advanced study in years two and three.
You will expand on and refine the skills that you developed during your A-levels, BTEC or other experiences, and be introduced to new topics. You can also start to think about where your specific interests lie as you progress through your degree.
The marks for your first year assessments, along with feedback from your tutors, are a guide to your progress and understanding and give you an idea of areas you may need to develop further. The first year really does "count"!
In this section you will learn about some of the differences between studying at a school or college and studying at university.
Coming to university for the first time brings new experiences and challenges. You will find that friends studying in other subjects may have quite different timetables, and that their tutors have different expectations of them. Every student, no matter what their subject, or how they are expected to work at university, goes through a period of adapting and developing during their first year.
Video - Leeds students talk about the differences that they found between studying at college and university. View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).
The first semester of university is fast-paced with lots of changes to get used to. To give you an idea of what this is like, we asked some of our students to share their experience of the surprises and challenges that they faced in their first semester.
Video - Leeds students discuss their experiences of their first year studying at the University. View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).
One big change from the way that you might have been taught previously, is the way that you interact with and learn from academic staff at university. You'll find that staff have different specialisms and teach in different ways than you might be used to from school or college. Academic staff at Leeds also have several responsibilities besides teaching, so they will often be active researchers and writers too.
Video - Tips on how to take advantage of support offered by academic staff during your studies. View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).
You'll hear a lot of new terminology in your first semester at Leeds, which you might find confusing at first. We've created a handy guide to help you understand some of the key terms.
You will encounter many different ways of learning during your time at the University of Leeds.
You may be attending lectures, seminars, personal tutorials and, in some subjects, practicals for the first time.
What are these learning experiences like, and how can you make the most of them?
Video - Students talk about their experience of lectures and seminars. View video using Microsoft Stream (link opens in a new window, available for University members only).
