First Impressions

University life at first is daunting to everyone new to it. Everyone is a stranger and you have no idea where you are going. In the following days though things progressively get easier due to the fact that you make friends with many people and start having a good time. On the academic side of things there is a resemblance to school in some ways but on the other hand there are the lectures in unique buildings such as the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall. Overall being a student is a great experience that must be enjoyed to its full extent.

Great first impressions thanks for those guys - can the rest you do yours soon please...

My first impression of student life in university

First impressions of student life in the university

This is how I feel 4 months ago as I walked out of the examination hall. “Awesome!! I finally finished my A-level exams, now I can finally relax and think about going on a vacation to enjoy the summer”. Then, 2 months later, I received my examination results, moment of shocking truth is about to be revealed. I was nervous and thought what if I did bad as my parents had high expectations of me. But then again, in the end of the day, I have revised, prepared and tried my best in the exams so there is nothing to be afraid of. I slowly opened up the envelope containing the results as sweat pouring out of my forehead cascading down my neck. I moved my eyes from left to right, scanning every single word on the page and concluded that I did not score perfect grades but it was acceptable and I can still move on. Fast-forward to October, it is this time of the year where new undergraduate students move into a new environment and advance into the next chapter of their life. This place is called university in which higher education are being told. Just like these students, I have also got a place in the University of Essex; does that mean my new chapter will begin too? Will I be able to settle in well in this new environment?

I came to the University of Essex on the 2^nd of October 2011 because I was told to come a week early before actual courses starts so that I can get used to the environment and settle in quickly, which was great. In this week I had to go to different introduction talks as well as meeting my tutors and course mates. At the end of the week I also got my student card which officially makes me part of the university. However, during the first week I felt out of placed because I have actually never stayed in another city by myself. I believe other students who joined the university the same time as me will feel the same, because everyone wants to be at home with their parents or just be in a familiar place that they have always been living in. Unfortunately, being independent is simply a process of life that everyone has to adapt to which is why you will eventually be out there somewhere by yourself and doing something that you wanted to do for the rest of your life.

There was alot of culture shock for me ,the weather most especially i was practically shivering when i first got here,but it got better eventually it isn't so cold anymore.....i've been getting lost around campus but the staffs n studnts have been of a lot of help to me n now i havemy map so its not so hard anymore.....n i feel so great to be pat of the international academy....

First Impressions of University

My overall first impressions of university have been good.

Having lived in Colchester all of my life there wasn't a lot of culture shock or anything of that sort when I first started coming here because, well, things haven't really changed for me all that much in that respect. Living off campus, at home, also helped reduce any sort of "shock" that I might've gotten coming to university.

It was a slight shock in losing everyone that I knew before, only a single person that I knew from college comes here, the rest have all moved away to other areas of the country to go to other universities.

Was there a shock coming to university in respect to the way that the education works? Sure.

Being used to the way that school or college works and moving to university there are some differences, one being the timetable.

At School or College it's very restriced, you go in every day at 8:30 and leave at 3 irrespective of whether you have a lessons throughout the day or not.

In complete contrast; at university it's completely diffrent, it's much more of a free learning experence, you're not expected to come in if you've got no lessons, you're trusted to use that free time effectively, which is nice. It doesn't feel like you're being babied at all here, unlike what School or even College felt like.

I am looking forward to reading your blog entries everyone...by the end of week 4 please.

BY AS blogging - an explanation

At the end of the Spring Term a reflective event will be staged during which you will 'reflect' back on your experiences at University during the Bridging Year. In order to do this you will write a blog every few weeks on a particular topic. This will give you ideas as to what to do your reflective event on. It seems obvious to say but please refrain from rudeness, swearing and disrespectful comments on your blog - you have authorship but not admin rights