1. I can’t seem to organise my time properly! I keep having difficulty to balance out my classes with other activities, with my friends and I feel I’m getting out of control!
The key to a well organised schedule is prioritising. You will need to decide what’s most important for your life for the next few years while you are a Student, and in some cases, a working student. This might mean having to concentrate more for the time being on attending and participating in your lectures and tutorials during the semester and leaving some of your usual social activities for weekends and after hours. There is such a short time to absorb and digest all the information that is going to come in during a semester, you will need to be properly focussed in order to process and to manage it properly. Lots of tips for studying and finding a good balance during your University life will be made available during the Orientation Programmes, the Strictly First Years Programme and RAPS & PACE Running Workshops.
2. I am not accustomed to living with strangers and I find that I don’t get along with my room-mate or my group members.
This is a normal challenge in human interaction, and you will find a similar difficulty with room mates and if you have to work in groups during your University life. So at least you know that your colleagues are probably going through exactly the same thing! The recommendation: Allow yourself to get to know your room-mates or colleagues by extending yourself in friendship and by keeping an open mind. All of your fellow students are also trying their best to adjust to being a student in a pretty rigorous academic environment, which is difficult to most persons, so it is very important that you do your best to not take things personally and do your small bit to make things go more smoothly. What you give out, you are most likely going to receive back. Tips on Working with Others and Working in Groups will form a part of the Orientation Programmes and the Strictly First Years Programme.
3. I am not accustomed to academic writing and I feel really insecure about my skills here. I’m really concerned I am going to fail as a result of this.
Many students, although very knowledgeable about the subject matter, do find difficulty in expressing themselves in concise and effective ways without some instruction or practice. We encourage you to participate in the English for Academic Purposes course if you have any doubts at all in this area, and also to take the opportunity to practise essay writing during the semester for review by your tutors who can give you good guidance on your progress from stage to stage during your course.
There will be several other opportunities to look into Student Life Scenarios and how best to handle them during our Orientation Week workshops and we encourage you to sign up for these and the Strictly First Years Programme as well.
Don’t hesitate to bring us your suggestions on how you believe other students might transition more easily into the University, so that we can continue to improve the entrance process for our University family!
Again, welcome to the University of the West Indies. We look forward to assisting you on your journey!
Yours sincerely,
The Office of Student Services
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