To think university is fairly easy?

[watthaduck]

This is not a boast in any way, I am not trying to ruffle anybody's feathers but am genuinely curious if I'm missing something.

So I am at a fairly average university in Glasgow, I was a direct entrant into third year after completing my HND at another fairly average college in Glasgow. I am a mature student (28) and am studying social sciences with a main focus on politics, from there I'm hoping to do my masters in social work.

Anyways, leading up to university, I heard so many people, lecturers included telling me what a shock to the system university would be, how I would be studying constantly, how the workload would be so much more full on than college so I was fully prepared and slightly dreading it.

However, since starting beginning of October we have had 6 assessments for the term, 2 assessments per module which have mainly consisted of 1000 word to 2000 word essays, one assessment we had to complete four fairly basic questions and a presentation. Everyone on the course is freaking out, saying how difficult the workload is and how all the assessments are crammed together whilst me and another girl that have been on the same course from the start genuinely scratch our heads wondering if this is a joke.

I've only had one piece of coursework graded and this was the assessment with the four questions which I got 72 percent, not amazing but was happy with that being my first piece of work. Yet today I was speaking to other students who got 43 percent and said how difficult the work is this year.

At college we literally had about 12 pieces of coursework all within 6 weeks of each other including exams and I was very stressed but always passed with an A.

I guess my question is am I doing something wrong? I am putting in the bare minimum amount of effort to be honest as is my friend as struggling with motivation with it all being online. I've never felt less stress through education.

AIBU to think that people were just trying to scare me about uni? And that it's actually not that hard?

Obviously I understand and appreciate that some courses are harder than others and mine just might be a fairly easy one but I'm just waiting for someone to come out and shout JOKE

Yes, some students talk the talk don't they. I remember those. It can be quite intimidating for us quieter types. But the proof is in the pudding

Absolutely! There was a girl on my course who by the way she spoke in lectures I was sure she’d be a nailed on first.

She either got a 2:2 or a third I forget which.

I think whether you're working alongside it makes a huge difference. I was working almost every day I was not at uni, and friends on my course were rushing out of lectures as soon as it finished to get to work, then working late into the night etc. Which made it a lot harder to find the time to do the work, couldn't attend extra help lectures, etc.

I did a science degree, and a lot of it wasn't "hard" as I enjoyed the subject and wanted to learn about it, but the statistics 😫 god they were a killer

@Daydreamsinglorioustechnicolor

I found the jump between GCSE and A level to be much harder. And 1st year uni to be sort of on par with A level and quite a lot was repeated. For example not everyone had done chemistry or maths a levels and basics had to be understood before moving on. So it might be that?

I agree with this, my first year was almost exactly the same as the A level I had done in the subject. However OP said she has gone straight into the third year so should be on harder topics by now.

The thing is I feel like a bit of a fraud, because yes, I will say I manage my time, I'm not stressed when doing assessments so not rushing and I do actually quite enjoy sitting down with a coffee and writing, as I've always been a writer, I've also been told I don't waffle, I am very to the point and get what I want to say across however, I don't feel like I hold the knowledge, I do the research, take notes, and regurgitate it and obviously analyse etc whereas I feel like others that seem to really understand it, be able to speak about it so naturally struggle with the written work and it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. Because it's not like I understand it, I just feel like I'm good at reading the points and then writing them down.

You’re probably just good at the stuff they are asking, like summarising and writing well. I would have struggled to write thousands of words in a concise and accurate manner. But I breezed through my physics degree, which I’m guessing you would find harder. Each to their own.

Have my first ever

You got 72% and are finding it easy.
Your peers got significantly less and are finding it hard.
So doesn’t that give you the conclusion that clearly it wasn’t that you were lied to but that you’re smarter than most / too smart for the course?

But unless the people who warned you happened to be doing your course at your university, it’s all irrelevant. I have an economics degree from a top 5 university and I found it fucking hard. Although the hours working were acceptable, the headspace I needed was significantly more than I needed at a college level.

I think it depends on the level of the course and how easy you find studying.
I’ve just finished a post grad (can’t face the research part). I’ve done that whilst working part time and having ME. I’m also 50yo (i think it makes a difference re memory in particular). I didn’t get amazing results but I did it! I know some other people who really struggled and had to stop.

Bottom line is that if you sailed through your A levels, you will find it easier than someone who had to work hard.
If you’ve done work at that level, you will find that easier than those who haven’t.

There isn’t anything wrong with your work. You are lucky to have academic abilities that other dont.
It doesn’t mean that the ones who are struggling are doing it wrong or seeing problems when there aren’t any either.

My experience backs up what Boomboom has said. I did a vocational masters when I was mid-20s and found it very easy compared to those who had come straight from undergrad life. Having worked and studied hard before this masters, I was super organised, no time for faffing.

I think it depends a lot on your course. I went to (a top) university in the early 90s and found it pretty easy tbh. Spent most of my time socialising and still came out with a 2:1. People doing some other courses definitely worked harder than me though.

Obvs depends the course as I'm sure engineering or medicine are likely more grueling. Having said that, it's not unfeasible that you're very bright. If so then chapeau.

IME it was easy getting a pass but got exponentially more difficult if you were looking to attain grades past 95%

I did that through periods of my engineering degree but family/kids/work made it too difficult and ended up with grades in the 80's mostly (I did an OU degree).

Enjoy it while you can and make the most of it OP. If it's 'that' easy then your biggest hurdle may be keeping your interest/motivation throughout.

Either way, best of luck with the degree.

My degree (2:1, non oxbridge RG, arts subject) so so much easier than my A Levels (but I did get a lot at high grades). But if I applied myself for even a day a week like I do now I’d have got a first. I used to begrudge getting out of bed for a 10am lecture.

@watthaduck

The thing is I feel like a bit of a fraud, because yes, I will say I manage my time, I'm not stressed when doing assessments so not rushing and I do actually quite enjoy sitting down with a coffee and writing, as I've always been a writer, I've also been told I don't waffle, I am very to the point and get what I want to say across however, I don't feel like I hold the knowledge, I do the research, take notes, and regurgitate it and obviously analyse etc whereas I feel like others that seem to really understand it, be able to speak about it so naturally struggle with the written work and it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. Because it's not like I understand it, I just feel like I'm good at reading the points and then writing them down.

Not a fraud. They don't understand it any more than you do. You are the sort to play down your talents while others are quite happy - sometimes with complete conviction and lack of self awareness - to wildly exaggerate theirs.

Entirely dependent on what degree you study for and your personal circumstances.

My Law degree was very full on, work intensive and really stressful. Not because the work was hard (although some of it was) but because I was desperate to do well and the pressure of expectation on myself, deadlines and the none stop studying was HARD!
I alse became a lone parent right before my degree and was left to work part time, raise 3 kids (1, 3 and 7) and study.

I graduated with a first.

Yes, it was HARD work.

I tend to agree with you, but does depend on what course is being studied and what grade you are hoping to achieve. Coursework based assessment tends to be much easier than tests, in my opinion.

You are the sort to play down your talents
And yet is also the sort to want to start a thread about how easy they’re finding something their peers are struggling with? Sharing arrogance with strangers online and not peers IRL doesn’t negate its existence.

You're much older then the rest of the cohort - i think this makes a significant difference. You're more mature and not dealing with being away from home for possibly the first time and transitioning into being an adult, learning to take care of yourself etc. They are also probably worrying about forming friendships in the middle of a pandemic, second year housing, being alone in halls etc. These are huge deals to 18 year olds, I vividly remember the stress of it.

You presumably don't have this as a mature student with a child. Also, if you have no job and half your time child free that's a good portion of time for you to study.

I think the non-academic adjustments when going to uni are what makes it difficult for many, and you don't have these adjustments.

I think it depends on your course, commitments outside of university and how you generally manage your workload. If you're planning on going to to study your MASW that will be much more difficult to manage.

It depends on the university, my Dd went to a town with two universities and shared with somebody doing the same degree at the other university, Dd and her flatmate were both surprised/shocked at how much easier/harder the essay questions were at the other university.

Depends on the course, ability, organisation level and university.

I did Lit at a top 10 and yes found it fairly easy to get a first. Although my MA was a bit harder but still fine.

Most stressful bit was leaving all my essays until 48hrs before the deadline which I did every time because I was a teenage twat.

Nursing, medical, sciences, economics etc all looked miles harder.

Well, some people are more able than others. Someone has to find it easier than other people do. It’s just luck.

@watthaduck

The thing is I feel like a bit of a fraud, because yes, I will say I manage my time, I'm not stressed when doing assessments so not rushing and I do actually quite enjoy sitting down with a coffee and writing, as I've always been a writer, I've also been told I don't waffle, I am very to the point and get what I want to say across however, I don't feel like I hold the knowledge, I do the research, take notes, and regurgitate it and obviously analyse etc whereas I feel like others that seem to really understand it, be able to speak about it so naturally struggle with the written work and it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. Because it's not like I understand it, I just feel like I'm good at reading the points and then writing them down.

This sounds like your course is a bit more of a degree mill situation. (I did a social science degree with the OU as a mature student and it was similar. The assignments aren’t too taxing (1-2k words for an essay really isn’t much to get into and idea, after all) and you’re good at reading the question and answering what’s been asked instead of telling the lecturer what you want them to hear. Social science is notorious for students not answering the question.

I think some degrees are like this and they really favour mature students In terms of results because you aren’t nearly as invested in showing off as younger students often are. By the sounds of it you aren’t getting as much out of the course as you could, though. Which you may come to regret in a few years when the opportunity is gone. But you’ll get by all the same.

it massively depends on the university. i've read essays from some mates low ranking universities who've gotten 1sts and i wonder how because i thought the quality was so low :O . the standards are higher in higher-ranking universities and more difficult to get 1sts.

of course, the course as well. STEM do way more hours of study per week, as opposed to humanities/social sciences who have very little contact hours and mostly independent study.

I went to three different universities for undergraduate (don't ask, health issues), two mid league and finished my degree at a top ten uni. I can honestly say that the degrees were easier in the mid-league ones. The top ten uni was a lot more challenging however you also received a lot more support from academics and the department in general.

I'm studying mental health nursing, not so easy particularly in the current environment. I'm
Finding the placement hours mixed with studying and modules really difficult.

I left uni in 2003 but I have to say I agree. I got a first with very little effort. It was just churning out essays. I did languages though so maybe if I had done science it might have been different.