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

Different people find different things easy. Essay writing is a skill in itself. Some students have a good understanding of the material, but struggle to express it in an essay. Some students are good at writing essays, especially if they get to chose the question, but have a fairly shaky grasp of the rest of the content.

I did modern languages and got a first (carried on to MA & PhD). In my first year my grades were very mixed, mainly due to poor time management and too many nights out adjusting to independence. Once I settled in to uni, I had a lot of work, but it wasn't too hard.

I could never have done something as scientific as medicine... but my doctor DP failed her French exams at school and couldn't wrap her head around the concepts I was doing in cultural modules. Her brain just seems much more suited to STEM.

I should add, I later both studied and taught (as a PhD student) at two other Russell Group universities. Grade inflation was definitely in play. Handing out 75+ assignments was customary practice.

I agree writing essays and expressing the reasons why you think or are arguing as you do is a vital skill
We used to write up to an essay a week per subject.
Sucking in vast swathes of information, arranging them in your head and writing them up in a reasoned fashion, under constant time pressure was the gig. Thinking and being able to discuss your essays happened in tutorials of course.
Now we are sent chapters of books, constant articles to inform us, lecture slides and are given a drip drip drip of how to gain a first.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of thinking or creative anything going on.
Very keen on student experience questionnaires
I am old

It depends on the course. Go and study medicine or astrophysics if you want to be stretched.

It used to be expected that not only would you do all the reading ahead, and take notes - but that you would follow up on other concepts and authors who were referred to in your reading, or in your lectures, and become quite deeply immersed in the subject.

@RonaldMcDonald

I agree writing essays and expressing the reasons why you think or are arguing as you do is a vital skill We used to write up to an essay a week per subject. Sucking in vast swathes of information, arranging them in your head and writing them up in a reasoned fashion, under constant time pressure was the gig. Thinking and being able to discuss your essays happened in tutorials of course. Now we are sent chapters of books, constant articles to inform us, lecture slides and are given a drip drip drip of how to gain a first. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of thinking or creative anything going on. Very keen on student experience questionnaires I am old

It was definitely a brutal regimen. 2 x 2500 word essays a week, intense follow up discussions with your tutor, either in pairs or one-to-one. If your tutorial partner was useless or hungover, it was hard to say which setup was worse.

This was a decade ago. Teaching PhD students five years later, the overwhelming emphasis was on catering to students as consumers. They wanted an grade (‘product’) that justified the money they were paying for the course. They didn’t want uncertainty, volatility or challenge, but clear directives. The ‘Director of Student Experience and Progression’, who was naturally loathed by the majority of department staff, loved to hammer this message to us seminar tutors at every opportunity. The National Student Survey (NSS) was everything to him. I remember sitting in on his lectures to students and they were the epitome of cringe and faux-relatability (he loved to play extended clips of Only Fools and Horses in his PowerPoint slides...I’m assuming mainly for the titters of approval and amusement, because they had little educational relevance).

In my case, the students I taught knew that they only had to write one decent essay for my module at the end of term. They would amass all the information they needed for that one question and often zone out for the remaining weeks.

It is true that the work ramps up in the third year. I had a job all the time I was at uni except for the last 3 months of my first degree finals. I abandoned my friends and family. I built a bed on the floor beside my computer. I ate when I was hungry and slept when I was tired. I lost all track of night and day. But I made myself the absolute mistress of the 45 minute essay. When I turned over my exam papers (5 subjects) I could have answered any question on any paper. I knew as I was writing that it was a first class answer.

There were brighter people than I who got a 2/1 because they didn't put in the effort. My experience has been that very bright students are often a bit lazy and take their gifts for granted. I never have. My talents were for organization, planning and ability to write in the desired academic style.

I had already made up my mind that I loved academic study and wanted to go on to do a masters and a doctorate. Getting a 1st was simply the passport. I enjoyed my postgraduate degrees because both were by research.

Teaching as a PhD student five years later

That should have read!!

@Devaki

Sorry I haven’t the time or inclination to read all previous replies. Firstly I think it depends on the degree. Some are intense, with a heavy workload. For example medicine, nursing. Others are less so with few hours of lecture. To make a sweeping statement that University is easy is pretty shitty. Also your a mature student. They’re renown for being swots and not much fun. 😂

I don't have the time or inclination to be whatever you consider 'fun' 😂 I don't go to uni to be fun, what a strange thing to say.

I would have agreed with you in first year. Barring one module I really didn't "get" (which of course was heavily weighted in terms of my overall grade) I didn't get under 65 for anything. Until undiagnosed dyspraxia finally caught up with me, the workload picked up and I started really struggling to put an essay together/time manage them despite doing the reading, attending and engaging. I've always preferred exams, too.

I had no idea what was going on. I'd reached my tipping point. Took awhile to get any help, too.

@RonaldMcDonald

Really. It is comedically simple. I have no reason to exaggerate. Another person on my course does each piece of work the night before and is on a low first.

So much of University is utterly handed to you today - especially, I guess, at lower ranking universities.
I’ve had marked assignments with schematics of suggested word counts throughout. It seems aimed at a bright 4th year student and content, except for referencing, seems barely above GCSE level

Then they are either extremely clever or at a university with low standards, such a shame you didn't get to a better quality of university.

Depends on your course. I did an engineering degree. I had a full day every day 8am or 9am start ending at 5pm with a 2 or 1 hour lunch depending on electives as we had to have credits from faculties outside the engineering one every year. So I did economics, anthropology, etymology and microbiology courses in addition to my core engineering courses. Also the same core courses as the maths and chemistry students in addition to my core engineering courses. I also took extra courses to finish early. It was the most difficult and rewarding thing I have ever done because as a result postgraduate was smooth sailing and easy because I actually had a flexible schedule and a day off if I wanted. I had nothing of the sort in undergrad.

Depends on subject I suppose. Dgd started in September doing Msc in Neuroscience and psychology. She is studying 4 units ATM and has had to do 4 finales 4 summatives plus 4 extra summatives all before 15 the December plus practicals lab finales etc. She is indunated with work mostly online and all coursework which is 50% marks to be completed by 15th December. Then she has exams 8th -15th January four 3 hour ones. She is at a top Russell group uni. She did 4 A levels 3 of which were sciences. She's finding it hard but is coping well.. I suppose it depends on the person.

Forgot to add, first year and 2and year were by far the easiest and I made Dean's list and had class prizes. 3rd and 4th kicked me in the butt and had me on my knees.. (Top uni too)

She has practically no time free. Maybe a Friday or Saturday to go out with flatmates. They are all the same. Working very hard. I think what uni u go to makes the difference. She could have gone to local university but she wanted to go to a uni ranked 2nd in the country and 5 th in the world for her subject.

She just achieved a first in her first summative 78%

Even when I was at university a long time ago, the hardest bit was getting the A level grades you needed. Since then there has been the expansion of places and seemingly the dumbing down (as in many other areas of society).

I don’t think my DD is finding it easy.
She started a maths degree in September and hasn’t yet had one lecture that’s is not online.
I am going to collect her on Thursday assuming her C19 swabs are clear.
Me and DH are going to suggest she stays at home after Xmas since it’s all online learning now.

I found year 1 and 2 fairly easy, year 3 was harder (the exams broke me I barely passed). I had 2 kids while there, did a Bsc in animal behaviour. I'm not exactly academically clever either.

Unfortunately those most online Dgd has to go back for lab work and practicals.

It really does depend. I studied a core science subject. I got a place at imperial college the work was extremely hard. I went from being a top student in my 6th form to being very average when compared to others at imperial. The work was incredibly demanding and we spend lots of time in the lab.

I left after 1.5 years. Not due to the work load but due to personal issues.

I enrolled at a university that was very average and maybe 30 or 40 in the league table. The work was so much easier. I didn’t really have to try. In fact in my first year I won an award for being the top student! It was so easy. Less lab time and lots of multiple choice exams. I regularly got 100percent.

So I do think there is a lot of difference between university.

N/c coz outing.

It depends.

I did my degree as a very mature student single parent with 4 kids. I also worked 24hours a week.

It was the second toughest thing I have ever done.

The toughest is my phd which I’m currently in the writing up phase of (my username reflects how I’m feeling right now).

My dd has gone from college foundation degree to undergrad at uni (jumped into second year) and she found 2nd year easy because much of the work had been covered in her foundation degree. She’s finding final year much tougher, so you should be prepared for that.

It is true that the work ramps up in the third year.

OP says that she has transferred directly to year 3 (of 4) from her HND.

It depends on both the person and the course.

I studied maths with physics, I personally find maths easy so I didn’t find the course content challenging in that way. However English is not my first language so after lectures I would be translating certain things to fully understand a process etc. It also meant when debating and producing written work I had to put a hell of a lot more effort in to gain a decent grade. I had to pass what is called a knowledge base at interview, but my particular course did not have a written task.

We had around 20 hours of lectures per week and two supervisions in the first year, the lecture number dropped slightly after first year. I achieved a first so I was able to then go on to complete an integrated masters before I trained as an actuary.

Hmmm.

My degree is in Microbiology. The content is very easy to me, but I love the subject and so do all the pre reading, further reading and my own reading based on what I find most interesting. I crack out Firsts like they're going out of fashion.

However.

I'm a single parent with 3 DC, 2 are with me 60% of the time, 1 is with me 100% of the time.

What makes my degree tricky is the other things around it. Running a home. Raising the DC.

I also have ADHD which I'm trying medication for and I'm under a Psychiatrist for PTSD.

So I'd say my degree is easy to me; but life overall is hard and tricky to balance at times.