Reflections on mid-module assessments

With the end of the semester fast approaching, the first round of assessments have been submitted. As a first year, it’s been quite the adjustment from A-Level work to the expectations of university assignments so it’s important to take time to reflect on the work so far. 

Experiences with university assessments vary from person to person. It's fair to say that whether you’re studying humanities, sciences, or anything in between, students from all over the university have felt anxiety towards these first few hand-ins.

While it is usual to feel stress over these assessments, it is also important that you look after yourselves during this period. Here are some things you can do to help:

1. Give yourself plenty of time. Don’t leave things to the last minute, especially when you are still trying to grasp the art of essay writing at university. Start early to minimise stress.
2. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritiously, sleeping lots, doing things you enjoy and getting outside every day. Looking after yourself will improve your well-being and quality of work at the same time.  
3. Don’t forget to ask for help if you need it. If you’re overwhelmed, reach out for support. Staff can provide guidance and university support networks will offer advice as well as friends and family. 

And remember, it is only the first year. This year it’s okay to be unsure and focus on learning how to write these assessments. If you make mistakes along the way, then that’s okay! 

Sophie Psaila

We're a few months deep into the first semester. For most of us, we have tackled the first hurdle of assignments. Like the majority of students, my enrichment week was enriched with writing essays – all of which are now thankfully out of the way. 

As a second-year student, I feel more confident approaching my first bundle of assignments compared to first year: when I was still figuring out all the specificities of referencing and what font would be best to use. Undoubtedly, university work is stressful no matter what year you’re in, but it is definitely less daunting when you’re no longer battling that jump from the A-Level to undergraduate standard.

However, second years face a new kind of pressure than first years. In the back of our minds, we are constantly aware that this year’s work actually goes towards our final grade. And even though the dreaded dissertation is something that we don’t have to think about until the end of second year, it is impossible not to think about it now. At the start of second year, it all quickly becomes very serious and you are reminded of what you are really at university for.

Because of this, it is also easy for second years to become debbie downers – as you can tell. However, it’s important not to get too stuck in your anxieties about the future. It’s easy to want to jump right into worrying over your essays due after Christmas, and whilst planning ahead never hurt anyone, do give yourself a break from having just completed your first assignments. Even though we are in second year, it doesn’t mean our life is now exclusively restricted to lecture halls and the library – not yet anyway!

Jenica Davis- Lifestyle sub-editor

Doing an English Literature degree I always feel slightly guilty when I moan about my workload - my contact hours are some of the lightest in the university, and I genuinely enjoy my degree and the work that comes along with it.

 Despite this, life can sometimes catch up and even though I've had three years of this suddenly I'm drowning in work and wondering how the hours in the day were ever enough - and for some reason, this always happens around the first assessment week of the year.  No matter how much I love the degree or how early I begin prepping, the pressure of assessment week will hit me all in one go. I become a truly different person for a week, living on black coffee and finding a new favourite study spot every day after getting utterly sick of the seat the day before.

Although I'm not one of those uber-prepared people who submit their assignments a week in advance, I also detest leaving things until the last minute (which is perhaps why the stress kicks in the week before the deadline, not the night before). I've found through the last two years of my degree that I'd rather spend a week at a constant level of focus than bash the whole essay out in one night.

  I feel like this has just become the norm for me, and although I believe there are better ways to deal with the stress of assessments, I don’t particularly mind that this is how I deal with it.  In a way, I almost enjoy the drive of concentration. Plus, writing about topics you're passionate about is a definite way to make sure you make the most out of your assignments and do your best.

Georgia Purcell - Relationships sub-editor