Starting a science course at university is extremely exciting! Finally, you will get to delve into some of your favourite areas of science from school in much more detail. It’s important that you make the most of your time, so here are the Do’s and Don’ts for a science degree.
✅ DO: Read Widely
When studying science, it is important that you stay passionate about what you are learning. Therefore, you should spend time reading about science in the wider world. This will help expose you to new technologies that are being trialled, current research and future job opportunities. Subscribing to science magazines, reading articles, and attending public lectures are some ways you can do this.
❌ DON'T: Learn Passively
Science is not about memorizing endless facts and figures but understanding the 'why' and 'how' about each concept. Grasping the underlying concepts makes everything clearer but also helps you tackle more complicated scenarios. Therefore, make sure you practise plenty of application type questions and make connections to the real world.
✅ DO: Practice Writing and Effective Communication
Science is not just about understanding and applying theory. You also need to be able to articulate things! In your science degree, you will need to write countless reports, journals, and posters. Therefore, make sure you spend time practising your writing, understanding commonly used structures and how to best present science findings.
❌ DON'T: Leave Your Work Until the Last Minute
Yes, we’ve all been there. As tempting as it is to leave things until the last minute, you’re just going to end up being more stressed. It’s not easy to digest science concepts in one night. Therefore, make sure you are studying at least a little bit each day, and start your assignments early.
✅ DO: Explore Research and Industrial Opportunities
Even during your undergraduate degree, you should try and seek out research opportunities and internships in your preferred areas of science. Hands-on experience can deepen your understanding and open doors to future opportunities. It will also help you form connections with professors, lecturers and other students like you.
❌ DON'T: Isolate Yourself
You don’t have to struggle through university alone – there are so many other students there just like you! Therefore, make it an effort to make friends, form study groups and join clubs.
✅ DO: Improve Your Mathematical Skills
Although you are studying a science degree, a strong understanding of mathematical concepts is required to do well. This is especially true if you are studying something like physics! Chemistry also has a lot of mathematical formulas, and an understanding of statistics is useful for biology. Therefore, make it an effort to improve on your maths skills, especially if it is one of your weaker areas.
❌ DON'T: Skip Fundamental Concepts
Science subjects always build upon the basics. You can’t expect to understand how chemical reactions occur if you don’t know the difference between atoms and molecules. Thus, it's imperative that you don’t brush aside fundamental concepts, even if you think it might speed up your studying. Skipping over these basics can lead to more harm than good.
✅ DO: Attend All Laboratory Classes
The best way for you to develop your science skills is by doing hands on activities. Theory will make much more sense to you once you see it at play in real life. Therefore, don’t be tempted to skip out on laboratory classes and experiments. Do adequate preparation and take as many notes during the session as you can. Not to mention, these are a lot more fun than sitting through lectures!
❌ DON'T: Limit Your Interest
Just because your interest is in one area of science, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t learn things from another area. All sciences link together, and learning how each science relates to one another will help you grow as a scientist. For example, if you are studying biology, make it an effort to learn a bit of chemistry or physics as well. It will come in handy one day!
✅ DO: Use Other Resources
If you’re struggling to understand concepts from your lecture slides, it might be time to try out some other resources. Science concepts can be explained in lots of different ways, and some resources may be better than others at teaching a certain concept. If you get stuck, you should try and consult a textbook or watch a YouTube video.
❌ DON'T: Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Your lecturers and tutors are there to help you. Therefore, don’t feel like you need to figure everything out yourself! Science concepts can be very difficult to understand, especially when you are trying to teach it to yourself. You don’t want to form misunderstandings or teach yourself the wrong thing. When you get stuck, ask someone for help.
