Do a maths refresher

Is economics all about maths? The answer is no, however much of economics is written in a mathematical language. If you were about to start studying French poetry, you would probably begin by learning how to speak French, in exactly the same way you should learn the basics of maths before you can truly appreciate the poetry of economics. Don’t leave it until half way through your course to discover that you are struggling with maths, try to get your skills up to scratch before you start. Especially if you have not studied A-level maths, you will benefit immensely from a quick maths refresher before your main course. There is a huge amount of excellent free content available on the internet and sites such as www.khanacademy.org and www.bbc.co.uk/gcsebitesize will give you a much needed boost to your first year studies.

Hit the ground running

Most tutors will say that, within 3 weeks of the start of year, they have a good idea of how students will perform in the final exams. Do we have magical powers to see the future? No! We just know that in order to succeed, students need to apply themselves from the very first lesson. At Undergraduate level, it is not feasible to coast through the first semester, thinking that you will be able catch up later in the year. It is much more sensible to hit ground running and make a good start rather  than to try to rush at the end.

Communicate with your lecturers

During your school days, you may have felt a little intimidated by your teachers, even worse, your teachers may have encouraged an atmosphere where students should just sit down and listen to what they say without question. In higher education, learning is a two way process and students need to be able to communicate with their lecturers on an equal  basis in order to get the most from the opportunity. Not only does open discussion allow students to develop their own ideas and understanding of the topics, it also makes the class more fun and interesting for all involved. You should never be afraid that other students will think you foolish, remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question.

Attend every class

We all appreciate that you have many calls on your time, however many studies have shown a direct correlation between a student’s attendance and their overall academic performance. Of course, you do need to also find time to do things other than study, for the three years of your degree, I would strongly urge you to put your classes first. You will have the rest of your life to have fun, once you have passed your exams.

Apply your knowledge to the real world

I am often amazed when I meet people who try to learn economics without ever applying their knowledge to the real world. The theories and models which you learn during your studies can be applied to almost every event around us, from understanding the Euro Crisis to understanding why girls outperform boys in exams. In fact, most of economics only makes sense once we start to use it to understand the world around us. Read newspapers, watch the news channels, look at the pricing strategies and decisions being made all around you and then try to understand them in terms of what you have learnt so far. If you see something that you are finding hard to explain, then make a note and ask you lecturer in your next class.

Keep Calm

Especially as the exam period gets closer, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. There are many simple things you can do to prevent the pressure getting to you. Make a revision calendar and stick to it, ensuring that you allocate some time each day to relax and do something you enjoy, meet with friends or even just watch some TV. Learn some relaxation techniques and use them whenever you feel the pressure mounting. Finally, remember that alcohol may seem to help in the short term, but will only add to your stress in the long term.

Keep Up

When starting a course in September, the May exams seem like a long time away and it is tempting to take things easy and coast through your first term, thinking that you can catch up later in the year. By the time you find out how hard it is to catch up, it is usually too late.  It is essential that you maintain a steady pace throughout the whole year, reviewing each topic week by week and asking your lecturer to help if there is any topic you are not 100% confident with.

Dan Symmons, KBS Tutor