My Advice for University Beginners

I have been studying at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa (IUC) Computer Engineering department since 2019. I was in English preparation when the pandemic started. Due to the pandemic and other reasons, I decided to extend the preparation and did not take the exams. (I will discuss the details in detail under the headings.) As a result, I had to extend my English preparation for another half term in addition to one year, and I became an irregular student.

When I entered the university, I made many mistakes because I did not know. For this reason, I will summarize where I made mistakes and what experiences I had for beginners. I hope these articles can contribute to your university life, even a little.

Understanding How the University Works

University progresses in a very different structure compared to high school and secondary school. While the functioning of the courses, friendship relations and student clubs are quite different in universities, we encounter many innovations such as lecturers and lecture halls when starting the university. Learning these innovations and differences in one way or another will make our job much easier. The most important mistakes I made in this regard were:

Not learning how to do letter grading.

Not examining the information documents of my university with understanding.

Because of these mistakes, I had to learn many lessons from the bottom. Be the first to learn about the course and school process when starting university. For example, you can research the terms ECTS, AGNO, credit, midterm and final, letter grade in detail.

Joining Student Clubs

When you join university clubs, you can contribute to your career as well as your personal development. Many clubs come together for a different purpose and organize talks, excursions, trainings and events according to their goals. You can join the club or clubs that suit you best.

In my opinion, it would be good for you to continue your personal development if you join a club or clubs related to your department as well as a club related to your hobbies. For example, if you are studying computer engineering, in addition to the computer club, you can join another club such as photography, theater, music.

Irregular Studentship Is Exhausting!

Yes, as I mentioned, I became an irregular student because I passed the preparation after studying for a year and a half. Irregular studentship can be said to be a term used for students who start directly from the second semester instead of starting from the first semester.

If I were to exemplify; In the fall (I) and spring (II) semesters, you must take Physics I and Physics II, respectively. If you are a regular student this should not be a problem for you. But if you are an irregular (irregular) student, you can take the Physics II course before the Physics I course, so you can give the Physics I course in the fall semester, after closing the spring semester and skipping the class. Here we need to remember that not every course can be taken all the time, but only in certain periods. This is one of the course rules at the university. As we mentioned above, learning the operation will make our job much easier.

Making Good Friends

A bad friend can have a very bad effect on a student, especially if he is a college student. Bad environments will cause university students to waste their lives and wear out their character. That's why I think we should choose our friends well.

"Tell me about your friend and I will tell you who you are."

Create a Communication Network

Both the cafeteria, the library and the clubs are very convenient environments for socializing. Similarly, in and out of school events, conferences and conversations are also potential environments where we can meet new people. Being included in these environments and meeting and chatting without hesitation will contribute to the development of our communication network.

Be Open to Self-Help

There are many opportunities for you to improve yourself at the university. The most important of these is TIME. When we think about the time of someone who has entered the business life and graduated, it would not be wrong to say that a student is a treasure. It is up to us to make good use of these times. The difference between those who make use of their time and kill them will be evident in many areas of life, especially at work. This must not be forgotten.

Getting to Know the Teachers

The teacher of each department can deliver the lesson in a different way. While one teacher progresses through the presentation, another teacher can make notes on the board. Knowing how your teachers teach, what they pay attention to, and what they expect from you in exams will make your job much easier.

Gaining a Disciplined Working Habit

A student who does not study with discipline always leaves his homework to the last day and does not study for his exams until the last week. :) On the contrary, a student who has gained the discipline of study learns his lesson in class, repeats his grades on time, submits his homework on time, and therefore, he is in control of the exam time.

If you do not want to panic during the exam, it is useful to add discipline to your life.

Tracking Scholarships and Applications

The search for a scholarship is one of the first worries of every student going to university. I can summarize the points to be considered regarding this issue as follows:

1. If your course average is below a certain limit, your scholarship may be temporarily or worse permanently interrupted in the following years. It is remarkable that you try to keep your lessons above the 2.00 letter average at least, so that you do not experience the problems I experienced.
2. There are many institutions and organizations that you can apply for scholarships. It will be comforting for you to do a detailed research before you start university to find these scholarship givers.
3. It is necessary to pay attention to the deadlines for scholarship applications. Once you do not apply for a scholarship, you may miss the opportunity to receive a scholarship from that institution for a year.
   

Scholarship applications can be made