Studying at university means being an independent learner. You must be self-motivated to take part in lectures and tutorials, as well as learning and assignments you must do outside the classroom.
University study is different from the way you have studied at school or college.
At university, you will mainly be taught through lectures and tutorials, but a lot of your time will be spent on self-directed learning.
This adjustment can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that all undergraduate students face this challenge and that our staff are here to support and guide you.
Each lecture lasts 50 minutes. Class sizes vary depending on the subject, but can be anywhere between 100 and 400 students.
The purpose of a lecture is to give you the foundational knowledge you need to further explore a subject in more depth. This further exploration happens through private study and tutorials.
Tutorials also last around 50 minutes but consist of a smaller group of around 15 students and a tutor.
Tutorials give you the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about what you’ve learned in lectures, discuss concepts that are challenging and address problems together with your classmates and tutor.
You should check the subject area you are interested in to see what teaching methods they use.
Some other methods you might come across include:
All new undergraduate students, regardless of whether they are coming from school, college or after a break in education, need to develop the skills required to study at university level. We call them graduate attributes or skills for success here at Edinburgh, but you might be familiar with the term transferrable skills.
Not everything about university study will be new to you. Due to your own personal and professional experiences, you may have already developed some of the skills you need for self-directed learning.
Regardless of what you already know and how you continue to develop, our staff will provide you with all the support you need to succeed in your studies.
Some of the new skills you will have to develop include:
Our Institute for Academic Development (IAD) provides a range of workshops, resources and personal advice to help you develop these skills and others.
Learn study skills with the Institute for Academic Development
Most of our undergraduate degree programmes consist of four years of study to give you a broad, flexible education and the best chance of success in your future career.
Most programmes in the arts, humanities, engineering, sciences and social sciences let you study a range of subjects in Years 1 and 2, before specialising in the next two.
Once you start studying with us, you will be assigned a Student Adviser who can help you decide which courses you should take if you are unsure.
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