Transitions to University
Lesson Two
Feeling (un)prepared for university...?
This lesson makes clear some of the very universal concerns that young people have around feeling prepared for university, and talks about some solutions / reassurances. In this lesson, we hear from students and staff at university, about how best to prepare for making the transition to university.
The lesson has been designed with utmost flexibility in mind: there are many options available to teachers as to how they can be used.
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Please download the teachers' notes here:
Alternatively, use the tabs below to access each of the separate tasks in this lesson.
Warm-Up Question
What do you think you can do to best prepare yourself for going to university? (think about specific tasks you could complete / skills you could develop)
Main Task 1: skills journal
Using the warm-up discussion as a starting point, pupils fill in a guided skills journal, about the academic skills they’ve learned throughout high school, reflecting on where their skills are, and where their areas for improvement are. They think about how these existing skills map on to what they might be asked to do at university.
Dowload our printable pdf here: Lesson 2 - Skills Journal
Main Task 2: listening to the views of university students and staff
Pupils listen to selected short podcast excerpts about the types of skills / knowledge and awareness that are useful for achieving success at university.
Main Task 3: returning to the skills journal
Pupils then return to their skills journal to make any adjustments (e.g. to add more skills, or to add further ideas about ways their skills can be developed / how they might be useful)
Summary points
- Being prepared for university is about being prepared to learn independently
- Think about the general life skills / mindsets that are relevant for university success
- Universities do a lot to help students develop their preparedness (e.g. T2G programme at Glasgow – make the most of these opportunities!)
Contact us
If you have any questions about these lesson plans, then you are welcome to get in touch with the designers: