direct entry to third year of a course.

sp1987

I could not understand how to learn Harvard/any referencing from a book. I found it much easier to borrow an essay from someone who could use it (though different degree subject it made no real odds). I also taught my non graduate mother to use harvard for her OU course, she picked it up very quickly, literally ten minutes (with the failsafe of having me check later, though it was always fine)? She had done no extended writing since her GCSE's some 38 years previous...so it can be done quite easily.

This may be a good option for you...especially for a bibliography...all through my three years I used an older essay to check that the current one had been referenced properly. I was a tad different as we had to use harvard for some work plus another referencing system for other academic work, so swapping between the two was confusing as hell :rotfl:

The jump from using no books to using 10 or 20 for a piece of work will be much more draining than having to write up who wrote them in a little list, so no worries on that! The academic jump from what you have said will be 10x the problems the referencing will be.

littlepinkstars44

thanks everyone, i am feeling alot more confident about starting uni after today.
We had to go in and register for our course, got our student cards...and finally got my SAAS letter scanned!!!
We were also introduced to previous direct entry students (on the same course) who are now in 4th year, and they have set up a mentoring scheme, which i have also signed up for
They will look through essays for you, help you with refrencing, finding information, going over anything we don't understand etc.

Also found out that the 3rd year programme we are about to start is completely brand new this year. We're the guinea pigs...great! Which also means that last years 3rd years cant sell us their books anymore, as we need totally different books than last year!

And also found out the uni have started a new thing this year, we have our own "helper" so to speak just for our course. (He did have a proper title, but i can't remember it now) Anyway,...he is there for any academic problems we have...the same as the 4th year mentors. Which means we can get 2 different opinions on essays before handing them in

It seems there is alot of help out there for me, which i am really happy about now, as before i thought i was just going be thrown into 3rd year at the deep end.

and yes alyth, i am only 22. (though i still act and feel like 18, i still live at home with my mum and and am well looked after and dont really have to struggle much)
wow £100 for books! We got everything handed to us in college. To be honest i don't know why we weren't even kicked out, as me and 2 of my friends always done our essays together, and handed in almost the same essay for everything. But nothing was ever said about it, as the lecturers knew we done the work together. Now after being in summer school at uni, i realise this is a big no at uni.

littlepinkstars44

today was my first day at uni. Was completely pointless actually.
first lecturer didnt even show up! Then second lecturer just handed us out booklets and told us to go home.

pulliptears

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

today was my first day at uni. Was completely pointless actually.
first lecturer didnt even show up! Then second lecturer just handed us out booklets and told us to go home.

sounds about right hun

A lot of the third year is more 'self directed'. You tend to go in for tutorials and to get a feel for what ever project you are working on then go your own way. Certainly like that in Graphics anyway, go in, choose a brief, come back if you need help.

Its a lot more laid back than the colleges. Glad you are enjoying it!

littlepinkstars44

have my first ever lecture tomorrow, fingers crossed that goes better!!

I honestly can't believe that im only in uni for a few hours a day!! Tomorrow i'm only in 10-11 then wed im only in 4-5!!

In college we were in 9-4:30 3 days a week, and had one half day!!

zigmeister

Just wanted to give you a little tip for referencing.

As soon as you make a reference in your work, go and write the whole reference in your bibliography. It makes it so much easier to do it as you go along.

I made the mistake of making loads of references then getting to the end of my essay and then had to go back through it to write the bibliography! :rolleyes: Doing it as you go along saves tons of time

dawyldthing

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

But i am not an honors student. Honors year is 4th year, and i am going into 3rd year just to get my degree. I might leave after 3rd year, i might stay and do an honors year, i don't know that yet.
Well i have never been shown how to write like that, and have never had to write like that before either. I don't have a higher English, i only have a standard grade english, which i got a 3 for.

Until uni I can't remember doing a lot of referencing for my A-levels. A good tip I would use is the hand book that you will get at the start of your course, plus in your Uni library are a whole host of detailed leaflets and sheets that can help you with all aspects of referencing and writing in an accedamic style. You can do it, it does take time, but if you work at it, and go to your writer in residence if struggling, then it should help.

Good luck with your course, it will be a challenge, but we all can specialise in different things. If we all did the same things it would be a mighty boring world guys!

Oldernotwiser

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

have my first ever lecture tomorrow, fingers crossed that goes better!!

I honestly can't believe that im only in uni for a few hours a day!! Tomorrow i'm only in 10-11 then wed im only in 4-5!!

In college we were in 9-4:30 3 days a week, and had one half day!!

Don't forget that this will still be more study than you've been doing, not less.

littlepinkstars44

yeah i've never studyed for anything before

which is the main thing im worried about, though i dont have any exams. Just essays, reports and presentations

Oldernotwiser

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

yeah i've never studyed for anything before

I don't recognise your smiley; are you serious?