The top 3 things I wish I knew when starting at UCL

Here we are – the new academic year is about to begin again, which makes it a whole year since I began studying at UCL. It’s flown by a lot faster than I expected. As a PhD student, I should have two or three more years ahead of me here. Some of you will only be here for a single year, though, and even those of you facing several years at UCL probably want to make the most of your time. So what do I wish I’d known when I began?

1. I don’t need to spend all my time in libraries! Obviously, as a PhD student, I need to study a lot. But at the beginning of last year I was dragging myself into UCL at 9.30AM or so to bag myself a library spot: either in the main library, or sometimes in Senate House. This way of studying works for some people, but it really isn’t for me. I don’t find libraries particularly conducive to my research: I need my own space, with a few select books, where I’m not surrounded by anxious students and the irregular excruciating squeak of a chair being pushed back. Now I do my best work at my desk in my own room. You might be different yet again – but be conscious of where you feel comfortable studying, and don’t feel pressured to stay in the library all the time.
2. Don’t leave it until the middle of the year to try out the university sports clubs! If you’re interested in trying new sports, or picking up a sport you already practice, get in there early. If you wait, you’ll miss all those free taster sessions at the start of the year – and that yearly membership fee will be worth a lot less, as well. In addition, a lot of sports clubs practically shut down in the summer term due to exams and other deadlines. This year I’m planning to get in early joining the UCL Parkour Club and trying out the Barbell Club’s taster sessions.
3. You don’t need to go to everything. Pace yourself: you’ll feel tired very quickly if you’re studying the amount you need to be and doing a different social activity or hobby every day. Definitely get involved and meet people – I’m not saying you should become a recluse! – but schedule in recharge time. Let yourself have that evening in with Netflix or a good book (and no, I don’t mean a text-book), even if it means giving a seminar at Senate House a miss. There’s so much going on around UCL and London that it can be overwhelming to try to keep up with it all: give yourself a break, and you’ll thank yourself for it.

Last revised: 8 September 2021

Simone Webb, UCL Student, PhD in Gender Studies