Introduction

At times it may feel that you are lost in your course, or that the course you chose might not be for you. These feelings are natural and will occur to almost everyone at some point during their degree. It can have as much to do with personal responses as the actual course. It is important to keep an eye on what it is you want to gain from your course and not to let minor blips affect that goal.

I feel like my study skills aren’t up to scratch with what the course expects of me – Try talking to your lecturer or course co-ordinator. They will usually be more than willing to try and help you with any difficulties and to show you some effective ways of studying for it. Also, the college offers several peer-to-peer services and grinds that could prove useful in improving your study skills.

I can’t seem to help procrastinating until the last minute and it is making coursework a nightmare and the end of semester rush increasingly stressful.

Procrastination takes many different forms and every single one of us is guilty of it to some extent. Unfortunately though, some of us are far more prone to procrastination than others and can’t seem to keep our hands off our phones, TV remotes or non-course books (to name but a few distractions) for long enough to get anything done (though some of our rooms become miraculously clean, which is nice!). It is best not to beat yourself up about it as it could only serve to make it worse. If you can force yourself not to procrastinate, then you will find your productivity increasing monumentally. If that is proving difficult, then consider meeting one of the college guidance counsellors, chaplains, Seas Suas volunteers or your mentor (if you are a first-year).

  • There is more information on procrastination, what causes it and how to avoid on the Academic Pressures section of our Well Connected Site

I’m finding it hard to see where my course will take me or what I will do once I have finished my degree – The Careers Development Centre in the college is here to help you work out what it is you should do once you have finished college. You will find that speaking openly about your concerns about your degree and career prospects will help to make ideas clearer in your own head. With the help of our Career Guidance counsellors we hope that you will feel a greater sense of direction with your degree.

http://www.nuigalway.ie/careers/

I am nervous and scared about going on my Erasmus/Year Abroad and it is making me question my course – It is natural to feel nervous about leaving the country for an entire academic year, especially to a non-English speaking country. However, you should remember that, aside from the challenge of it, it  could be one of the most exciting times you spend in college. You will meet many people from different cultures and will give you an even greater push into the world of independent living and adulthood. Try talking to members of your school who may be able to give you useful information about your destination, or even put you in contact with students who have been there. It is also important to talk to other students about to embark on a year abroad about how they are feeling about it. Knowing that there are others going through the same worries as you is always reassuring and you will be able to help each other out.