A 5 step guide to starting university life in the School of Law and Social Justice

Posted on: 28 September 2020 by William Wood, a third-year student in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology in Blog

William Wood is a third-year student studying social policy with sociology in the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology. William gives his guide to Starting University Life in the School of Law and Social Justice.

I’d first and foremost like to begin by giving you a warm welcome to the School of Law and Social Justice. Our department has many prevalent and upcoming sociologists, criminologists and policy specialists, offering a unique research-based knowledge approach that has set it apart from other universities for over a century. When you join us in October you will find out more about the department, but for now I wanted to give you a head-start in what to expect when entering university life and beginning your course.

1. Starting University Life in this ‘New Normal’

Let’s begin with the elephant in the room – Covid-19. My first piece of advice is to try not let this put you off the start of university. Although its important to respect government guidelines on social distancing, meeting new people on and off your course is vital to your wellbeing and establishing friendship links for later on in the year when this pandemic is hopefully under control. This could take the form of attending social events that the student guild or your halls of residence have organised – be that virtually or in person. Despite these pressing times, still expect to be able to have a drink (or a few too many) with your mates.

The sphinx bar connected to the student guild on campus (2019).

2. Support and Settling into Online Teaching

One underrated and overlooked aspect of university that I recommend prioritising is getting to know your academic advisors (the individual who will be there to support you for the three years). They will make you feel comfortable as well as being there to offer guidance and support for both personal and academic life even if it is at a distance. Academic advisors will respond to any queries that you may have, and are, in my and many other final years’ opinions, a key resource that you shouldn’t be afraid to use. Some of the most important details/guidance I’ve received has been from talking things through with my advisor – use them!

Once you’ve been introduced to the University and more specifically our department, it is worth making sure you have downloaded and signed into the online platforms your course will be utilising to provide you with your course’s content in the most effective way possible. This is now more important than ever, as the move to a hybrid model of online teaching requires you to engage with that online content on a daily basis. It is worth familiarising yourself with the new online platform (Canvas) before lectures begin; there is nothing worse than needing to start your course and not being sure about how to navigate the platform. If you require any assistance, view the University of Liverpool’s Computing Services Department IT Quickstart page. One big tip is to download these platforms onto your phone so you can quickly check anything you need regardless of where you are or if you don’t have your laptop with you.

3. Time Management

So, you’ve started your first week of lectures and seminar meetings either in person or on Zoom. Although the beginning of the first semester will be uncertain, one thing that is certain is the ability to manage your time effectively while maintaining your mental health at the same time. Yes, ‘managing your time’ can sound boring and is very cliché, but managing and keeping track of how many quality hours you’re investing into your course is absolutely paramount to achieving the grades you deserve. You can find how many hours of recommended individual study you should be doing in your module handbooks (also a key resource worth familiarising yourself with). Just like anything in life; the more time you invest, the larger the return– university is no different.

4. Useful Academic Resources to Aid Your Study

Speaking of individual study, if you are really passionate about learning and wish to develop your sociological/criminological knowledge, I recommend you sign up or simply check in with the contemporary literature the British Journal of Sociology is constantly producing. If you are studying criminology, the equivalent is the British Journal of Criminology. These extensive online peer reviewed journals are a really useful resource to not only expand your academic knowledge but also as a method of informing future essay ideas and/or research projects you will carry out. Most lecturers within the department will stress that the key to succeeding in sociology/criminology is surrounding yourself in the subject and by engaging with what is unfolding in the academic world – this will allow you to do just that. If you’re more of a visual/auditory learner, then I would recommend the New York University’s introduction to Sociology on YouTube as a good starting point to postgraduate social sciences

You can watch the full YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/4FduU3EokBY

5. Join Societies 

Make sure to sign up to any society you find interesting or have a real passion for - or create your own! Societies are a great way to meet people with similar interests ranging from sports to bar to theatre societies. One common regret students have is not participating and getting involved in enough societies, so make sure you take part at the first opportunity. The department has its own society, UoL SSPC Society, which is free to join and connects students with a range of social activities such as annual balls, career events and more!

Artefacts, the Liverpool Medical School Performing Arts Society, on stage during their production of Legally Blonde.

If you are a new student joining us this year, make sure you look at the University's Welcome pages where you an find out about Welcome Week events, information about starting University and more advice about settling in here.

The Liverpool Guid of Students also have a guide to starting University on their Welcome 2020 pages.

If you are interested in studying within the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, please visit our study pages to find out more: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/sociology-social-policy-and-criminology/study/