Haziq Zainal, Geospatial Surveying, Mapping and Geographic Information Science student, shares his experience of transitioning from A level to university.
Hello everyone, in this blog, I will share my experience transitioning from A level to university. I would be comparing them in terms of assessments, difficulties and schedule. Furthermore, I would also be mentioning my favourite modules so far.
Before that, I took CIE A levels back in my home country. My subjects were Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. In University, I am now taking Geospatial Engineering.
Assessment
In my case, A levels were assessed entirely by written and practical exam papers at the end. However, in university, the assessments were assessed throughout the semester. Therefore, you are consistently tested by submitting coursework, including exams, at the end of every semester.
This may sound intimidating, but universities are much more flexible. The workload is manageable based on my experience so far.
Difficulty level
For me, A levels were more challenging. My learning style was only doing past year papers. However, in university, the coursework and practicals had given me various alternatives in learning the subject.
Schedule
I attended school daily during my A levels, followed by late-night tuitions. However, for University, there will be days where there are no classes at all. But there are days when you are really busy. Furthermore, some days are made up of lectures, seminars, tutorials and fieldwork. So there are loads of different ways that the lessons are being delivered.
Undoubtedly, my schedule during A levels was quite the same. However, in contrast, University offers me a variety of different schedules for learning which I quite enjoyed.
Favourite Modules
My favourite modules are those related to numbers and Geographic Information System (GIS). For example, programming, processing analysis and mathematics. I tend to perform better with numbers related modules because of my A level fundamentals.
However, for GIS, it is an entirely new subject for me. I like this module due to its teaching methods from learning theory and applying it in practicals.
Initially, the transition from A level to university seemed nerve-wracking for me. But I am happy with my decision to attend University. In fact, University is much more flexible and attainable. Moreover, you will have more fun in university meeting new people and learning in different ways.