Letter to my undergraduate self: Beckie Arden – ‘failure will help you recognise what to do to succeed’

In a nod to the Big Issue’s regular feature Letter to My Younger Self, we’re asking staff to think back to their own experiences as a student and tell us what advice they would give to their undergraduate selves.

This month we hear from Beckie Arden, Study Skills Tutor.

 

What and where did you study? 

Biology and French at Sussex University.
Which turned into just Biology at Sussex University.
Which then became Human Science at Sussex University.

Did you experience culture shock when you started university?

Yes! I found university a huge challenge in my first year. I was a hardworking student from a small rural town in Devon. I worked hard because I was terrified that if I didn’t, I’d fail. However I also felt that all my academic success was down to chance. I assumed it was luck that led to my GCSE success, or my strong A ‘levels, none of it could possibly be down to actual ability or hard work. Luckily I had some very intuitive teachers at school that spotted my ‘imposter syndrome’ and tried their best to help me. Things were a bit different at Uni. Huge lecture halls, the conveyor belt of practical classes, brief and infrequent seminars or tutorials. No one knew who I was or what I was thinking. I had to work very hard to overcome my insecurities myself. I nearly quit many times in that first term. I very nearly didn’t return after the winter break. But then I managed to take control of a few things. I changed my accommodation as I was very unhappy in my first flat. I managed to drop the ‘French’ part of my degree, because it was just not working out (I hadn’t actually done French A’level). I found some balance. Things seemed a bit more manageable. And I felt that I had some control over my journey through this very unfamiliar world.

What was your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

So after two years of a Biology course that I was succeeding in but wasn’t very excited by, I discovered my perfect degree course; Human Science. It involves five major subjects – Biology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics. Look it up. It’s amazing.

But I was a scientist. I had aced my science A’levels and that was why I had applied to do science at university. I could do science. I knew what was expected. So when I got 41% for my first anthropology essay (honestly I’m not even sure I knew what anthropology was at that point) it was quite a shock. I realised that applying the same approach to studying and writing in anthropology as I had in biology wasn’t going to work. I needed to learn how to read, think and write for anthropology. I came to see that for each of my new subjects, there was a skill-set that I had to employ, a way of doing things for each that was distinct. It was my first experience of learning how to learn.

What are you most proud of about your time at university?

That I persevered. I was unhappy at the start, but I changed things and made things better rather than giving up. I asked questions I didn’t know I could ask – like ‘please can I change my degree’. I carved my own path through a very alien setting, despite the culture shock and the imposter syndrome, and I achieved a 1st class degree on a course that even today I could talk about for hours because I loved it so much. I’m proud that I made it work.

What was the best bit of feedback you received? 

When I failed my driving test I was told ‘failure will help you recognise what to do to succeed’. I wasn’t keen on hearing it at the time, but this feedback came flooding back to me when I struggled with that anthropology essay. I had been terrified of failure. This fear underpinned the mammoth efforts I put into my work. However I learned that my understanding of how to study and how to achieve was unlocked once I had experienced failure.

What advice would you give to your undergraduate self?

Take every opportunity offered and keep your ears and eyes open for what’s available. I didn’t use nearly enough of the support that was available as I just didn’t know it was there, and I didn’t join nearly enough clubs or societies, as I just didn’t realise that you could. Also maybe don’t wear tin foil and cling film to the freshers ball, and go easy on the free margaritas on salsa night.

Letter to my undergraduate self: Simon Gamble – ‘Don’t waste brain power on fears, spend the time studying’

In a nod to the Big Issue’s regular feature Letter to My Younger Self, we’re asking staff to think back to their own experiences as a student and tell us what advice they would give to their undergraduate selves.

This month we present Simon Gamble, Head of Study Skills.

Did you experience a culture shock when you started University?

Completely. I had no idea what I was doing, plus I didn’t really know if I should be there because I got pretty bad grades at A’ level. It all had a huge psychological effect on me and I was very unsure of myself for a long time, which is why I spent the first term getting drunk, doing no work, lying in bed all day and making friends with some real idiots. One day I was so freaked out I just wandered round the whole city feeling lost, instead of doing a practical session about fungus. I genuinely had no idea what was happening to me. It took me about four months to get over it, well into Spring term. Luckily I’d also made friends with some really great people, not just idiots. Those good people really helped me.

What was your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?

I failed a unit in year two. It was my favourite subject and I loved all the lectures, but I spent all my time working on the subjects I found hard, just assumed I’d do well at this one and I tanked. That was when I had to relearn how to learn. It taught me that there are techniques and strategies for learning that I needed to apply, especially that testing myself was a huge help and that studying takes time and some organisation. In the retake I got a really good score, though it was capped at a pass grade. I didn’t care though, because the revision skills I gained were more important.

What are you most proud of about your time at university?

My time in France. There were two of us accepted to go to Université de Technologie de Compiègne on a placement year. We worked incredibly hard, but we had a brilliant time and we were trained very well. Some previous students hadn’t made much effort and we were going to be the last ones unless it went well, so we turned that placement around and even got our names on a research paper. When we got back the head of course knew our names, so obviously we’d made a good impression. I made some brilliant friends, learned to speak French really well, learned to cook, survived a car crash and kind of discovered myself. I came back transformed and it made the final year so much better.

What was the best bit of feedback you received?

“You’re enjoying yourself here aren’t you Simon? Well, if you want to keep enjoying yourself, do some work.” Head of School, January, year 1. I listened.

What advice would you give to your undergraduate self?

Don’t worry so much, just do your best. You have a perfect right to be here and to be doing this, so get on with it. Be kind, be helpful and friendly and say yes to anything that sounds interesting. All those things you’re scared of, they’re never going to happen because they’re extreme and life is mostly very mundane. Just don’t waste the brain power on fears, spend the time studying and talking to your fellow students about your subject instead. You’ve done really well to get here and that’s not going to stop, so just keep on at it.  And don’t move in with Gerry because he turns out to be racist and you end up really hating each other.