This is a very important subject so let’s make it simple (see Fig. 2.2).

Universities have their own language and culture. You will quickly learn the ground rules for your university and before too long you’ll feel like you belong, but in the meantime do not be afraid to ask if you don’t understand something. We as academics are apt to forget sometimes that what we think of as a clear rule or term may not be all that clear to you.

During your time at university you may experience some problems that you were not expecting. The key thing to remember is that while you may feel like your world is ending, there is a very good chance that your tutors will have encountered similar problems before and they will know how to advise you or at the very least, they will know who can advise you. The potential problems that you may encounter are too numerous to mention, but examples include financial, psychologic, academic and personal; the key message for all these is that you must let the staff know if you need help. Universities tend to be very understanding if they know in advance of any problems that you have whereas if they are blindsided on the day of the exam board, they tend to fall back onto rules and regulations, and you will suffer as a result.