Why school exams don't prepare you for University (and that's Okay!)

...with Dr Jonathan Firth

In this episode Jonathon Firth, a Principal Teaching Fellow at the University of Strathclyde and former secondary psychology teacher, discusses the major academic transition students face when moving from secondary school to higher education. Jonathon shares critical insights into why top-performing school students often experience an academic "shock" at university, the shift from exam-focused criteria to self-directed, original analysis, and the unique disadvantages faced by first-generation students lacking "cultural capital" .

The conversation explores practical, research-backed strategies for developing essential study habits, including effective note-taking, active reading, and structured writing reflection . Jonathon also addresses modern learning hurdles—such as digital distractions, declining reading habits, and the rise of AI—while advocating for cross-curricular creativity and sustained metacognition . Rather than treating study skills as a one-time orientation activity, Jonathon emphasises embedding metacognitive awareness continuously throughout a student's schooling to foster independent, future-ready learners .

Links to Jonathan's Books and to sign up for his newsletter can found here: https://jonathanfirth.co.uk/

Jonathan's previous interview on metacognition can be found here: https://changingstatesofmind.libsyn.com/learning-to-learn

Please do sign up for the Psychology in the Classroom newsletter here: https://changingstatesofmind.com/contact-me

Key Takeaways:

Bridging the Assessment Gap: Secondary education often rewards compliance and specific exam marking criteria, whereas university success hinges on holistic grading, original thesis generation, and self-directed research .

Moving Beyond Verbatim Notes & Skimming: Effective note-taking requires deep cognitive processing and concept extraction rather than transcription . Active reading and scheduled reviews combat the natural "forgetting curve" .

Building Knowledge & Cultural Capital: True creativity and critical thinking are not isolated, transferable skills; they rely on deep foundational knowledge, interdisciplinary connections, and broad reading .

Metacognition as a Continuous Habit: Understanding how learning works—recognizing forgetting, self-evaluating strategies, and managing cognitive load—should be built iteratively into teaching across all key stages .

The Episode in Bullet points: