The Backpacker's Guide to University

University is an adventure waiting to happen and this book will be your guide, offering encouraging and friendly advice to help you navigate the journey like a seasoned backpacker. Over the years, the university experience has changed for young people; higher education study is expensive, graduate employment isn’t guaranteed in an age of fast-evolving technology, and the stakes feel high. In The Backpacker’s Guide to University, Dr Jo Phillips and Martin Griffin draw on their collective 45 years’ experience teaching undergraduates and sixth formers to bring students the ultimate guide to making the most of their time in further education. Together, they demystify the language of university and share the very best guidance on adjusting to university study, campus life and independent learning. This book urges students to embrace the 'backpacker approach', a transformative mindset that will empower them to immerse themselves in the spirit of adventure and seize every opportunity that university life has to offer. Essential reading for students applying to university, current undergraduates in the early stages of their course, their parents and teachers.

Dr Jo Phillips has taught in four different sixth form colleges, then moved into higher education, and has been teaching in universities for the last 15 years. This puts her in a rare position - she’s taught not only A-level students but hundreds of undergraduates too. She currently teaches Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield.

Martin Griffin has spent his career teaching in three different sixth form colleges and has been a head of sixth form and deputy headteacher, guiding and supporting students with their university applications. He is currently an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and he trains teachers to help students perform at their best.