Don't Be 'That' Student

What Your Lecturers Wish You Knew

Taryn Lee Johnston author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Chronos Publishing

Published:4th Sep '25

Should be back in stock very soon

Don't Be 'That' Student cover

Written by a former Senior Lecturer with over 30 years' experience in industry and education, Don't Be That Student is a straight-talking, practical guide to surviving and succeeding at university - without losing your mind, your marks, or your motivation.

This book is designed for students who want real advice, not recycled blog posts or dry academic manuals. Whether they're just starting out or already floundering in a fog of deadlines and missed seminars, this is the guide that cuts through the noise and tells them what actually works.

With chapters covering time management, feedback, group work, AI, using reading lists properly, dealing with lecturers, and behaving like a professional, this is the book that bridges the gap between school and higher education. It pulls no punches, makes no excuses, and offers students exactly what they need to hear - even if they don't want to hear it.

Students will learn how to:

  • Take responsibility for their learning and results

  • Understand what university really expects from them

  • Manage their time and stop procrastinating

  • Get the most out of lectures, seminars, and support staff

  • Use feedback to improve, rather than argue or ignore it

  • Use AI safely and ethically without risking misconduct

  • Build a professional reputation that opens doors beyond university

  • Still have a social life without destroying their grades

Short, sharp, and genuinely useful, this is the perfect book for freshers, second years in need of a reset, and anyone who wants to make university count.

I mean wow I just wish someone gave me that three years ago 😂, really enjoyed reading it.

Josh Merloo

The book was a very enjoyable read, what I like is that it is honest and realistic - It paints a truthful picture of what university is really like. It covers things I wish I was told when starting uni and also somewhat motivated me for my third year.

Kieran Beale

I really liked the advice about procrastination and making it really easy to start to or just reading the brief, writing the intro and finding three academic sources. I dread to imagine how many hours I have wasted staring at a blank document because I won't write down anything unless it's perfect, and what fun things I could have done with that time, which is also how I really liked that you are telling them, even as a lecturer that you can still go out and party and socialise and still do well, for me I always felt like it was one or the other. I am also definitely taking the pomodoro technique advice!

Lucy Smith

I think you've captured the new student mindset exceptionally well, it's scarily accurate (like you've seen it a thousand times). The emotional journey the narrative details is exactly how I remember feeling when I started.

With hindsight I wish I had this book when starting uni, a comprehensive set of Dos and Don'ts written in an engaging way for young students. You 'keep it real' throughout.

Joshua Henson-Mendez

ISBN: 9781917377263

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

148 pages