Tedious note to university students (4)
I believe the answer is:
dull
'tedious' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'note to university students' is the wordplay.
'note' becomes 'd' (musical note).
'to university' becomes 'U' (abbreviation for university).
'students' becomes 'LL' (two abbreviations for learner).
'd'+'u'+'ll'='DULL'
(Other definitions for dull that I've seen before include "Overcast or uninteresting" , "Flat" , "Gloomy" , "Lacking interest" , "Lacking excitement" .)