Top tips for new students SAY HELLO TO UNI LIFE

BY RADHIKA BHATIA

As a current 5th year university student, I’d almost forgotten the complex jumble of emotions I’d felt on the lead up to my university’s orientation week. During the three-and-a-half-hour drive down to the Australian National University, where I had enrolled weeks earlier, I remember trying to supress bubbling apprehension over how little I knew about what was in store. After living thirteen years of my life on a dependable 8:20am-3:30pm timetable, at the same school and in the same city, I was jumping head first into completely unfamiliar territory.

Not all of you first year students will move to another city to attend university. Some of you might be studying overseas and for some of you, university might be a mere train stop away from home. Either way, adjusting to university life can be a challenge and anything you may currently be feeling, from trepidation or fear to buzzing excitement, is completely valid! Below are a few of the things that I would have found valuable to know at the start of my first year, and that I hope might help you adjust to the next 3-5 years!

Organise your timetable in a way that suits you

One of the greatest things about university is the lifestyle. Say goodbye to 7+ hour days, 5 days a week, and hello to minimal contact hours (depending on your degree) and a timetable of your own choosing! Whilst lecture times are set in stone, you can often choose which days and times you would like to attend your tutorials. After a few semesters of experimentation, I discovered that what works for me is having all my classes compiled into 2-3 days, freeing the rest of the week for studying or work. If going to university involves extensive travel, I’d recommend this course of action for you too.

Make sure you know how to get to your classes

Practically speaking, your university is likely to have a larger campus than your school, with different buildings for different academic colleges. I’d recommend downloading the ‘Lost on Campus’ app to help you get around and make it to classes on time.

Sign up to clubs and societies (but not too many)

As you’re probably aware, most universities have a multitude of eclectic clubs and societies for you to choose from. Societies are not only a great way to continue to develop a current hobby but also to find a completely new one. Sign up to something new and you may find that you have a hitherto undiscovered talent for Quidditch or competitive Frisbee. Just be sure not to overdo it on the society sign-ups, unless you want your inbox to be bombarded with emails about clubs you don’t even remember joining.

Find a cool place on campus to study

Your timetable may leave you with several hours to spend on campus between classes and what better way to spend that time than study? Check out all the different libraries, study halls and even outdoor benches to find the best study environment for you.

Alternatively, cafes can be great places to sit and work if, like me, you prefer a more relaxed learning atmosphere. Once a friend and I spent the most productive four consecutive days of our lives at my favourite café, researching and writing our 3500-word International Relations essays. When choosing your ideal study-café, be sure to look out for large tables so you can spread out your work, plenty of natural light so you don’t ruin your eyes, music you enjoy and kind owners that will allow you camp out for as long as you need.

Learning at university is different to school

Quick disclaimer: I am an Arts/Law student so I know little to nothing about how maths or science courses are run at university. The two pieces of wisdom I can offer first year STEM students have been borrowed from my STEM friends. 1. Avoid statistics courses where possible and 2. Eat before university labs because they are very long.

In the humanities world, learning is divided into lectures and tutorials. Lectures generally run for between one to three hours. Most lectures are not interactive, but rather consist of a professor spieling as much information as she or he possibly can in their allotted time. I recommend that you avoid trying to record everything they say in your notes because, at least in my experience, that is nearly impossible! Instead, focus on understanding the material and use your textbook to fill in your notes with the content you missed.

If the idea of a three-hour class overwhelms you than you are definitely in the majority! But don’t worry, lecturers are aware that three hours of intense concentration is a lot to ask, and often allow for short breaks in the middle of their class. Also, lectures are often recorded so you can watch them at your own pace and in your own time. Quick tip: to save time, you can play your lecture at 1.5 speed or even double the speed and cut a three-hour long lecture down to an hour and a half!

Tutorials are more involved. They typically run for one hour and involve discussions about assigned readings (be prepared for both awkward silences and soapbox orating!) or working through problem questions. Participation is often compulsory so try to come prepared!

Make sure you stay on top of your coursework

With the excitement of escaping from the slightly overbearing nature of school life still fresh, it’s easy to forget the realities of being entirely accountable for your own learning. Although there are no immediate repercussions for falling behind on your coursework, try and keep up to date. Learning an entire university course in the week before your exams may be possible for you, but it’s never a fun or healthy experience! It’s also important to remember that you can ask for help when you need it. Don’t be afraid to email or organise a meeting with your university tutors and lecturers to discuss any questions you may have. I’d also recommend befriending a senior student who may be able to pass along some helpful advice!

Meet new people

Try to make new friends at university. This may sound incredibly obvious and may even be inevitable for those of you who are going to university away from home. However, if you are tempted to stick to your school friends, I advise you against it. One of the best things about university is the diverse range of people you will meet. Your peers will have come from all around Australia and the world and will bring with them interesting and unique ways of approaching life. At the risk of sounding clichéd, discussions with my university friends have definitely challenged and still constantly challenge the way I see and do things. Also, having friends from all around the world means I have places to stay when I go travelling!

Good luck with university, first years, I’m sure you’ll love it!

RADHIKA BHATIA is an Arts/Law student at ANU

1 University is a big change from high school

Learning at the tertiary level is self-driven and open to whatever approach works best for you; just remember to maintain those time-management skills from high school!

2 Dive into everything O-week has to offer

O-week is the place to be for rst years. You’ll have no trouble meeting all kinds of people and forging lasting friendships by signing up to the kaleidoscope of clubs, societies and events that are on offer (not to mention all the freebies and discounts that inevitability go hand in hand with large gatherings at any university).

3 Study abroad! Don’t hesitate if you come across the opportunity to go on exchange. A two-week vacation can’t compare to the depth of experience you get living in another country. For me, six months in London included making amazing friends from Japan to Norway, visiting eight countries across Europe and embracing a truly independent lifestyle.

SUDARSHAN ARVIND

More than anything, don’t try and t what everyone else is doing. Everyone’s experience of university is different. Make your own experience, but the only way you can really do that is by getting involved at uni. It’s easy to fall into a trap of uni being the same as studying all day every day. The memories, experience and knowledge you actually gain, generally occurs outside the classroom. Get involved with whatever you’re vaguely interested in and see where it takes you. For me, the Law Society gave a world of new opportunities; the UN Society let me travel to conferences at an Asia-Paci c level where I met and learned from delegates from across the globe. That’s not to say that these experiences should interest you, but more to say that without getting involved, a lot of doors open for me now would never have even been visible in the rst place.

KHUSHAAL VYAS Arts/Law UNSW, 5th Year

My advice is to jump in right from Day 1 of O-Week. Sign up for the campus tours and go to course events even if they seem like they might be boring because you are likely to meet some amazing people who you will remain friends with for your whole degree!

Additionally, sign up to all the clubs and societies that appeal to you; most are either free or have a nominal fee to join.

Finally, try your best to keep up with course content on a weekly basis. It’s hard during certain weeks when you’re bogged down with assessments and midsemester exams but at the end of semester you will be so thankful for the couple of hours taken to do this!

And as a side note, your rst days, weeks and months at university are usually a completely novel and incredible experience. But, it is very different from anything you’ve done before and if you nd the new structure or environment a little foreign at rst, don’t stress too much; it will slowly grow on you and you will eventually settle in and LOVE it!

Year, Bachelor of Biomedicine, University

3rd

I would tell any incoming uni students to make the most of the social opportunities you’re offered: get involved in things that interest you and especially things that involve your classmates, and as long as you don’t overcommit you’ll nd that being around more members of your cohort actually drags your marks up, not down

JAMES WILSON Economics/Law USyd, 3rd Year

Take care of yourself, and ask for help when you need it. It’s the most common advice people give you throughout university, but it’s also the most important. It can often feel like someone has handed you ten ame clubs to juggle, even though you’ve only ever learned how to manage two tennis balls at once (and you weren’t very good at that either). That’s when you need to step back and focus on yourself for a while. If you’re sick, don’t pressure yourself to get better overnight. Give yourself time and ask for help from your lecturers, tutors and peers. There is no shame in asking for help. University is about you, learn as much as you can, and have fun along the way.

SAHIBNOOR SINGH Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) USyd, 3rd Year

SIMREN SAMRAI Commerce/Arts USyd, 4th Year

University can be really daunting because it requires independence and a strong work ethic. It’s important to take time out and re ect on progress and achievements. These small af rmations can make all the difference, giving you the con dence and motivation you need to succeed.

ANISHA GUNAWARDHANA Economics/Law USyd, 3rd Year