Student tips
- Be an all-rounder: enjoy yourself and get involved, but at the same time take your studies seriously.
- Don’t get afraid to talk to other people because the worst that could happen is that you don’t talk to them again.
- Embrace every experience as a learning tool. Try not to judge other new students and go in open minded – all new students are in the same position as you.
- Keep yourself active and get involved with other activities: it will help you in balancing your life, but you will also realize that you are not alone and Uni is not just for study.
- Ask questions! Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to seek help. Your first year is your foundation year for the rest of your degree, so try and sort out as many issues in first year as possible so they don’t effect you down the track.
- Join clubs and societies – it’s a great way of making friends with the same interest who are also from different backgrounds.
- Spend some time getting to know where your classes are and who your tutors are.
- Have a system of organizing and working towards goals either via a diary or daily planner to have a solid system of organization to manager your own education.
- If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or are interested in becoming more involved in university, there are facilities on campus to help you.
- Be as organized as possible before going to your first class: print out your timetable, take a campus map with you.
- Look at the noticeboards occasionally – you can find rooms for rent, second hand textbooks and tutoring.
- In order to enjoy the social, cultural, and academic opportunities, knowing time management skills such as how to prepare assignments, how to review lecture notes, how to prepare for exams.
- Find out as much about the university as possible, especially the free personal and academic support services offered to you.
- Persevere! Seek help before considering dropping out or changing degrees. The rest of your degree will be much different to your first year experiences.
- Use all the resources available to you: they will help you perform to the very best of your abilities.
- Get as much experience in your field as you can through internships, volunteer programs, and extra curricular activities. This will help you stand apart from other graduate candidates.
- Macquarie is a pot of various views, opinions and perspectives. Use this concentrated opportunity to explore the big stuff in life and your direction.
- Choose electives that will not only help your career or degree, but that you will also enjoy!
- Start assignments early
- Be very familiar with your unit guide
- Take time to get to know the campus
- Get as involved as possible
- Keep up to date with their studies
- Manage your expectations, particularly when it comes to study obligations and independent learning as a uni student.
- Have a good personal support system. Make friends and make sure your family knows about your uni life and how they can best support you.
- Give yourself time to settle in and adjust to university life.
- Start assignments early and take time to learn how to reference.
- Get into a good study routine early, but don’t get stuck in a rut – be flexible and see what works best for you.
- Like any skill, the things you learn about life at uni are foundational for the rest of your degree that will be refined over the years. Don’t cheap out on learning certain things
- Don’t see university as just a pathway to get a job, but see it as a broad experience and an opportunity to try new things.
- It’s up to you to seek the assistance that you need.
- Uni is not meant to be a scary process to be undertaken alone. There is always be many people to assist you through your university life.
- This is one of the last times in your life where you have access to free services – use them!
- Set goals and work towards them