Adapting to life at university
Adapting to university life can be a challenge. First year students who come straight from school tend to struggle with adapting to an internal source of motivation and the responsibility of everyday life and choices. Mature age students may struggle to adapt to university due to the number of other priorities in their lives such as family, work and other commitments. Students may also find that studying is not as easy as first thought.
Tip to succeed at Uni
There are 4 very important things that will help you succeed at Uni:
- Allocating your time properly
- Working constantly throughout the semester
- Doing the work and submitting everything
- Looking after yourself
Before the beginning of the semester Enrol as soon as possible so that you get the tutorials you want
- This will allow you to organise your timetable
- Get all text books ahead of time and START. If you start reading now you will get a feel for what the course is about and how challenging it might be for you. This will give you plenty of time if you decide to drop a course.
- Familiarise yourself with the online learning environment
Week One
Emotional state
You will probably be confused, overwhelmed, depressed, lonely and thinking that you have no idea what to do. This is normal. You may even feel really energised and that your brain has switched on if you have had a break or if you are excited about starting uni. This may affect your sleep because your adrenaline is fired up. This should all settle after a while and uni life becomes part of your daily life.
Time management
- Make sure all classes are organised-see lecturers if there are issues with tutes or class clashes.
- Put a calendar on your wall and make sure all due dates are on it. This will allow you to see when there are assignments due close together and enable you to work out how you will manage your time around that.
- Make a weekly timetable for yourself. More info can be found by clicking here.
Academic
- Get on Study desk-play around with it-get to know where everything is.
- Get to know the library system and databases. Attend a library class NOW while you have time.
- Once lectures and tutes start, attend all classes, whether compulsory or not (HD students attend EVERYTHING).
- Make sure you have all books and study materials. If you can’t afford your texts, come and see Student Services about the possibility of a loan or scholarship.
- Start all your assignments. This may only involve opening a word document and putting the title of you assignment in and saving it. This may seem like a waste of time, but your brain knows you have started your assignments!
Social
Speak to people when waiting for lectures to begin-this is how you meet people. Do not wait for them to speak to you. It is important that you initiate the conversation. Successful students make an effort to get to know others and participate in class.
Health
You need to sleep, eat well (vegies, fruit) and exercise for at least30 mins daily. If exercise is not part of your daily routine, just start walking and build up your fitness. The greatest benefits are when you are puffing and sweating. This causes discomfort. ITS SUPPOSED TO!! After a while you will begin to enjoy the benefits, you will have more stamina, and you will be able to sleep better.
The counsellors at Student Services can assist students in adapting to the new challenges that they face with university life by facilitating the development of coping strategies and skills to assist students to manage their studies successfully.