Strategies For Success

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday February 13, 2008

By Amy De Lore

It is easy to overlook things in the rush to enrol. Here is everything you need to know about starting uni but forgot to ask.

YOU have selected your course, you have chosen your subjects and now it is time to make perhaps the most important decision of all: which clubs and societies are you going to join?

University campuses offer a plethora of choices for students with special interests who want to meet like-minded people. There are the usual clubs based on ethnicity, religion, sports, hobbies, fields of study and community service but there are also plenty of more eclectic options. A browse through the University of NSW website, for instance, throws up a Circus Society, clubs for hip-hop dancers and chocolate lovers and the curiously named Alpha Males Society.

It is easy to make light of the social side of campus life but studies show that the students most likely to succeed are those who have a well-rounded university experience. All work and no play does not necessarily make for HDs.

Clubs and societies are also a great way to network, which can help new students find jobs, accommodation or study pals.

Here are some other tips for settling into university.

GO TO O WEEK

Orientation Week is not just an excuse for a good party, it is also the best time for new students to learn about university. There are stands explaining all the services available, tours of the buildings and short courses to help with everything from essay writing to getting a part-time job.

"Attend as many information sessions as you can," advises careers and counselling manager Helen Frederiksen from the multi-campus Notre Dame University. "And don't be afraid to ask about anything. There's no such thing as a stupid question. Whatever it is, you can guarantee you won't be the first person to have asked it."

GET A MENTOR

Many universities have mentoring programs whereby older students volunteer to help newcomers.

"Advice has more credibility when it comes from one of their peers," says Sandie Rudman, manager of Macquarie University's transition program.

Mentors are not academic tutors but are there to point new students in the right direction when they need assistance and to impart useful advice, such as not leaving an essay until Sunday night if it is scheduled for a Monday morning hand-in. Students can arrange coffee meetings with their mentors or keep in contact via phone or email.

LOOK ENTHUSIASTIC

First impressions count, says Monique Schmidt, president of the student-run Campus Central organisation on the University of Newcastle's Ourimbah premises. She advises taking three pens to your first tutorial (a spare and one to give to someone else who has forgotten theirs) and to resist the urge to sit at the back of the room.

"It may be have been the cool thing to do at high school," she says, "but you want your tutor to remember you as the nice student in the front row with three pens who asked all the intelligent questions."

You will need a notebook or loose-leaf folder for your first lectures and tutorials, she says, but you won't be expected to have all your texts in the first weeks.

FIND A STUDY BUDDY

Linking up with another student in your course not only gives you someone to bounce ideas off but a sympathetic shoulder to cry on when the pressures of university threaten to overwhelm, says Schmidt.

Study buddies understand things your family and friends don't.

"In a herbal medicine course I did, I had to learn 100 Latin plant names, so my buddy and I would just randomly text each other five Latin names at a time to help us learn them all," she says.

GET A JOB

Most students need to work at some stage of their university studies although Malcolm McKenzie, manager of the University of Technology careers service, says those who can afford to should leave job-hunting until their second semester. "Making the transition from high school to uni is tough so it gives you time to get established," he says.

University careers centres- usually have a database of available part-time and casual positions and run workshops in resume writing, interview skills and targeted job-hunting. McKenzie says networking through friends, acquaintances

and campus clubs, joining the student arm of a professional organisation and getting involved in volunteer work are all good ways to get started.

FIND A PLACE TO LIVE

Most university-operated lodgings will be full by this stage but the accommodation services office on campus should have lists of available share housing and private rentals.

Annette Cairnduff, head of equity support services at the University of Sydney, says there are also short-term accommodation options such as Homestay, boarding or furnished apartments that can help out-of-town students through that initial settling-in period.

GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER

With the introduction of HECS, up-front tuition costs have all but disappeared but going to university is not cheap. The costs of textbooks, stationery, field studies and, in some cases, uniforms and equipment, remain, then there are the day-to-day costs of food and transport and the inevitable costs of social activities.

Students going into private accommodation will need up to $2000 to cover bond, rent in advance, service connections, moving fees and modest furnishings. Students who find themselves in dire straits financially should investigate the option of a no-interest loan from their university.

DON'T PANIC

Beware the week-four slump, warns Frederiksen. Most students will have second thoughts about at least one of their subjects and it is not unusual for students to drop or change subjects in the initial weeks, but she suggests talking it through with a tutor or counsellor first.

Universities set what is known as a census date, usually four to six weeks into the first semester, before which subjects can be dropped without financial penalty. If you are going to withdraw, however, don't just stop attending classes. If you don't make it official, you will most likely be charged for the subject and may be failed. Check uni websites for census dates and withdrawal procedures.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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