The 5 Best Ways To Get Ahead At The Start Of The Semester
University is on again and whether you are a seasoned student or one of the many new students on campus, it is time to start thinking like a career focused student and not like we are on holidays anymore. 🙁
So we’ve got a few tips for you to consider as you go into the new semester. Try one or try them all! Let us know if they help and what other tips or tricks you have to get yourself prepared for uni life.
1 – Opportunities outside the classroom
Do some research into opportunities outside of the classroom to get some experience, meet new people and getting more out of the whole university experience. Look for work experience in your field of interest or study, join a social club, sports team or get involved with volunteering. Doing this at the start of semester can get you more passionate about why you are studying your degree, help you focus on your goals and allow you to experience more at uni!
2 – Plan and understand
Look at the course profiles of your classes to get an idea of the overall assessments and the textbooks you will have to buy. Take note of when your assessments are due on a calendar or wall planner to give you a good understanding on how to focus and use valuable time between classes. Having at least a basic understanding of the types of assignments you will be completing also helps you best use your time, especially in weeks 6 & 7 and the end of semester, when a lot of classes have assignments due around the same time.
3 – Get tech savvy
Learn how to use your student email! It may seem like a silly point but throughout your degree your email is one of the key communication points between you and your teachers. Something that is extremely helpful is to get your university emails forwarded to your personal email account. This way the morning before class you can check to see if your room as been changed, or if there is anything specific your teacher has informed you about.
4 – Get ahead on the money front
Work now so you can save money just in case you have to limit your shifts later in the semester to focus on assignments. Having the option to take time off to focus just on your uni work every now and then can minimise stress levels so much. So, use this time now before the usual uni stress hits!
5 – Old school or techno?
In the first few weeks of semester try seeing if you prefer handwriting lecture notes or typing them. This is a skill that will be used so much throughout your degree and you want to learn those skills fast to get the best study notes to look back on at the end of semester!
Thanks for reading!
By Brie Eyre
Social media reporter and blogger, PR & communications student