Not coping

[fady_22]

Everyone feels the same way! It's just that you are more observant of your own errors and failures than you are of others; if you take time to see that everyone else is struggling in the same way you are, I think you'll feel much better. If you lose the stress, learning should become much easier for you. I really think it's all about attitude.

As others have said, we have to get rid of that desire to know every detail as we did in VCE. Don't worry if you don't understand everything, as long as the main points are understood.

If you are having trouble with rote learning, try to explain things to yourself out loud. And if you are having trouble with biology (as I know many Biomed students who haven't done Biology in VCE are), try reading a VCE textbook to create a foundation on which you can extend with uni lecture notes and textbooks.

[physics]

AM I posting here too late?

WELL. i havent posted very much since VCE and IF I HAD TO POST it would be to complain how im not coping very well with my uni life either.
I think tutorials and pracs are the closest thing to high school with the student and teacher connection and the helpfulness of it all
in lectures.... would i put my hand up to ask for a question? in a room of like 200? LOL NO!
So its pretty different and i guess it is normal to feel that way.
I think it might take a while to get use to but I'm sure u will get there
I know i havent. ahaha.
Well. reading this thread has just made me feel like im not alone cause everyone seems so into it and im more of stressing out that im not really able to study.
I know this thread it about you and not me but i could help but feel sorry for myself ):

LOLL. BUT IT WILL ALL WORK OUT IN THE END. DONT GIVE UP JUST YET.

[iffets12345]

this thread is for everyone! I'm thinking of updating it with different methods I'm trying out so maybe future people who aren't coping and getting university could see how other people do it.

[taiga]

iffets getting too hard, we are always to help

[Fyrefly]

iffets getting too hard, we are always to help

Upvoted for grammar fail, not fail pun.

[taiga]

iffets getting too hard, we are always to help

Upvoted for grammar fail, not fail pun.

awkz, i think i a word

[Mao]

@iffets, are you doing dentistry at Bendigo?

One of my housemates does dentistry at Bendigo. From what I heard, it is very routine for people to get Ps for subjects due to the shear volume of memorization. Remember that you are in that course because you are deemed very intelligent, and if a whole bunch of highly intelligent people are all struggling, you are not alone and it isn't your fault. The university is just pushing you to your limit. There would be a few in your class that have photographic memory, they will get very high scores and possibly brag about it, but don't let that put you off.

[happycat]

Oh what a coincidence Mao's respect=taiga's respect

[iffets12345]

@iffets, are you doing dentistry at Bendigo?

One of my housemates does dentistry at Bendigo. From what I heard, it is very routine for people to get Ps for subjects due to the shear volume of memorization. Remember that you are in that course because you are deemed very intelligent, and if a whole bunch of highly intelligent people are all struggling, you are not alone and it isn't your fault. The university is just pushing you to your limit. There would be a few in your class that have photographic memory, they will get very high scores and possibly brag about it, but don't let that put you off.

What year is your friend in? And why are u in bendigo mao lol
Umm, actually most people in my course find it easy, and say it's the "easiest" course for dent. We also have less contact hours than people who do science or engineering and stuff in monash.

[helenv]

Wow! I didn't know University was so stressful. I have to say this totally changes my opinion of wanting to skip VCE and going straight into Uni.

this thread is for everyone! I'm thinking of updating it with different methods I'm trying out so maybe future people who aren't coping and getting university could see how other people do it.

Well, I haven't got any advice that I think I am in a position to dish out but I just wanted to point out that...uh well when lots of threads are put together on the forum, all of the older stuff gets pushed back so future generations won't be able to see them or can't be bothered looking for them. I've noticed this on the EngLang section and I've pmed Stonecold about this but I don't think he ever checks his messages ==". I think it's a great idea posting experiences and ways we can help on so people can see and relate but unless we get some sort of archiving/folder thingie that puts things into more categories then future gens won't see it <--that didn't make any sense. What I mean is, for example, in the EngLang thread there is stuff on random things but they can be grouped into things like SAC1, SAC2, metalanguage... If they were to be put into these groups older posts will be seen when people are looking for information. It's short, simple and convenient

Sorry for writing so much (I really don't like the big paragraph), I hope that made sense. I'm just saying this in the hopes that someone can help fix this issue.

Back to the thread, I don't know if this would help but what I would usually do is stop, take a deep breath and start again - with slight alterations to your previous routine.

Sorry for going completely off topic.

Good Luck with Uni and your future endeavours, may no obstacle be too tall or wide (?? XD)

[marr]

Hey iffets. In all honestly I feel the same way - I'm currently finding university overwhelmingly stressful although possibly due to different reasons. Despite the fact that I'm doing an arts degree, I find myself at times swamped by the amount of effort needed just to understand the concepts I am being taught despite the fact that everyone else seems to be going along swimmingly. I've already experienced a drop in marks from high school and although I don't see myself as a perfectionist (nor an egotist), its depressing knowing that your not 'at the top'. I guess I did expect to have a drop in marks but it is still deflating and I suppose I always had the 'that won't happen to me' frame of mind. I know that the best way to overcome this would be to stop comparing myself to others but that's a lot easier said than done

I think the ridiculous amount of readings are getting to me too. Honestly at times I think it is not humanely possible to read everything we are expected to and yet there is always one genius in the tutorials who knows everything about anything. I also feel like I have been 'institutionalised' (Shawshank Redeption anyone by the VCE system. I got used to 'playing the system' and being the big fish in a small pond. The pace of university is incredibly fast though so I've been keeping that in perspective.

My biggest fear is that I will have wasted my time at university. I mean, I'm determined to work hard and get my dream job and everything but if I keep getting these grades ... I'm already starting to have doubts about myself. As hard as I worked during VCE I know that it doesn't count for anything know because I have to work even harder to make myself 'stick out' in an even smarter cohort. 


I think the biggest misconception about uni is that everyone says it will be the best time of your life. Honestly, if someone had said that 'yes you will still have to work hard and possibly even harder than in year 12' than perhaps I wouldn't have set as high hopes for university, and be so disappointed that theses hopes haven't been fulfilled. Keep in mind though that the transition from high school to university isn't going to happen overnight - I'm currently clinging to the fact that I will get used to eventually. Despite what everyone else says, in some sense I guess that's what makes the first year the hardest, having to make that huge transition. I have spoken to several people that feel the same way as you and me. People don't look like they are struggling but in reality people put on a 'face' to hide what they really feel. Honestly, when you ask someone "are you alright?", how many people really tell you how they are feeling rather than the stock-standard "fine thanks".

Hmm ... I hope no one thinks I'm neurotic or anything from reading that. And as cliche as this is going to sound, talking about this stuff does help - even if it's posting it on here I'm sure you'll get support from others and will feel better that others are going through the exact same thing .     

[tram]

hey guys, just though i'd put in my two cents about how i'm trying (note: not succeeding) to cope with everything

I've got to say i am probably one of those private school kids who has had a lot handed to them during VCE and is now having trouble struggling along in the 'no rules, everything is up to you' world of uni. I'm definitely feeling like i'm always at an extreme, either having an awesome time hanging with old friends, making new friends and getting really involved in uni events, or stressing out majorly and having long weeks with little sleep and multiple assignments. The fact that the commerce faculty has a tendency to have all the subjects at the same time is probably contributing to this >.< i think i'm slowly having less and less fluctuation, but it's not easy. I'm always wanting to be somewhere else and even when i'm having an awesome time with my mates or chilling with my girlfriend i always have the mountain of work there niggling in my mind.

I think what has changed and what has really scarred me is my completely reversed view on work. Whereas in VCE i would be doing multiple practice papers and all the extension exercises, now i'm pretty much doing the bare minimum of work necessary and have just given up on the suggested textbook readings altogether and it's not really bothering me although this time last year i would be freaking out. It's just messing with my much more perfectionistic past VCE self...

[Russ]

just given up on the suggested textbook readings altogether

I don't own any textbooks, relax.

I went through a crisis of confidence in first semester of first year as well; needless to say, once you get your first lot of exam results back you'll realise that it's not all that scary (hopefully). My advice is to keep your chin up because most of it is just culture shock.

If you are having academic problems though, call your student union asap, they are generally really awesome with advice

[iffets12345]

thanks guys. today I wrote my notes on A4 printing paper which I found was visually clearer and I drew more diagrams and visual aids and subheadings. Also they can be used as posters on my wall. I thought really carefully each time I rewrote stuff from my first set of notes to make sure I wasn't "mindlessly" rewriting them AGAIN.
Although, I do need to keep revising my old notes because I was a bit confused in the tute today.

Sidenote: For dentistry, you need textbooks. No nice study guides like the coloured paper ones in Monash or Melbourne, so we have to rely on these textbooks because the lecturers get a lot of their syllabus from them too =/

[iNerd]

Iffets, to how much of a degree do you reckon not taking VCE Biology is taking its toll?

Do you see a comparison in terms of students who did Bio and Chem compared to students that don't?

Re: topic - Nothing I can add obviously since I'm in y11 but memorising by reading usually fails.

               Make sure you write, read, speak, and listen. Utilise all senses and you'll remember it better.