How university works

[Shenz0r]

First thing, go to the camps. Some people do get wild but you don't have to get absolutely drunk and you'll meet a lot of people who are in the same position as you. And especially since you're doing Biomed, you'll bump into those people you meet at camp in almost every lecture you have.

[alondouek]

Here's another question for you all. It's not related to the academic side of university, but I still think it's a really important question.

How did you find the transition from high school to university? This is obviously a really personal question, but I think a lot of us could learn and be better prepared for this next step in light of your own personal experiences. For example, what things do you recommend we do in order to meet people and make new friends? I'm probably the only one from my school who will select the degree that I have chosen, unlike other schools which may have entire contingents attending. How long did it take you to adjust to university life (academically, socially etc)? How do you find an appropriate balance between study, work and a social life? What advice do you have to make the transition easier?

These are just some secondary questions that come under the initial overarching query. If anyone feels comfortable to outline their own thoughts and feelings on this matter, I think it'd be really appreciated. Thanks.

The transition from HS to uni was, for me, somewhat jarring - for about a week. After that, you just get caught up in the work and doing stuff with friends. I found it exponentially easier to make friends at uni that I did at school because everyone is in the same boat and the environment is generally a lot less competitive. As a first year in their first few weeks of uni, understand that most everyone is just as nervous as you are. This is a good thing, as it tends to get you to 'stick' (hehe) to people in your course. Most of my school friends (about 95%) took a gap year this year so I was pretty isolated from all of them this year. I guess this really helped meet new people, as it forced me out of my comfort zone, which is the best possible thing to happen in this situation.

A really great way of meeting people outside your course is by joining clubs and societies and going to events. If this really isn't your scene, just chill with your inevitable new uni friends and make friends with their friends! The whole environment is conducive to meeting new people, so you're pretty much set

As for a balance between study and life, it took me an entire year to get to (what I hope is) a balance. Use your first year to experiment somewhat, especially with timetable structures and study plans. First year university is above all an introduction to tertiary education, so seize upon that and find what works best for you.

The best way to make the transition easier for yourself is to go with the flow and just accept the massive change in environment.

[Lasercookie]

Here's another question for you all. It's not related to the academic side of university, but I still think it's a really important question.

How did you find the transition from high school to university?

My advice will probably be more relevant for people who moved out of home and chose to live on campus, but that environment makes it pretty effortless to make friends and meet new people. The problem then is taking the effort to make friends with people who don't live with you

The biggest advice there would be to not stay holed up in your room, if you just want to chill just sit around in one of the common areas and talk to anyone who comes by. There'll likely be a lot of activities happening around the student residence and on campus too, so definitely get involved in some of them.

I'd skip all, if not the majority of the boring study skills sessions that come up during O-week, that's valuable time you could be using to eat free food or socialise. You don't need to learn how EBSCOHost or other journal search engines work in the first week, you can easily pick that up later in the semester. Those essay skills sessions will be pretty broad, and not immediately useful - you'll be told those kind of skills in first year classes anyway. And so on. Definitely go to something where they advertise the clubs and societies, and see if there's anything that interests you. Attending one of these, even if its irregularly, is a great way of meeting people or picking up new hobbies.

Perhaps more relevant to people moving out, but spend some time to explore the local area outside of the university too. Mark out where the cheap supermarkets and what else is within walking/quick travel distance. Learn to cook something basic... like pasta

http://lostoncampus.com.au/ <-- self-explanatory, this is probably the most convenient map. It helps in the first few weeks, a lot.

If you've rocked up to a lecture early, don't go inside and sit down. Unless it's a full lecture theatre, you'll probably find you'll end up sitting by yourself (or sitting next to people who are talking to their own friends). Instead, stand around outside and talk to people and then sit down next to them.

For the more academic things, your lecturers will have contact hours, it's good to go to them, even if its just to have a chat about the course. Most lecturers will be more than willing to help. Also go to the library, and look at the books relevant to the course. Books outside of the assigned textbook are pretty damn useful for different perspectives of explaining the same thing, or something your textbook missed out.

[pi]

My cohort at uni is so similar to the one at school in terms of the balances of race/ethnicity and so forth, the main difference being females In many regards I feel as if I haven't left school, which I think is awesome because I loved it.

Uni has way more parties too, so for me it's essentially been school with a massive fun and crazy side, something I found very easy to transition to.

The hardest part is finding new ways to study as I don't get questions (none in textbooks, no past exams etc.) to do and so forth.

[jeanweasley]

Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.

[Lasercookie]

Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.

Pen and paper, on looseleaf, was my preference. I don't take too many notes in the actual lectures, beyond just noting down a sort of 'table of contents' of the lecture.

[pi]

I started off with computer but for Sem 2 (my best sem so far) I went for a pen and paper approach

[Russ]

The arts subjects I took didn't really require heavy note taking in lectures, you'll be fine with pen and paper and then looking things up on the computer later.

[Shenz0r]

Depends on the subject really. In lectures I would annotate the lecture slides by hand. All my Bio notes were then typed out in my own words and I tried to organise the information using more flowcharts, tables, diagrams, etc.

On the other hand, the topics I needed to write notes for in organic chemistry were handwritten (a lot easier to draw by hand lol)

[alondouek]

Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.

It really depends on your note-taking style (maybe use first-year to see what's comfortable for you?), but I find it's easiest to take in things in lectures if I take notes by hand. Other than lectures, I try to keep everything else digitised to save space.

Some people I know prefer an all-paper response and they keep things in binder folders. Generally they keep their folders at home and take whatever papers they need for the day to uni in a folio-type thing. I reckon this is also a good idea if you're not a fan of computerised notes.

As for stationery; always carry a pen and/or pencil with you, even if your an iPad/computer sort of person. You never know when you'll need to write something down

[BigAl]

Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.

Organised? Nope
I'm not a computer/tablet person...I bought a tablet in semester 1 and used it for my engineering unit...things were pretty squashed up in one slide in that unit so there was no way I could fit everything in my book. My tablet just sits at the corner of my room. I'm not using it until I come across a similar unit. Another thing I realised is that I never wrote anything down in my physics units. Maybe that was because the lecturers were going a bit fast. What I have learned from my mistakes:
-Take proper notes
-If you're in engineering/maths/physics, make sure you have another book for problem solving. This comes handy if you need to go back and look at particular solution/mistakes
-don't use all in one books, things get messy

[Starlight]

a) How did you find the transition from high school to university?
b) What things do you recommend we do in order to meet people and make new friends?
c) How long did it take you to adjust to university life (academically, socially etc)?
d) How do you find an appropriate balance between study, work and a social life?
e) What advice do you have to make the transition easier?

a) Everyone's different. I knew I was going to like Uni more than high school just based off the experiences of my brother and sister. I just like being more independent with my studies.

b) Join a couple of clubs and talk to some people in tutorials. E.g. clubs like the science students society at melbourne because they have a few functions during the year (and lots of barbeques which is pretty much why I joined). I've met some great people in tutorials and pracs who are doing similar subjects to me in my third year so it's always easy to catch up with them at uni. O week is also good to meet some new people.

c) See a RE academically. I don't want people to assume that their high school marks are going to translate into those they get in uni.  Some people get caught up with the newfound freedom- e.g. with the clubs offered- or they accept too many shifts at work or something. You just need to be able to organise your time well because it is possible to do all those things and still get good marks. I found that it was easier to adjust socially because people are taken out of their normal peer groups that they had in high school- in this way I find introducing yourself to people is a lot simpler.

d) Aim to get all your academic tasks done during the weekdays and then you have the weekend to do whatever- this rule may not apply when it comes to tests though. However, you're going to be a lot less stressed if you have only a mid semester to study for on the weekend with the rest of your 'homework' being done during the week. Also start/ continue to exercise and make that a priority as well as studying. Also try to get started on assignments straight away as soon as they are given. Normally if you have other commitments e.g. part-time work then it can be easier to plan your study around that, provided that the number of shifts at your work isn't interfering with your studies- It should just be a good stress outlet whilst you're at uni.

e) Pretty much outlined a few points about this.

Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.

Depends on the subject. For ones that are just rote learning then I will type up my notes, for those with heaps of diagrams and based on understanding then i'll write them. Sometimes subjects can comprise of both so it might be good to alternate between the two. I have 4 huge binder folders for each subject and 4 big notebooks to write/ stick in my typed notes for each subject. It's good to keep everything where it should be, often when you typed notes it's easier to have papers flying around everywhere.

Note-taking style during lectures is typing. The lecturers just speak too fast for me to handwrite it all, and I know using this method that I am more likely to miss out on some things that they say. I will organise and write up my notes so they are more coherent when I get home from uni each day. It's also to get behind in lectures by trying to make your notes too perfect (or that might just be me), but just try to get each set done ASAP (i.e a set of lecture notes for lecture 1 done before lecture 2 begins).

[jeanweasley]

Thank you so much for your replies, I appreciate. I think I'll just stick to typing notes and see what works from there.

[lala1911]

I'm curious, from your experiences were there a lot of friendless people during the first year, as in they didn't know anyone in their course? I'll probably be the only person from my school in my course so I'm not going to know anyone.

[Lasercookie]

I'm curious, from your experiences were there a lot of friendless people during the first year, as in they didn't know anyone in their course? I'll probably be the only person from my school in my course so I'm not going to know anyone.

Do you mean during the year or before the start of the year? I'm assuming the latter because the former doesn't really make any sense. There's plenty of people who end up at unis where they don't know anyone else. I was really only aware of other AN users heading off to ANU before the start of the year.

Otherwise you can get to know people inside or outside your course pretty quickly. Whilst making friends to hang out with outside of class will require yourself taking the time to do that, I think trying to remain completely friendless for the entire year would also require a bit of concious effort, you'd naturally start talking to other people in your classes.