What were your study habits? I need efficient tips haha!
I believe the most important factor is to avoid falling behind in your classes. Always read the subject guide for each unit and pay attention to the assessment. If you know what's ahead of you throughout the semester you can plan in advance to ensure you'll have enough time for everything.
When it comes to studying I try to summarise the key points of each lecture + tute in my own words. Rote learning doesn't work in uni. The exams (especially for science) test problem solving, not memory. Hence memorising a bunch of raw facts isn't useful at all. Always aim to understand the material. Also, don't freak out if you don't understand EVERYTHING. Some subjects have an absurd amount of content. Obviously everything won't appear on the exam due to time constraints. Try to focus on the key concepts that the lecturers frequently mention.
As for pure learning, try and look at the big picture for specific topics. In uni the pace is fairly quick. Each week the lecturers will typically cover a new topic. For each topic, try to understand how it links to the previous topic. Too many students in uni (from what I've seen) fail to connect the dots week to week. Ultimately they cannot see the forest for the trees. If we concentrate too much on the small details, we miss the overall importance of a topic (this is why rote learning isn't effective).
Also seek help when you need it. The tutors are being paid to provide help so you may as well utilise the resources at your disposal.
The following is an example that I like to share with my students. Pretend that you're in a group trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle. Your group will have 3 attempts (on all 3 attempts you will try to complete a different jigsaw puzzle of the same difficulty). On the first attempt your group must try to complete the puzzle in silence and without an actual picture of what the completed puzzle looks like. On the second attempt your group may speak to each other to solve the problem, however you still don't have a picture of the completed puzzle. On the third attempt you may speak to each other AND look at a picture of the completed puzzle during the attempt. It's no surprise that the final attempt has the higher chance of success. Now relate this example to your learning. If you know the overall big picture of a subject (from the subject guide + your notes) and you can collaborate with your peers, there really isn't a reason not to succeed throughout your time at university. Hope this helps.
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