First-year uni tips from the WISE committee

Starting university can be a pretty overwhelming time in your life, so the WISE committee has compiled our best tips and tricks to help you start off on the right foot.

Anjali: Make your uni timetable suit you! If you struggle to get out of bed in the mornings then plan accordingly where possible and don't make all of your tutorials start at 9am. Remember to give yourself plenty of time to study and relax.

Ashleigh: Before doing the readings, double-check if it’s required or optional. If optional, only do them if you’re genuinely interested or need more help understanding lecture content. Don’t fall behind in lectures while trying to complete unnecessary things (trust me, I fell victim to this)!

Rashika: Don’t be afraid to ask questions! If you don’t understand something, email your lecturers, your tutors, subject coordinators, etc. until things make sense!

Sophie: Make friends in your lectures and classes, don't be afraid to sit next to someone and start a conversation! Having friends in your subjects makes it so much easier to do well.

Wendy: Get a calendar (either a wall calendar or a notebook planner) and mark down all your assignment, assessment and project deadlines at the start of the semester. This will help greatly with your planning and time management, which will help you avoid (more) stressful situations.

Tara: Find a study space! This can be a different room in your house, a cafe or a library (or any place really!) as long as it’s not the same space you use to relax. A designated study space will help you focus better and be more efficient in your studies :-)

Elizabeth: Join clubs and societies you are interested in. This will also make making friends a whole lot easier!

Vinuri: There are a lot of resources made available to unimelb students, make use of them! Academic Skills has a variety of resources to develop your skills, the library has an extensive collection of materials (likely including your textbooks) and re:cite for your referencing needs, the Rowden White Library is a great place to go for non-academic media, and CAPS is a helpful resource to look after your mental health. Those are just a few of the things available, I suggest doing some exploring on uni websites to see what is out there to help you :)

Telia: Make sure you check out the special consideration website! They contain information on how to apply for help when you are going through rough times, like extended deadlines, etc. The uni also has free psychological services you can use as well!

Ellen: It can be hard making friends over zoom but don't be afraid to have your camera on and start a conversation with your classmates. Everyone is in the same boat as you and just wants to make some new friends :)

Aishwarya: If you’re overseas, choose class timings that work well with your sleep schedule and timezone so that you don’t burnout!

Demi: Develop a regular sleeping pattern! Getting up at the same time each day can help get you into a rhythm and make your days much more productive, especially if you are studying from home.

Good luck to all the first years starting off at the University of Melbourne this year! Make the most out of it and don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.

Best wishes,

Your WISE committee