Uni_Survival_Guide_STUDY.pdf

STUDY

Project Partner

The only place success comes before

work is in the dictionary

# 1. Buy a hard drive and BACK UP ALL YOUR WORK. You wouldnt believe how many students lose huge amounts of work that hasnt been backed up.

# 2. Learn how to reference. Get on to this early as it will never go away it is required for every academic assignment. (NB some students have been marked down and have even failed an assignment because they have not referenced correctly!)

# 3. Be on top of your tutorial and class sign ups that 8am tutorial option is still there for a reason ! Book in early to what works for you.

# 4. Keep ahead of your study, assignments and readings dont leave things until the last minute... Youll regret it.

# 5. Be sure to check the attendance requirements for each of your subjects as some lectures and tutorials are compulsory and if you do not attend you will fail.

# 6. Your relationship with your lecturers and tutors will be very different from high school much less formal.

# 7. There is no spoon-feeding at university and most lecturers or tutors will not chase you up for an assignment you need to take full responsibility. Dont be afraid to ask for help. The initiative needs to come from you, not your lecturer/tutor.

# 8. Plagiarism is a HUGE academic crime at university! Dont cut and paste from the internet You need to do your own thinking and produce original work for every assignment.

# 9. Use websites and software that help check your assignments for plagiarism and grammatical errors, for example turnitin.

# 10. Never give up. When things get tough just stay calm, keep going and remember to ASK FOR HELP.

STUDY

University Survival Guide for Rural & Regional Students /2015Project Partner Project Supporter

Top Tips for Study


Assignments & StudyingPlagiarising or having someone else complete your work can result in a subject fail, or being expelled from the university.

Note taking and studyWhen you attend lectures it is a good idea to take notes you cant be expected to remember everything you hear, especially when you are being introduced to so many new concepts. Keep your notes concise and summarise what you see and hear. Some good note taking tips can be found here. When revising your notes, dont just read them, but ensure you understand the key concepts and can explain them.

Different people have different study habits find out what works best for you. Some people find study groups help, others like to make flash cards for themselves. Your university will have study tip information.

Computers and ITRemember to always save your work! Get an external hard drive its a worthwhile investment. If ever you are having computer problems, start with turning it off and then on again (rebooting it) before you panic sometimes this is all you need to do. If you have issues with your university website, university email/account or library website remember that IT support is available.

Workshops about study skillsThere are usually plenty of workshops and tutorials on offer at university covering topics like essay writing, referencing, research, presentation skills, and computer skills. Check with the library, or student services to see what workshops you can attend to assist with developing your study skills.

LibraryYour library is also a very important source of information during your time at university. Make sure you familiarise yourself with the different sections, and different borrowing rules. Enquire about online library access which is especially good for accessing journals and papers. There are often online tutorials which you can do.

Google ScholarWhen you are researching for an assignment, Google Scholar is an awesome tool! Make sure you go to settings on your computer and type in your university in the library links section. This will link nearly all of the databases your university provides students with, to one simple search via Google Scholar.

Uni LearningStarting university is daunting enough, especially when you are

trying to get your head around concepts like academic writing. Uni Learning helps you transition from how you may be used to writing for high school, to the skills required at a university level in areas such as effective writing, note-taking, critical thinking and essay writing.

ReferencingReferencing is a valuable skill to learn, and can have a huge impact on your marks. Its important to find out what referencing style is expected of you, as different subject areas have different referencing requirements. Most university libraries have explanations of referencing styles. Click here for an example.

There is some very good software to help with referencing, and many universities will provide it for free while you are studying with them. EndNote and RefWorks are two good examples. Microsoft Word also has a referencing function, and there are tutorials on the internet which can help you learn about this function.

PlagiarismPlagiarism is a serious offence at university. It is important to always acknowledge and reference any ideas from other sources. It is also a serious offence to have someone else write any assignment for you.


Textbooks

If you havent started studying

hard by the time the jacarandas are out, youre in trouble.

Keith Pitt MP

Ask your lecturers which textbooks matter most, and check with former students as well. This will help you decide whether to buy, borrow or rent.

Check with your library to see how many copies of a textbook they have and whether there is an accessible e-book version. In-demand textbooks may only be available for loan for a short time period. Find out if you really need the newest version of a book some newer editions may not be that different from the old one. If so, buy an older, cheaper edition.

BorrowIf you are really organised you can borrow textbooks or other reading materials from your university library or a public library. But youll need to be quick and beware of late fees!

BuyYou can buy new textbooks from shops like the Co-op Bookshop. Joining the Co-op Bookshop for $25 buys life membership, discounts on your purchases and special offers.

You can also buy brand new textbooks at:

Unibooks

Fishpond

The Campus Bookstore

Save money by buying second hand textbooks and selling your own. Students might advertise on campus noticeboards or online.

There are websites that connect sellers and buyers of second hand uni textbooks.

Student VIP

Zookal

Co-op Bookstore

You can also use price comparison engine Booko to see where you can access the cheapest copies of books or try eBay, Trading Post or Gumtree for new and second-hand textbooks.

RentRenting your textbooks is another option. These websites will rent uni textbooks for the duration of the semester:

Jekkle

Zookal

The Campus Bookstore

ebooksIts also worth investigating whether a book you need is available as an e-book either from a library or for purchase, as

books tend to be cheaper in this format. Advantages of e-books include 24/7 and remote access, enhanced searchability, no bulky books to carry, and maybe assessments, quizzes or lecture slides. The disadvantages of e-books might include IT issues, no on-selling and some find them more difficult to read.

Some sites to explore: Victoria University

ANU Library

UTS Library

Griffith Uni Library

As well as international sites and libraries such as:

The Open University

Cambridge University


AcknowledgementsA big thank-you to all the students, CEF volunteers and committee members, university partners, MPs and Senators (and their mums!) who sent in tips, recipes and ideas for the Guide. And a special call out to our Patron, The Hon Tim Fischer AC, for his encouragement and top tips.

Wed also like to acknowledge the tremendous support of two of our principal partners, Macquarie University and the Origin Foundation.

Macquarie University is the principal project partner for the Guide and without their help, we just couldnt have done it. Thanks Macquarie!

The Origin Foundation is a long-term supporter of the CEF and our local foundations across Australia. They assist the CEF in many ways, the benefits of which are spread across all of our work with disadvantaged students from rural and regional Australia. Thanks Origin!

The CEF would also like to thank our education partners across Australia, for their continued support for rural and regional students. CEF education partners provide grants and other support to help CEF students make a successful transition to university life:

Acknowledgements

Project Partner

Project Supporter

NATIONAL Australian Catholic University

Open Universities Australia

ACTAustralian National University

University of Canberra

NSWCharles Sturt University

International College of Management

Macquarie University

Southern Cross University

Tocal Agriculture College

University of Newcastle

University of NSW

University of Technology Sydney

University of Western Sydney

University of Wollongong

SAFlinders University

University of Adelaide

University of SA

QLDJames Cook University

Griffith University

QLD University of Technology

Take every opportunity given to you

from the FIrst day you get

there.Clare, University of

New England

Uni_Survival_Guide_STUDY.pdf

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