Study smarter this StuVac with advice from Dr Amanda White

With StuVac coming up, you might be feeling like you’re a little bit behind, but I’m here to give you some of my best advice to help you get back on track.

Hey everybody, my name is Dr Amanda White. I’m an academic at the UTS Business School, and I’ve been helping UTS students study, learn and succeed for over two decades. Let me share some of my wisdom with you.

First, don’t stress out if you’re falling behind. This happens to more students than you think. The first thing to do is reach out to your subject coordinator and talk to them about how you might get back on track and what they’d recommend. If your coordinator isn’t available, or you’re feeling a bit apprehensive about approaching them, remember that Microsoft Copilot is your friend. You can use it to input your availabilities, tell it what subject you’re studying, and ask for help building a study plan.

I wouldn’t recommend studying ten hours a day — you’ll burn yourself out that way. Instead, work in small chunks of time towards your goals. You don’t have to cover everything you’ve missed, but if you can cover a large portion of it, you’ll be well on your way.

Now, because it’s StuVac, you might feel like there’s still a long way to go until final assessments and exams — but it’s never too early to start thinking about how to study smart. I know it’s easy to take lots of screenshots of online learning content, but the real value comes from making your own notes. Whether that’s by handwriting or typing, summarising content is a great way to start preparing for finals.

Remember, university is a little different from other forms of learning. We’re not interested in memorised facts — we’re interested in your ability to apply knowledge. That means practice. I really like looking at resources such as The Learning Scientists for scientifically proven ways to improve your study. That might include spaced repetition, interleaving, or elaboration — but always focus on understanding rather than memorising.

I talk with a lot of students about what it means to be successful at university, and that means different things to different people. It often depends on why you’re here. Take some time to reflect on your motivation — your “why”. Sometimes it’s pressure from family, sometimes it’s a clear career goal. Whatever it is, understanding that motivation can really help drive your learning.

Learning is meant to be hard. I know that’s probably not what you want to hear. We often try to make learning frictionless, but friction is actually an important part of the process. Learning is challenging because that’s how growth happens. Having a resilient mindset, and returning to your motivation for being here, will help you push through when things get tough.

Success also doesn’t have to mean high distinctions. Success might be developing new skills, meeting new people, or building connections — as well as academic achievements. Think about what success means to you, what motivates you, and use that to accelerate your learning.

If you’ve made it this far, here’s a bonus tip: consistency beats cramming any day of the week. I know cramming happens — I’ve been there myself. But from over two decades of experience, working consistently over time creates spaced learning that supports deeper understanding and application in the long run.

Remember, there’s always someone you can reach out to for help — your peers, your teachers, or central university services. You might even ask me a question on Reddit. Make the most of your StuVac, use it productively, and work towards the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Best of luck with your final assessments.