The transition between high school and university can be a bit hard to navigate with little direction on how to prepare for this next exciting stage but here are the thirty most useful tips on how to get organised for uni!
- Keep a planner handy (psst, you might get one on orientation day) as it’ll have all the key semester days, public holidays and more
- Connect with UTS on social media to be in the know and keep up with what’s happening
- Practice good computer habits and organise your digital files - from deleting unnecessary screenshots to saving everything to your desktop, this’ll definitely save you time in the long run!
- Give Centrelink a ring for some much needed extra dosh
- Suss out any scholarships up for grabs and to see if you’re eligible!
- Start saving now for those extra gadgets you may need. From laptops, tablets, printers and the rest, they’re expensive little buggers.
- Get ahold of iCloud, Dropbox storage or an external hard drive - make back-ups even when you run out of storage–no more extensions on your dog eating your homework!
- Get some new outfits - chances are, you’ll be getting to uni on public transport or walking to class from on campus living, so starting fresh calls for a new wardrobe.
- Prepare your meals in advance. While food on campus is delish, it might only be something to buy every now and then. Go on your weekly shop, stick to your list and save for the things you actually need.
- Set a budget and stick to it! Nothing worse than (accidentally) buying lunch everyday.
- Treat yourself to new stationery supplies or equipment from the UTS shop, online or instore!
- Identify your learning style. Use this to your advantage! Narrow down whether you’re a visual learner with mind-maps, learn kinesthetically through flash cards or more auditory like reading aloud or listening to a podcast - it’ll definitely strengthen your study game!
- Work-out a solid routine around your uni schedule to feel more prepared and accomplished.
- Set personal, social, financial and health goals to achieve at the end of each semester!
- Stock up on snacks and always have a reusable water bottle on you.
- If your degree is more hands-on and practical, find out the easiest way to retain information that suits your course of study! Whether that’s note taking on pen or paper, find out what works best for you.
- Learn all the handy little shortcuts on your laptop like voice to text to make your life much easier.
- Look, referencing styles are extremely confusing. Save yourself a few marks in first year by researching which citation styles you will be using, practice it a few times and chances are, you’ll impress your tutes!
- Prioritise your health - from walks to your local coffee shop to signing up to ActiveFit.Gym on campus, every little bit counts to ensuring you’re keeping physical!
- Think about what your interesting fun fact is to make in-class icebreakers a little less… nerve wracking.
- Say goodbye to the Ps get degrees saying - we’re here to get on the Dean’s List and setting ourselves up for success.
- Find your favourite ways to unwind and de-stress in between work, study and well… Life. Everyone needs a little me-time.
- Nail down a note-taking app. Whether that’s OneNote, Pages or Google Docs, once you find your favourite one, it’ll be handy to have something back to refer to. Maybe your tutor mentioned a great idea or point that you want to refer back to?
- Get enough sleep, R&R and take full advantage of your down time leading up to your first day - a refreshed you will be thankful!
- Create a LinkedIn - you’ll be making connections and networking all throughout your degree without even realising it, so get ahead and have a professional profile behind you.
- If you haven’t already, suss out a casual or part-time job depending on your capacity!
- Brush up on the unit handbook, set out a calendar to not be stung with unexpected assessments.
- Get in contact with the UTS Student Centre to make sure you have everything you need, including your student email, handbook and all things about timetables.
- Check if you’re eligible for travel concessions to save literally hundreds every year on public transport.
- Lastly, enjoy your first year and make everything count! Trust us, you’ve got this!