First Years' Feed

Everything you will need to know in your first year

First Years' Feed

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By Nayonika Bhattacharya, Arts/Law and 5th-year student 

Welcome to your first year of university – you have now entered a whole new world of ‘almost adulting’. While you may feel like you are a bit lost, I promise you, it only gets better, and I am going to help you figure it all out.  

The big 1! First Year holds a world of surprises, fun, and excitement ahead. While you may meet new friends, learn new courses, and try new things, it is also natural to feel confused, lonely and overwhelmed. Especially by the idea of not being in the same courses as your high school mates or meeting new strangers while you are studying new courses from behind your screens. But that is not how your story needs to begin, you now have an amazing new opportunity to start a fresh story of who you want to be, how you want to be and what you want to do with all these possibilities waiting for you.

Before you get into the humdrum of things, it is important to get a few things right to make the most out of your first year at uni so you can make friends and get to know them better. As a well-seasoned uni student heading into my sixth year in 2022, I know a thing or two about making friends! The most important point to remember is – invest in good quality friends who share similar interests and treat you with respect and compassion. How do you make new friends at uni? 

  • Join new clubs and societies!  

While it is super tempting to play it safe and stick to clubs that discuss hobbies or events and are related to the degree you are doing. Do not play it safe! No one ever left uni with a great story by playing it safe. So, try something new like giving a charitable society a change and getting involved in a cause you are passionate about or joining a new society where you can develop a skill like public speaking or debating.  

  • Go to a society event or meet and greet!  

It is super awkward to meet new people and go through the whole cycle of – tell me your name, degree, and a fun fact about yourself. Ditch the old openers and ask people for their favourite Spotify playlist, favourite restaurant to try food from, a dessert place recommendation, a good hiking spot, their favourite coffee or hot drink order, or a recipe they love and swear by. Treat your virtual conversations like you would when meeting in person for the first time and meet people who love the same things as you do!  

  • Turn your cameras on!  

While this is an extremely daunting move, turning your cameras on and introducing yourself to people – your professors and new friends is a great way to connect with people and build a sense of familiarity. I have had my moments of looking like a hot mess, where my bed is undone but a quick solution was to treat it like I was meeting a person in person. I got ready, put on some nice clothes, and treated it like an opportunity to look good and feel good while making connections. 

  • Stay connected – with old friends from high school and new friends from uni. 

  • Connections play a huge part in helping us feel welcomed, supported and like we belong to a community. While you are on a new journey of exploration and meeting new people, staying in touch with old friends often provides us with a deep sense of familiarity and connection. These friendships may change over time, it is important to remember that you are not alone. High school friendships can also change over time (this is a chat for another time) but it is important to check in – it could be a phone call, a few thoughtful messages, a virtual games night, you could write each other letters, exchange book or movie or recipe recommendations.  

While we have your social side covered, a huge part of uni is going to your classes, engaging with your academic content, and making the most out of this learning journey you are on. You have all these new textbooks (mhm! Who does not love the smell of fresh books?), online readings, Moodle checklists and weekly online modules – phewww! How do you get on top of it all?  

Here are some of my handy tips that have helped me stay on top of my courses:  

  1. Download a copy of all your Course Reading Guides  

  1. Download a Free Term 3 Planner 

  1. Note down all important course deadlines and due dates – including weekly quizzes, assignments and final exams and highlight these dates (they are released later in the term)  

  1. Now grab your phones and set calendar reminders on your phone so if you forget to look at your planner, you also have this on your phone.  

  1. Set a reminder on your phone for 4 days before these assignments are due – if you are a forgetful person like me and might have to pull together an essay in the last day or two. The benefit of tricking your brain into thinking your task is due earlier than it is, you complete your assignments earlier and have plenty of time to edit it. Who does not like HDs amirite? 

How do you stay on top of all those readings to do well in your essays, assignments, quizzes, and exams? 

I absolutely acknowledge the fact that university assignments are very different from high school assignments. You do not have extensive instructions and teachers helping you every step of the way. An assignment outline, a rubric and a deadline are sometimes your only friend. The good point to remember here is – the details on how to do well are all hidden in your assignment.  

Here are some useful hacks from UNSW on how to ace your assessments:  

  • What does the word mean? Interpreting essays and assignments!  
  • As a first-year student, give UNSW SmartThinking a red hot crack to get some extensive feedback so you can get those HDs.  

To take good notes, here is the formula you need to follow:

  • Form a study group. Make a Moodle discussion group or a post via other unofficial channels and form a dedicated group that helps you focus on your tasks and to get through your weekly content. You can even divide the weekly content and set up flip teaching sessions to catch up on any weeks of lengthy content (science has proven this is one of the best ways to learn!) 
  • Set aside a period every week for a specific course. During this time, turn your phone off and focus on practicing the course material together. The secret to making the most out of this is to have group study sessions prior to your class and having a quick follow-up to go over tutorial and lecture notes and consolidate your learned content for the week.  
  • Use spaced learning and active repetition tasks to help you learn your content. These fancy words require you to create some palm cards – you can create physical ones or create them online on Anki/Quizlet and take these small preparation quizzes and tests with your friends to revise all the content you have learned prior to your mid-semester quizzes, assignments and final exams. These help you practice important formulas and principles by doing practice questions or go over principles to write stellar essays.  

Organise your notes:

  • You can take them down on paper or on a note-taking app like OneNote, Evernote, Notion, Asana, JIRA Confluence or you can also Link your Google Documents to your Trello Account (Trello is super fun and an easy to use virtual task board). All these apps are free, easy to use and have plenty of free templates online that you can use to create working boards – whether you are a writer, artist, or engineer in the making.  
  • Organise your notes into weekly content 
  • Give all your content clear headings (signposting will help you revise with your materials easily) 
  • Pinpoint important information if you are taking physical notes (you can either use physical sticky notes) or highlight important tips and information snippets in your documents.  

You have all the tools at your disposal now to be successful in and out of the classroom. So, what do the next 10 weeks look like? Here is a list of things you should have experienced and given a shot by your next 10 weeks in uni.  

Week 1 

  1. Explore your Moodle Pages for all your Courses  

  1. Download your Course Readings and note down all weekly tasks and course expectations 

  1. Note down all the Course Lecturer or Tutor Appointment and Contact Details  

  1. Get started on your ELISE Quiz so you understand the UNSW Rules on Student Code of Conduct  

  1. Upload a picture on your Moodle and Collaborate or Zoom profiles to help people become familiarised with you  

  1. Attend all your classes and put your classes on your phone calendar or download a copy of it and print it out 

  1. Look up new resources and sign up for your faculty's Central Peer Mentoring program. Getting support from a more seasoned uni student who has been in your position is a great way to get ahead of the stress you might be feeling.  

Week 2 – Week 4  

  1. Form a study group and organise weekly catchups to socialise and study together  

  1. Set time aside every week (check out time blocking practices) and find more resources 

  1. Use Active Repetition (past exam papers, model Quizlets and Anki cards) to help you revise content and apply it practically and keep repeating this in group settings (So your friends can help you too) 

  1. Attend a club or society event and get involved. Turn your camera for a meet and greet, show up to a games night and make sure you have a memorable conversation!  

  1. Stay connected with your friends – both your old high school friends and your new uni friends 

  1. If you think all this is overwhelming – take a day or two off, allow your brain and body to relax and find a formula that works for you. Sometimes your first formula might not be the right one, you can keep trying until you find what rhythm works for you (are you a morning parrot or night owl) 

  1. Got your uni life sorted? Let’s talk life admin. If you are planning on working and looking for internships – start searching. Check out the amazing resources at UNSW.  

  1. Make sure you have applied or a bank card and your TFN if you don’t already have one if you are looking for work.  

  1. Haven’t gotten that far ahead? Think about giving volunteering a chance. The UNSW Advantage and Arc Volunteering opportunities have over 20 different causes for you to pick from and volunteer with.  

  1. Start preparing for your mid-sems and take a break when you need to. It is a marathon not a sprint!  

Week 5 – 8 

  1. Look up additional programs and opportunities at UNSW such as the UNSW Leadership Program, Cultural Mentoring Program, Student Minds at UNSW Volunteering, UNSW Ambassadors Program or other UNSW Study Abroad and Exchange opportunities to expand your horizons and to make the most out of your UNSW Degree.  

  1. Stay involved, make sure you take a break whenever you need to and continue participating in your classes and social events. 

  1. Check in with your group study friends to go over your mid-semester assignments to navigate a new approach if you need to improve your study plans and grades (Remember, this might need a few tries until you get it right) 

  1. Organise a virtual appointment with your lecturer or tutor to discuss your mid-semester assignment and get some feedback on how you can improve before your final exams  

Week 9 – 10  

  1. You are at the home stretch; you have got this!  

  1. Make a list of topics that you need to prepare and revise for your final exams (Your weekly notes and group study sessions will come in super handy now! Our memories area powerful thing when subjected to active recall and spaced repetition) 

  1. Get a copy of past papers from the UNSW Library and set aside time to revise them in exam conditions  

  1. Test yourself and your friends with mock papers and have some fun while you are at it (Virtual games/movie sessions followed by study sessions are a great way to make learning easy) 

  1. Attend your final classes and revision classes organised by your course’s lecturer or relevant student society (Follow student societies on FB/Instagram and you can find all the latest news about Revision Workshops) 

  1. Take a deep breath and good luck with your exams!  

While this entire process of uni may seem daunting and all new, remember that you are not alone. There is plenty of support available, both from your peers and professionals at UNSW who are eager to support you throughout this process. Reach out to different services at UNSW such as –  

  1. Academic Skills Unit  

  1. Psychology and Wellness  

  1. Arc at UNSW  

If you are international student, some additional things you should remember to do are: 

  1. Update your address and details on MyUNSW  

  1. If you need additional support, chat with a student advisor 

  1. If you are onshore, make sure you have activated your OSHC and have your card posted  

  1. Make sure you understand your visa conditions (40 hours of work/fortnight, maintain a full-time study load and other requirements!)  

University is a whole new world, and the best part is that there are so many options for you to pick and choose from. You can decide how you want to write your story, who you want to be again and be supported throughout this entire process by other students. I have felt those butterflies in my stomach, and I have been scared, but there is no shame in accepting that. Accepting that I needed some support, some insights and guidance helped me stay on top of things and meet some great lifelong friends.  

 

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