HOW TO

SUCCEED IN
YOUR FIRST
YEAR AT
UNIVERSITY
BY ROSI TABUDRAVU
5 DO’s
What to do
 Learn to This is an important skill for

manage your
university. Assignments are usually
longer compared to Highschool and

time
different classes assignments are
usually due at the same time.
Therefore it's important to learn to
Some tools to help: prioritize and learn how to spread
-Diary yourself evenly throughout all
-Massey assignment calculator classes.
-Assessment schedule calendar
-Calendar
 Lecturer usually goes over thing
faster than in high school. The best
thing to do if you do not understand
anything is to ask your lecturer or
tutor.

Ask Questions It's best to ask questions instead of

staying confused, especially if you
You can do this by have tests coming up. It's important
to keep up with the material due to
● Email the fast paste of university.
● Asing after class
● Set a tutorial
 University is extremely stressful,
especially if this is your first time
away from home. If you are feeling
anxious or stressed it’s okay to ask

Take care of
for help.

By doing this you will be able to find

yourself ways to deal with stress or anxiety
and be able to manage it next time.
This helps so your work will not be
Ways to do this:
affected by it.
● Tell your friends/family
● Book an appointment with It is also a good idea to enrol into
the counsellor or doctors university doctors. They are more
accessible and are cheaper than
most GPs.
 Develop a
relationship In university, it’s good to make
with your yourself more noticeable. Lecturers
may know you find jobs and you can
lecturer use them as reference for future
jobs.
You can do this by: This also helps in making them more
● Contributing to class approachable to ask questions.
discussions
● Staying after class to clarify
anything
 Life is unpredictable. Anything can
Learn how to happen at any given moment. These
are usually given to people who are
apply for going through hardship during an
assignment or a written test.
extensions etc It’s best to know how to apply for
extensions or compassionate
This is incase of: consideration in case this occurs. By
● Death doing this you are taking control of
● Important family event your education and making sure it
(Birth,Baptism) will not be affected by it.
● Feeling depressed or going
through hardship
5 DONT’s
WHAT NOT TO DO

Don't
overspend
Key thing to remember with
student loan, You will have to pay
this all back in the future.
This could be the first time you are
staying away from home and now
you are handling a lot of
responsibilities. One of them include
money.
Do not get unnecessary equipment
and learn how to manage your
money wisely. You can look at
websites to help or open a
student/saving account at your local
bank.
Also make sure you have a student
loan or student allowance (if eligible)
ready before university starts.

Don't
procrastinate
You can do this by:
● Turning your phone off
● Getting an app that silences
any distractions.
● Make a to do list
● Create a diary
University material is not only a
larger amount than high school but
is covered in a shorter amount of
time.
It is easier to get distracted by little
things. To stay on top of the
workload it is better to find ways
that suit you to stop you from
procrastinating.
 It can be tempting to skip class
especially if they are recorded.
However from experience I have
learnt that not everything covered in
Don’t skip class the lecture is recorded.

Sometimes lecturers go over the

material in more depth in person
therefore you could miss out on
crucial information.
 Yes, studying overnight may help
with getting assignments done last
Don’t do an minute. However there are cons.

overnighter -You may have less focus at school.

Your brain has reached its capacity
to take in information and you may
have trouble staying awake in class.
 Higher education usually leads to

Don’t stop long paths. You do not want to finish

off a year as the same person as you

improving started.

yourself
It is good to learn new things and
join new clubs etc outside what you
are studying.
You can do this by:
This not only helps in taking a break
● Learning to be more positive
from constantly studying but help
● Joining clubs
you grow in different skills that can
● Learn a new skill
be helpfull in the future.
 Good luck
Remember life doesn't start until after you graduate, It's an ongoing thing!