You’re about to become a first year uni student. Look at you! It’s going to be quite the ride. So you want to get prepped to make the most of it. You’ve got your checklist for what you need in your new room. Are all over what to expect in lectures and tutorials – and are ready to contribute your ideas (after all, you’re studying something you’re passionate about!). But how about a few cheeky hacks to get your uni game right from day one?
#1 Use email filter wizardry
Managing your university emails can feel like a never-ending task. Notifications about deadlines. Links to reading resources. Messages from your tutor (and your mates). And the inevitable spam from…where did that even come from? Get a handle on email filters and take the weight off your inbox. Set up filters based on sender, subject or keywords, and you can automatically categorise incoming emails and prioritise those that require immediate attention. You can create filters to separate emails from professors, classmates and the uni admin team – so you’ll never miss a thing.
@tatechtips Reply to @akhwaan70 Move emails: #techtips #tips #howto #outlook ♬ original sound – TA TECH TIPS
#2 Grab free software
When you become a Charles Sturt student you get to be part of a community. To receive top-tier teaching. A whole load of experiences you’ll remember forever. And, you get access to some free software. Okay, it’s not quite as exciting as getting your first essay mark back, or that party last Saturday, but it will mean you have all the digital tools you need to get stuff done. Download the Microsoft Office 365 suite (we’re talking Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe Reader for all your pdf needs, and Endnote to make those assignment references tight.
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#3 Colour code… everything
Make like a unicorn and embrace the rainbow. Staying organised is one of the keys to academic success. And one of the simplest – and most effective – ways to do that is colour coding. Assigning different colours to subjects, tasks or deadlines can help you distinguish between them and prioritise your schedule accordingly. For instance, you could use red for urgent assignments, green for upcoming exams and blue for extracurricular activities. Do it on your wall planner, your phone organiser or your old-school paper diary. Or all of them.
@heyitselyrn LEARN THESE IMPORTANT COLOR CODES!! #nursing #nursingstudent #nursingschool #nursingvlog #nursingstudentvlog #nursingschoolvlog #nursingphilippines #nurse #nursephilippines #nurselife #nursedayinthelife #nursesoftiktok #nurselife #nurses #nursingnotes ♬ DARARI – ︎ ondu
#4 Master the Pomodoro
Timers at the ready for study efficiency. It might sound like a sauce for pasta, but the Pomodoro technique is all about making your study time effective without being exhausting. Here’s how it works. Study for 25 minutes. Then take a break for five minutes (we recommend getting up and moving around to stretch your limbs). Do those two fours times each and then take a longer break. Try 30 minutes. By working in short bursts of concentrated effort, followed by brief periods of rest, you can maintain focus, prevent brain ache and make the most of your study time.
@unjadedjade go!! beat!! procrastination!! 🍅 #studyhacks #studytok #studywithme #studytips #revisiontechniques #pomodorotechnique ♬ Coffee Music – Cafe Music BGM channel
#5 Study unconventional
Now, we don’t mean trying to submit your assignment as an interpretive dance (unless you’re studying dance, of course). We’re talking about getting out of the room-library-room-library routine for your study sessions. Switch your locations up and let different surroundings give you a fresh mind. It could be a café in town. Or how about a green corner on campus? After all, when you’re studying at a regional uni, chances are you’ll be able to find a sweet rustic view to give you that nature-bathing calm that means you can focus on your studies.
@charlessturtuni What do you want to see next? Let us know 👇 #CharlesSturtUni #CharlesSturtUniversity #CampusTour #OrangeCampus #OrangeNSW #RegionalUniversity #UniTok ♬ Sunroof – Nicky Youre & dazy
#6 Get backed-up
What’s a first year uni student’s worst nightmare? No, not the one about the evil Care Bears. It’s losing hours of hard work due to a computer crash or accidentally hitting the delete key. So, make backing up your files a regular part of your study schedule. Literally, write it down and do it. Whether you use cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox or external hard drives and USB flash drives, make like a monk and get into a good habit.
@jordanburchel I’m going to delete this old stuff I just need to make sure I don’t need any of it. #funnyvideos #google #officelife #capitalism #googledrive #productivityfail ♬ Morning Moon – brd
#7 Buddy up
Studying with a buddy can be a real game-changer when it comes to understanding complex concepts, staying motivated and even retaining info. It’s someone to bounce ideas off, check your understanding with, and discuss the ins and outs of what you need to do to absolutely smash this subject. Moreover, study buddies keep you honest, supporting each other to stay on track with study goals and providing encouragement when the going gets tough. Whether you meet in person or connect online, the study buddy system can mean a serious boost to your study endeavours. And if all your mates are all study loners (boo), sign up for the Charles Sturt Study Buddy program. We’ll connect you with one of your peers to share the journey with.
@charlessturtuni See where you will be studying in 2023 🤩 #CharlesSturtUni #offers #uac #atar #australianuniversity #PortMacquarie #Bathurst #Orange #WaggaWagga #Albury #Dubbo ♬ original sound – kira lise🐉
First year uni students – you’re not alone
While these hacks are going to help you get your study A-game on lock, from time to time, you might need a bit more support. And that’s okay. More than okay. It’s why we have a whole bunch of support services you can tap into when you need. Academic skills help. Essay feedback. Tech support. Pro counsellors if you need to get stuff off your chest.
Because you’ve got this. And we’ve got your back.