So, how's the study going? (Raphael)

I still find it ridiculously fantastic to be able to tell someone “yeah, I’m studying at Melbourne Uni at the moment;” it makes me feel so grown up! But “how is that study going at the moment?” you may ask. “How has the transition been, have you found a balance between University-level study and the clubs, committees and events?” Well…

I was told many times that the transition is tough. “I haven’t met someone who hasn’t struggled with it,” I read somewhere on the internet. Yet somehow, in all the excitement of just getting started at Uni, I still managed to underestimate it! It’s probably a common Jaffy thing, because after leaving year 12 behind in that 3-month break I feel that I’ve had to completely re-learn how to study upon entering this new environment. The structure of University is just so completely different! Mostly for the better; there’s heaps more flexibility and more choice when it comes to what you’re studying and when, but the hard work is most definitely still there and the intensity can be quite extreme; in some cases entire VCE subjects are covered in one 12 week semester – and that’s just first year! More than anything, the challenge is adapting your learning to this new structure.

So how have I coped with this change? Well I was dismayed to find myself steadily falling behind over the first few weeks, and then had to scramble to catch back up. I’d liken those first few weeks to marching into a dark cave; there was no way to know what it would be like, or what I would have to do to stay alive! I spent a large portion of the Easter break rewatching lectures, reading textbooks, completing worksheets and started week 5 (almost) completely back up to date. Since then I’ve been mostly keeping up with things, and study is important enough to me (as is my sanity come SWOTVAC) that I haven’t let myself get too far behind, but it’s a constant challenge.

I’d say I’m still transitioning, and will be for most of the year; figuring out how I study best in this context, where my best study spots are on campus, and how to manage my time to make the most of everything here at UniMelb.

So to any future or present first years, here are my tips for acing the initial study transition:

• Prepare yourself for a change; just be cognisant of it
• Try and keep up with classes from the very beginning of the semester. I fell into the trap of thinking “it’s only week one, it’s not important yet” but every week is important when it’s one of 12, even the first! Don’t let things snowball!
• Check up on yourself every week or so to make sure you’re moving in the right direction in terms of study and balance.
• Make use of any breaks you have in the day to get work done. It can be tempting to just chat to friends for the whole time or take three hours for lunch, but you’ll thank yourself when you get home and have no work left to do for the night!
• Choose which club events you want to go to strategically. You can’t do everything! (Also, money doesn’t grow on trees!)  Fortunately, a lot of events and parties are held annually or semesterly, so chances are you’ll have another opportunity to go even if this semester it’s on the day before your mid semester test…
• Figure out how you study best. I have found it much easier to focus on my work when I’m on campus as opposed to at home, and some libraries work better for me than others. Find your fit!

So best of luck with all your assessments and mid-semester tests as we head into week 7. It’s crazy to think, but semester will be over in just under 6 more weeks!

Thanks for taking the time to read,

Raph 😊

Coming up soon from me:

• Destination Melbourne: What was it and why you should go next year!
• Uni 101: What’s the difference between a Tutorial and a Lecture?
• And other smaller posts on how Uni’s going in general.