Written by Ada Crain
During my first year of university, I noticed there were a couple of things that I hope not to carry on, into my second year of study. By identifying these habits, I hope that first year students studying next year are able to take this advice on what not to do, or simply learn that it is OK not to know how to be a uni student as it is very different from school (thank god)!
Not attending class
The first thing that I really hope to stop doing next year is not attending lectures/tutorials and as a result not being caught up on lecture materials/notes.
From my first session I realised that Animal Science is a lot more full on than other courses, and even missing one or two lectures made me fall behind very quickly. So even though you might feel like skipping a few classes, I would suggest attending all that you can.
To do this, I would recommend making sure your work knows your timetable so you are not given any shifts during lecture times as to not give you a reason to not attend.
Not paying attention in pracs
Another bad habit I hope to not carry through to the new uni year is NOT PAYING ATTENTION IN PRACTICAL CLASSES. This year I had at least two to three, three hour practicals in the NALSH labs each week.
And to say this scared me is an understatement. I was very reluctant for this but I do truly regret not paying attention, as even though I don’t want to study chemistry it may be important for the industry that I work in one day, so this bad habit is simply not allowed in 2023 lol.
Not studying the week before an exam
The next bad habit I want to rid my uni studying of, is not preparing myself for end of session exams up until like a week of when they are. Even though end of session exams give me HSC vibes (and not good ones) they are essential for you to pass your subjects for that session.
Nearly failing a subject in session one showed me that more than a weeks worth of preparation was needed for these exams. This is a tip that I strongly encourage all first years to consider.
Not buying food everyday
The next bad habit I want to leave in 2022, is not having planned lunches for the week and buying food from the café at uni. The food is not cheap on campus and not always healthy, so I really hope to improve on meal prepping for my lunches throughout a week of classes in 2023.
Not only will this improve my bank account, but I will be more organised and give myself more time for focusing on my subject work.
Bye-bye bad habits
By identifying bad habits I am able to improve my university experience and hopefully therefore make it easier for me to achieve my goals. By reading this, hopefully I help someone who is unsure of how to be a uni student and know that these habits are not ones to uphold!!
