Video Transcription

How To Get Ready For University!

Hey guys, how’s it going? Sha from That Student Australia, and today I’ve got a couple of tips for all of you that are starting university in 2017. First semester can be a little bit tricky—there are a few things to overcome, and there are a few things you shouldn’t stress too much about. So, I’m going to help you out.

Alright, so my first tip for anybody who’s doing first-year university in 2017 would be to make sure you have an ideal draft timetable of what classes you want and what times you want. Most of you will probably be doing four classes, totaling 40 units. Yeah, they’ll all have classes you’ll have to go to, like workshops, lectures, or a combination of both. They’ll all fit in with each other at different time slots; some may overlap and whatnot.

Jump online and have a look at all the timetables for each of the classes. Try to figure out the best possible combination so you can have the most convenient schedule for semester one, 2017. Now, also make sure that when enrollment day and time open, you are on your computer, ready with your ideal schedule and a couple of backups.

Things fill up quick, especially the good classes, like early morning slots or mid-week classes, as opposed to Friday night from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. No one wants that class, so everyone’s trying to avoid it. Get on there quick, don’t be late, and if something goes wrong, make sure you call the university ASAP.

Alright, so tip number two for anybody starting uni this year would be: don’t stress too much if you don’t get into the class, time, or day you want. Now, I’ve had this happen a few times, and there could be many reasons why a class is full. Sometimes the computer system is set to allow only 30 people, and once 30 people have signed up, it won’t let anyone else enroll—even though there could easily be room to add an extra chair.

If this happens, don’t worry. You can go to the university, talk to someone, and see if they can pull some strings for you. Being nice usually helps! Alternatively, you can enroll in a class with a bad time and just turn up to the one you actually want.

I’ve done this plenty of times in Commerce. Sometimes, there’s only one stupidly timed class left, so I click to enroll in that one, and then I just turn up to the one I want. It’s rare for anyone to care if you’re attending a class you’re not enrolled in, and it’s also rare for every student to show up. You’ll usually find a seat. So, don’t stress if you don’t get into the one you need—just figure out a way to make it work.

Alright, so tip number three for everybody starting university this year is about textbooks. Some classes will definitely require textbooks—there’s probably no way around it. For example, I know I’ll definitely need them for law this year because they’ll really help. For some engineering subjects, I absolutely needed them.

However, for about half of the subjects I took in my first year of uni, I didn’t need textbooks at all. The best approach is to wait until the first week of uni. Talk to your lecturer about it, check the lecture notes they provide, and see how detailed they are.

If the notes are comprehensive enough to cover the course content and exam material, you probably won’t need the textbook. Often, lecturers just take material directly from the textbook and include it in the notes. So, sometimes you won’t need the textbook; other times you will.

Make this decision after at least one week of being in the class. You can always buy the textbook later from the student textbook shop, so there’s no rush. Save yourself some money if you can because not all classes will require textbooks.

Alright, guys, that’s all I have for you in terms of early 2017 university starting tips. There will be a few more videos about university, stationery, and back-to-school advice coming up soon, I’m sure. But these are the main things I want you to know for the early parts, like enrolling and the first few weeks.

Enjoy your break, get ready for uni—it’s a really good time! Hopefully, you’ve picked a degree you like. If not, you’ll figure it out anyway.

Thank you very much for watching! Please like, comment, subscribe, and I’ll see you in the next video.