12 Tips To Succeed Your First Year At Western Sydney
The transition from high school to university will be rough and sometimes scary. Your mind will go all over the place, racing with questions like: Will university be like what you see in the movies? Or if it’s going to be like high school? Will be just as fun or more difficult? Don’t worry and keep reading for 12 tips on how to succeed your first year at Western Sydney!
1. Accept that university IS NOT going to be like high school.
We need to accept that university is going to be very different in high school in so many ways. There will be many changes during your first year at Western Sydney, from what you’ll be learning to what time you need to be traveling. Not all your friends will be there and there is a high chance you won’t be seeing them much.
2. Forget the past stereotypes about WSU.
If you think about it, Western Sydney University is really not that bad. At least you are entering a university that can teach you the skills you need for the real world. Time to let go about the bad things you’ve heard about the university, especially since they began to re-brand their image. There is more to the university than what you originally thought and don’t let those negative messages affect what you’ll be learning during your first year at Western Sydney.
3. Go to open days (back in high school).
To prove the point of the previous advice, I recommend you go to the open day when you were still in high school. You can’t expect to just enter the university on day one and feeling confident about what you’re getting yourself in to. It is a must to visit the open days just to get the basic information about what will you be learning and how the university is like (and realise it’s not a bad place). This is the day where you can ask as many relevant questions about your dream course and how you can find another way to enter.
4. Go to the orientation days.
Orientation day is basically your planning day. You will be able to visit the campus you’re going to be entering. Take this opportunity to be familiar with the new environment you will be going to for the next few years by knowing where each building is or the nearest bus stops, shuttle bus and train stations.
You don’t want to make a bad impression on your first day as the kid who’s late on day 1.
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5. Make sure you’ve packed AT LEAST the basic gear for day 1.
Just having a notebook, folder, pens and paper can help you survive day one since you may want to take notes on the introduction class.
6. Find your old friends.
It’s your first day, time to travel in pacts! Be with the people you’re familiar since high school. That way if you get lost, you’re lost with the people you know.
But….
7. Make some new friends!
What if you can’t travel with your old high school pals?
It’s now time to make some new friends. Your first class is more likely to be an introduction to your new teachers and classmates. Find someone you can trust and just say ‘hello’. From there, you will have a new best friend in no time.
If your classes can’t help you make friends, have you ever considered joining a school club? Find a club that suits your interest and meet some new friends there. It’s a great way to start your first year at Western Sydney!
8. Make a schedule and stick to it!
After realising that you will be in university most of your time, you need to make a timetable for all the due dates of your assignments. Trust me, it will save your life since most of the time, your assignments will be due on the same day or week.
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9. Join the Facebook pages to stay informed.
Facebook pages are the best way to get multiple peer advice on your studies and homework when you’re not with them during the week. It’s not mandatory to join but it is helpful.
10. Befriend the teachers (or actually talk to them after class).
You will not be bullied for doing this! Talking to your lecturers to clarify about the topic and asking for advice for your assessment is really important and could be very useful since it can make the difference between passing the class or failing.
11. Relax and be proud you survived day one!
You just survived day 1 of university and you need the energy to survive the next 14 weeks and pulling off an all nighter will not help you at all. It will be rough at first but by the next few weeks, you will get the hang of university at no time!
12. Keep your notes from high school!
This is for the people who haven’t burn their past high school notes when the HSC ended but it will be really helpful if you still kept your notes as some are applicable to your future studies.
I’m not joking, this actually happened to some students when we realised that our past notes could be useful right now.
Have any other tips to help succeed your first year at Western Sydney University? Comment below and share the article!
Featured photo source: favim.com
