Top 3 Most Important Things To Do In Your First...
From accepting your offer -- TO -- Your first days at UQ
Congratulations! Not only are you now a UQ student - but you're in HASS (our local shorthand for "The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences" ... cause... wowza, that's a mouthful!)
So where do you start?!? Here are some pro tips on the Top Three most important things to do after accepting your offer to study with us at UQ!
1. Attend Your HASS Orientation Events
We are excited for you to join our vibrant and diverse community. Here in HASS you’ll discover new ways of thinking, have the chance to tap into an extensive network of great minds, refine professional capabilities for your future career, and make lifelong friends.
Over the next few weeks make sure to explore the below websites to learn more about your program, get your questions answers, and explore opportunities:
2. Get Started
Getting started at UQ has never been easier! Check out the below links to get on track with your enrolment, class allocation, and helpful info on your degree program.
Starting uni can feel like trekking into the unknown, but there’s no need to worry. By planning your studies and completing every step of the Starting at UQ website, you can be confident about the semester ahead.
Got questions about your HASS program? Check out the HASS Program advice page to help you find answers about your programs and courses of study. Each program can be found on the side pannel and there are some handy slides and videos to help you get orientated!
Once you have accepted your offer to study your program in HASS you can then enrol into courses and complete your timetable for the coming semester. Check out the Enrolment Basics page to go step-by-step through the process.
3. Get Connected with HASS
Now is the time to get connected with HASS!
Stay up-to-date with HASS Faculty events, opportunities, and news through the following socials:
- Website: HASS New Students (oh, hey...here you are! Have a look around, lots of cool stuff here!)
- Facebook: UQ Humanities and Social Sciences (stay up to date on HASS events, opportunities and important reminders)
- Instagram: uqhasslife (where our community lives and expresses itself)
From your first week -- TO -- Your first few months
Orientation can be totally overwhelming, there is SO much info and it's hard not to get lost when all you want to do is be able to find your classes, meet some friends, and have a good feed!
We get it, so here is something to bring you back to basics once you've had a chance to breath!
Top 3 Things to do in your first few months at UQ!
1. Make some new friends!
Making friends is important... It seems obvious but it's actually way more important than you think. Even your current best friends can't fully support you if they are somewhere else doing other things. Remember, you have 3+ years ahead of you, find some people here doing the things you are doing! This will help you establish the support network you need going forward and have a lot more fun doing it!
So what are the best ways to do this?
1. Join a club/society/extracurricular activity - something so that uni isn't just going to class and doing assessments.
2. Attend HASS events - a great way to meet new people is by attending your classes and engaging in events held across the uni! HASS offer some fantastic events and activities throughout the semester from fun social get-togethers to industry networking evening. Make sure to follow UQ Humanities and Social Sciences Facebook page to stay up to date!
2. Sink your teeth into your new life on Campus
UQ has so much to offer on campus! The fun doesn't stop with O-Week. UQ Life runs a variety of social and networking events to help you get the most out of your experience at UQ.
O-Week is an important step to starting university and making new friends, so make sure you get involved! Whether you are at St Lucia, Gatton or Herston, there will be something on for everyone. There are a number of compulsory and recommended sessions available for students at each campus, so be sure to find out what's on and schedule them in between social events in your Orientation Planner.
Connect Week is all about making connections at university that last a life time. This is your opportunity to connect with your peers, teachers, clubs and societies, and a chance to try something new.
Make sure to like the UQ Life Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all the latest events and activities across UQ.
3. Find a study routine that works for you!
Studying and classes is going to be the backbone of your time at uni, and the habits you form now will make a difference!
Studying is more than just how you read textbooks and prep for exams, it's how you attend classes, how you take notes, how you read the ECP (electronic course profiles), how you read your assessment descriptions and rubrics, how much time you spend learning about what they're talking about in lectures beyond the talk, and more!
So here are a few pro tips to consider:
1. It's not just about time in class. Did you know that you're expected to spend as much time (more actually) out of class studying your subject each day than you spend in class? Yup... that's a thing! 2/1 is the ratio - so for ever in-class hour you spend on a class, it is expected that you're spending 2 hours outside of class on the subject!
2. Experiement with different approaches. You may find your old HS study habits don't work for you anymore - or at least that there are way more open to you than ever before - HS didn't have a 24/7 library for you to study in or sleep pods for naps (I mean... if yours did, then WOW!). But also, you're studying different things and your classes demand a different appraoch. So don't be afraid to experiment with different approaches to studying and find the groove that's right for you. The sooner you find it, the more comfortable assessments and tests will be. Oh, and don't forget, different subjects may require different study styles. If your grades for one class are mostly based on assessments while your other class is all mutliple-choice exams... you're going to have to master a few different approaches. So try many things and see what feels right for you!
3. Build your time management strategies. Time management at uni is deceptive. You've likely never had more 'freedom' and autonomy before, and it's liberating to have some breathing space and elbow room - have fun with it! But also don't forget that you're going to have to develop some self discipline strategies like you've never had to before. Your lectureres may never EVER mention a deadline in class (it's in your ECP and it's up to YOU to find it, and hold yourself accountable to it). They certainly won't be there to remind you to study and won't be sending study diaries home for your parents to check. It's all on you! Time management can quickly get out of control so seek out workshops on it or tips from those who seem good and get some strategies going soon! Last minute is the WORST habit to form!
From your first mid-terms -- TO -- The end of your first year
(pwew)
So you're starting to wear off that noobie feel. Good on ya! So what else do you want to make sure you don't miss now that you're in amongst it with UQ life and assessments?
Here are our Top 3 Most Important Things to do in your 1st Year in HASS at UQ!
1. Get to Doing!
The ground you lay in your first year will help you make the most of your second and third. If you would like to be a student leader in later years then start today by joining clubs, sports teams, etc. Participate now, so you can help lead things in the future!
Beyond clubs and societies and student events/initiatives, get volunteering and interning at Uni or other places! Start stacking up those experiences. Volunteering is one of the best ways to build your employabiliy and make new friends while you're at it.
One of the most common things we hear from student leaders in their final year of Uni is that they wish they had started getting involved sooner. 1st and 2nd semester of your first year is a great time to participate so that you can look to take on some responsibility in the future. Even being an active member of a student club can give your significant employability skills and open all kinds of doors for you that you might not expect!
2. Be Well!
Seriously, eating well and being physically active is one of the most underestimated yet most important strategies for uni students.
While good nutrition seems to contradict the honoured student traditions of sausage-roll breakfasts and 2-minute noodle dinners, it makes a big difference for your ability to focus, be present, study, and stay healthy when the stress of assessments start to pile on.
Physical exercise is also a big one people often forget about, especially if you’re coming from High School where students tend to be much more physically active! Physical activity helps you bet a balanced sleep, helps you focus and has shown to make a big difference to productivity (which goes a long way toward time management).
3. Make sure you're in the right 'place'.
Once you’ve had a semester under your belt and have been through a few rounds of assessments, a set of finals, and gotten your results, it’s a great idea to take some time to take stalk.
How is it going? Does what you’re studying feel like a good fit for you?
Sometimes we have a hunch early on that it isn’t quite the right fit. Now we’re not talking about ‘I was a bit TOOO social this semester and didn’t get the grades I wanted’ or ‘ack, I’m struggling to adjust to all this freedom’, or 'I feel out of place because I haven't found my peeps yet.' All of those things will come with time and a little effort (and we can help if you need it).
No, we’re more talking about those misgivings in the back of your mind that… 'this sounded like a good thing to study on the outside, but it doesn't really align with my values/skills/desires/what I want to do with my life' or 'I know my parents/guidence counselors/mentors said this is a good paying career... but I kinda don't relate to it or anyone I've met around it.'
If you’ve got a growing feeling about this stuff, please please PLEASE take some time to consider it carefully. Certainly, go ahead with your next semester if you want to be sure, but don’t wait too long to decide to make a change. Maybe see if you can incorporate some electives from a subject you think might tap into your passion more.
1 in 5 Uni students will change major or even degrees at some point, and that ratio is increasing. So you’re far from alone if you’re having misgivings. Just make sure you try things out early – take electives in other areas, go to a few lectures with your friends from other areas, talk to people who's opinions and advice you resepect and who you feel 'get you'.
Certainly NEVER be afraid to make a change if you think you need to. Finding out you DON’T want to do something is just as valuable as finding out you DO want to do something. And the sooner you make a switch the less time you’ll have to make up later.
Feel free to reach out if you are thinking you may be in the wrong place. There is ZERO shame!
It's your life - you do you!