Advice for new students

Last semester (through Ping!) we asked students “What’s the best piece of advice you could give new students starting at Flinders?” We received over 200 responses!

Most of the advice shared fell into five main areas: take care of yourself, make the effort to meet new people, don’t be afraid to ask for help, seize opportunities, and plan ahead. This advice is worth its weight in gold for commencing students. It can also be useful for continuing students too. See below for a snapshot of what students said, and some ways you can take their advice on board!

Take care of yourself – balance and self-kindness is important

“Sleep! Don’t push yourself to study harder when you’re fatigued, listen to your body”

“Stay hydrated and do lot of self-care”

“Get plenty of sleep, exercise and eat well. You’ll be ready to take on anything”

“Make time for your hobbies too!”

“Make sure you eat well, stay warm, sleep enough, and spend time with friends; remember that your studies are just one part of your life”

“You’re doing to do really well in your course – go easy on yourself”

“Know that your grades don’t define you”

“Pace yourselves! Make time for self-care, to relax and reflect. If you get so caught up in uni work, you won’t look after yourself the way you need to in order to function at your best”

How do I do this?
There are many support services at Flinders University, designed to help you take care of your mental and physical health and wellbeing. Some are listed below:

Oasis Community and Wellbeing Centre
Oasis, which can be found on the Bedford Park campus, is a Student Community Wellbeing Centre focused on supporting the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students. Free events such as yoga, meditation, and community markets that provide free and cheap food, are run at Oasis throughout semester. Visit https://oasis.flinders.edu.au/ for more information.

Health, Counselling and Disability Services
Flinders students can access free, confidential appointments with qualified doctors and nurses, experienced counsellors and disability advisors. Visit flinders.edu.au/hcd or call (08) 8201 2118 for more information or to book an appointment.

Flinders Sport and Fitness
The team at Flinders Sport and Fitness run free events throughout the year to keep you active and healthy. Flinders students can also access gym memberships at Bedford Park for as little as $5 per week. Visit their website for more information: www.onesportandfitness.com.au

Make the effort to meet new people

“Try to meet other students in your course – connections help with motivation and support when you need it”

“Make sure you balance your workload. Make time for a social life, if you’re new to Adelaide, join a club to meet new people”

“Go to the events from FUSA, they are great to meet new friends”

“Get involved! Whether it’s sport, social clubs, mentoring or simply staying on campus between classes, give it a go and your uni experience will be so much more fulfilling”

“Make an effort to be on campus and meet new people! Pretty quickly you’ll have someone you normally sit next to, and after a few weeks that’s friendship!”

“Join a club! It can be hard to make friends with people in classes, but a club gives you an interest area and a bunch of people who are interested in the same things as you”

How do I do this?
There are many ways you can meet other students at Uni! Chat to people in the same classes as you either face-to-face or through online forums, or see some other ideas below:

Attend events run by FUSA
FUSA run many social events throughout the year designed to help you relax, unwind and meet new people. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more details about events.

Join a club
Clubs and Societies are a great way to connect with like-minded people while you’re studying. Each club runs differently, but almost all clubs are always looking for members. See the FUSA website for more information.

Play a sport
Flinders University has 20 affiliated sporting clubs, catering for all levels of ability or interest. Joining a sports club is a great way to add your University experience and meet new people. To get involved with a sports club, see the Flinders Sport and Fitness website.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it

“Things are confusing at the beginning, but people are willing to help. Do not hesitate to ask or clarify things, even for a small thing”

“If you’re unsure about something, ask questions because everyone at University wants you to succeed”

“Reach out for help and support – there are so many places available for your needs”

“Ask other students for directions. Everyone’s friendly and understands the struggle”

“It’s okay to ask for help. Don’t be frightened to ask your topic coordinator if you are struggling. There are always people on campus that can help no matter what”

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it! The more support you can get will put you in a better position to succeed”

How do I do this?
There are many academic support services at Flinders University, designed to help you succeed. See some below:

Student Learning Centre
Drop into the Student Learning Centre (SLC) Learning Lounge for help with academic writing, maths, statistics, referencing and English language. You can also access study support online. For more information visit flinders.edu.au/slc or call (08) 8201 2518.

Flinders Library
Library staff can help you navigate the wealth of information available across three Flinders library branches. For more information see libraryflin.flinders.edu.au or call 1300 354 633 (select option 3).

Yunggorendi
The Yunggorendi team provide support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This includes academic, pastoral and financial support and advocacy, counselling, a culturally safe study space and more. For more information visit flinders.edu.au/yunggorendi or call (08) 8201 3033.

FUSA
FUSA offer academic advocacy services for free to all students. Visit www.fusa.edu.au for more information.

Seize as many opportunities as you can

“Be open to try new things! Join a club, make friends, eat something new, literally anything!!”

“Get involved! Clubs, events, classes, etc. The uni provides heaps of free activities and it’s a great opportunity to meet new people and learn about things you might not otherwise”

“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. No one is judging you!”

“Join the Horizon Award (it’s amazing for professional development)”

“Start behaving the way you want to be seen, not as the person you were (maybe at school, etc). You have a chance to begin afresh, maybe as an adult for the first time, or a new chapter of life. Seize the opportunity!”

How do I do this?
There are many opportunities at Flinders University you can get involved with. A good first step is to like Ask Flinders on Facebook and keep an eye on the page for updates.

Horizon Award
The Horizon Professional Development Award Program can help you gain the skills needed to be successful in the workplace. Participate in activities including volunteering, work experience, professional mentoring, leadership programs, skill workshops and student clubs. Visit Flinders Career Hub for more information.

Attend events run by FUSA
FUSA run many social events throughout the year designed to help you relax, unwind and meet new people. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more details about events.

Get organised, plan ahead and try to not leave study to the last minute

“Organisation and time management are two of the most necessary skills required to succeed”

“Have a checklist or a diary with due dates so you stay on top of your work”

“I would advise against getting behind in lectures at any cost! It is awful and very hard to catch up – take it from a student who has had it happen before!!”

“Get started on assignments as soon as possible. It’s so easy for them to get piled up!”

“Make use of the library’s resources and get assignments started early”

“Keep up to date and try to get ahead when you can. Time really does fly and it can be hard to catch up”

“Definitely set up a schedule for yourself and write down all important dates so that you don’t fall behind! Also mark down assignment due dates a few days earlier on your calendar so that you can have a few days grace in case you don’t hit the deadline”

“Plan ahead and utilise your time wisely. Take advantage of the resources available. Stay focused and motivated by making goals for yourself”

How do I do this?

Start a study group
Contact other people in your classes and suggest a study group meet up! Studying with other can help keep you all motivated and on track.

The last word…

Final ‘hot tips’ mentioned by students:

Download the Lost on Campus app
If you drink coffee, bring your re-usable cup for cheaper coffee
Attend lectures in person wherever possible.

If you’re a continuing student, do you have any more tips? You can comment more tips below.

Next week: we will publish some of the study hacks students gave us!

Ping! Student news at Flinders