The first year rollercoaster

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The first year uni rollercoaster

Transcript of The first year rollercoaster

The first year uni rollercoaster

Buckle up, it’s going to be one epic ride!

Your first year of uni will at times remind you of the variety of feelings you experience while being on a rollercoaster.

The rollercoaster track represents the events that will take place during your first year.

Sometimes it’ll feel like a nice smooth ride and other times

you’ll be moving up and down or doing loop-de-loops.

The cart you’re in as you travel along this epic ride is your study space.

Finally, your seatbelt is the support available for you here at USQ, which includes your Student Relationship Officer (SRO) and

the Student Services team, so keep that seatbelt buckled firmly!

Along the way, you’ll encounter some pit stops.

Phew!

These are your chance to jump off the rollercoaster, take a few deep breaths, chill out and let your hair down.

Think of these short breaks as pre-scheduled study stops, and make the most of them!

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THE BUILD UP

Before your first ever semester of uni, you’ll probably have a mixture of nerves and emotions running through your body, just like those feelings you can feel building waiting for a rollercoaster to take off.

This is totally NORMAL!

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • Activate your UMail• Get in touch with your SRO• Enrol in your classes• Make yourself a weekly timetable• Apply for scholarships• Learn how to budget• Buy your textbooks (check out some 2nd-hand textbooks here)• Follow USQ on social media • Most importantly, get excited!

O-Week and Week 1

You’ll be climbing to the first peak of the rollercoaster now and you’ll probably be wondering whether or not to attend O-Week. It’s likely that the little voices in your head are trying to talk you out of it. Trust us though, there are only 3 words that you need to know about O-Week: informative, epic, fun. You don’t want to miss it! #worthit

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • Get involved in O-Week (hint: there are prizes!)• Still not convinced? Here are 5 reasons to say O-Yeah to O-Week• Stock up on study essentials• Meet new people on-campus or introduce yourself on the

USQStudyDesk forums• Map out your assessment for the semester• Get your Student ID card (you will need this throughout the semester)• Make sure your enrolment and fees are finalised on time• Share your pics on social media with #usq

Pit stop #1 Phoenix Carnival

Come join the party to celebrate with fellow USQ students and staff, to kick start the year!

Pssst: There’s usually free food and live entertainment For more information about the Toowoomba, Springfield and Ipswich events, check out the Phoenix Central website.

Pit stop #2Career Fair

Pick up some sweet career tips, meet potential employers at the Career Fair, and learn more about preparing for your career via webinars, workshops and so much more.

There are activities at each campus and online, so if you want to make it to a session at a different campus, find out about the free buses that run daily between campuses!

Mid-semester stress

Your assignment work seems to be mounting and while the thought of approaching holidays should be exciting, it seems like there’s a massive peak to climb before you reach the top. You feel your stress levels rising! Take a deep breath and check out these ‘What to do?’ tips. Everything will be ok.

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • Make a holiday timetable • Take regular study breaks• Talk to your SRO if you need support• Check out how to De-stress without leaving your desk • Chat to someone from The Learning Centre or Student Services• Talk to your friends and family about how you are feeling and ask for help if you need it

• Print out these Do Not Disturb signs to prepare for some epic un-interrupted study

• Treat yourself to some delicious study snacks• Post your study pics on social media and tag us!

Pit stop #3Labour Day

Just when you might think you’re about to fall off the rollercoaster, this pre-scheduled study day appears!

Use this extra study time wisely and complete those high-priority tasks on your to-do list!

End of Semester 1 panic

Everything seems like a huge mess; your desk is buried under note paper, you can’t even see your desktop background and your brain is probably doing loop-de-loops with all the information you’re trying to remember! Woah, let’s take a second to have a deep breath, or two! There IS a light at the end of the tunnel. Remember that it does get easier, and all students experience stress around this time of year. You can do it!

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • BREATHE!• Plan your study (use those timetables you’re now a pro at making!)• Talk to your lecturer if you’re struggling• Double check forums for FAQs (someone might have already asked the same question you have!)

• Reward yourself for study• Form a study group• Eat well, get a good night’s sleep and stay active• Check out the Social Hub for motivation and support• Double check your exam timetable, including the locations and times!

Mid-year holidays

A little break from the hectic twists and turns on the rollercoaster of study will give you time to replenish your study motivation and find your feet again.

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • Relax! • Take time to reward yourself • Double check the classes you’ve enrolled in for Semester 2 • Make a study timetable for Semester 2 • Restock your uni supplies • Share your holiday pics on social media with #usq • Reflect on what worked well and what didn’t last semester, and learn from it!

• Set yourself 3 study goals for the new semester

Pit stop #4Semester 1 results released

Our fingers will be crossed for you (you can choose to receive them via SMS. If you don’t get the results you wanted, don’t panic! We’ve got some tips on how to bounce back)!

mega-assessment period

The Giant Drop to...

The start of Semester 2 has flown by faster than the Giant Drop. You have just started to feel settled back into study for Semester 2, when the bulk of your assessment is due! Never fear, with help from some radical planning and preparation, you’ll get through this steep descent before you know it!

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • Keep calm! • Talk to someone if you’re feeling stressed• Plan your time• Reward yourself for epic study sessions• Improve on Semester 1 note-taking skills• Focus on what motivates your study• Spice up your study life for the ultimate study session• Refocus on your goals and priorities

Pit stop #5Queen’s Birthday

Queen’s Birthday Schedule a ‘stop study day’ in honour of Her Majesty’s birthday and de-stress with friends and family.

Exam block

It’s the final assessment block for the year and it’s almost as if your body knows a holiday is just around the corner. With a head full of mixed emotions (excitement, relief, stress and maybe even panic), this is the final low dip in the rollercoaster!

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • Plan your time• Choose your study buddy wisely

(too chatty and nothing gets done!)• Reward yourself• Arrive early to your exams • Bring all necessary equipment (especially your ID card)• Free your study from internal distractions, such as hunger,

anxiety or anger• Perfect your procrastination techniques and

put the ‘pro’ in procrastination!

Pit stop #6Semester 2 results are released

#yougotthis#nervesarenatural

End of year

After all those ups and downs, you’ve finally made it! The end of the year is your time to relax, look for work experience to put your new skills into action, or to keep riding along with Semester 3 study! Why not go for a combination of all three?

APPROX. STRESS LEVELS:

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What to do? • Pat yourself on the back – you rock! • Check your enrolment and begin Semester 3**optional

• Investigate work experience or get a part-time job• Talk to a Career Development Practitioner to get some advice

about which direction to head in next• Look on CareerHub for work experience opportunities• Make the most of your summer! • Share your holiday pics on social media with #usq

Next year, you can look forward to doing it all again! You’ll be a more experienced rollercoaster rider the second time around and will know what to expect. There may be some new loops and twists, but that just makes the ride all the more exciting.

If you’re ready to start uni, but still aren’t 100% sure how to prepare, get ready to jump into study by finding out what to expect when you’re expecting to study.

CRICOS: QLD00244B NSW02225M TEQSA: PRV12081 10.1.B 10.2016 Graphics © Shutterstock

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