University is an exciting time in your life.

You are learning new things and meeting new people every day - and the best part about it all is that you are 100% in control of what you choose to engage with and who you choose to talk to. While high school is all about learning the curriculum that you have to learn, university is about shaping your own pathway and setting a course for the future that you want.

Yet, in many cases, people still drift along in university, preferring to take a back seat to their own education. They shy away from the textbook store and skip lectures like it was going out of fashion. Then, when they arrive at graduation there’s no job waiting for them. So they take a low-skill job while they wait for the perfect opportunity to roll around.

All this is happening while the dedicated students are seizing opportunities and making the most of their study. Because we’re here to tell you that the harder you work the luckier you get, and if you want to get ahead, you have to make the most of your own university experience. We’re here to tell you how.

Be proactive in how you learn

While it seems like a bit of a no-brainer the fact is that we're all guilty of just coasting sometimes - especially when the middle of semester rolls around and we’re up to our eyes in assessment. Then you end up skipping a couple of tutorials, having a bit of a sleep in and before you know it you’re three weeks behind in your readings. Argh! But if you have a plan for how you learn in place you may actually find that you’re not ahead, but you’re keeping up.

The way you manage your own learning will vary from person to person, but many people find that getting a wall calendar for assessment, using tracking and scheduling tools like Evernote and diarising their weeks are helpful.

Also, keep up with your tutorials. No matter how boring they might seem they are the only thing that isn’t recorded and watchable later (unless you’re an external student) so don’t miss out. Oftentimes, lecturers will use tutorial questions and examples in exams as a way to weed out people who have been attending and participating from those who haven’t.


Engage with your subject matter

No matter what you are learning about there is going to be some kind of documentary, TV show or book about your subject matter. When you’re at uni and you’re finding the subject matter dull in any way, take the time to try and make it interesting.

Whether you intersperse your study breaks with an episode of a TV show on your subject matter, or if you make sure you talk through lectures with your study group once a week - try to engage. It will make your understanding of the subject matter that much easier for difficult concepts.

Study overseas

You have an awesome opportunity to study abroad when you are at university - so make sure you take it. Whether its an exchange for uni credit or if you are going to go overseas and simply enjoy the experience make sure you take the opportunity if you can.

In many cases, you need to have a certain GPA. So, try and go overseas while you are in the early stages of your degree, because that’s often when your GPA will be at its highest!

Look after yourself

It goes without saying but if you’re not healthy, you’re going to have a pretty hard time of performing well at university. Get plenty of sleep, try to eat something other than UberEats and make sure you are getting plenty of exercise whenever you can.

Incidental exercise is a great way to maximise your daily goal - so walking to and from uni or riding your bike are both ways to cover your transport and get your blood pumping. Just in short: look after yourself, ok?

Take care of your mental health

One of the biggest problems facing university students is mental health issues. Many students are high performing, self-critical people who struggle with feeling inadequate or not good enough.

If you have thoughts or feelings that are making you think that you might need to talk to someone, don’t hesitate to do so. Your university will have a number to call for free counselling or psychologist services.