Welcome to your first year at Griffith! This is a new and possibly scary experience as it is a huge change, but don’t worry we are here to help. Here is 5 tips for first year students to help you start your tertiary education with a bang.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We are all here to learn and a big part of learning is not knowing a lot to begin with. Asking questions will help you learn and perform better in assignments. So many other students are in the same boat as you, they may even have the same questions as you. You’re paying to be here so don’t forget to use your resources.  

2. Connect with classmates. Say “Hi” to the person next to you at orientation or on the first day of class. Find likeminded people in classes or join clubs to expand your network or make lifelong friends. You will need help from other students to collaborate and exchange ideas for assignments. Making friends in Uni will decrease your stress because you have more people in the same position as you.

3. Stay up to date. University events, deadlines and opportunities for self-improvement pop up all the time so tune into your email and follow the SRC Instagram for social events, first aid courses and free campus events. This is another way to connect with other students. Try to read your emails at the beginning of the day because sometimes classes get moved online or assignment due date get changed. 

4. Set realistic goals. You can’t save $20,000 in one year if your only making $20,000 a year. Instead of being hard on yourself for not getting full marks, aim to improve incrementally above what you are getting now. You may be pleasantry surprised when you get higher mark than you think. A realistic goal to set this year is to make connections with 5 other students by the end of the trimester.  

5. Financial literacy and awareness. Be mindful of where your money goes, reflect on what you aren’t using such as streaming services. During the trimester, you might want to cycle one streaming service at a time or cancel them entirely. Try replacing them with free services such as ABC iView, 7 plus and SBS on demand. They have reality TV shows, drama, international movies. Depending on your workload, you won’t have enough time to get the most out of what you pay for.  

Now it’s time to put these tips into action! Keep them in the back of your mind when going through your time at uni, and good luck! We hope to see you on campus!