The Ultimate University Bootcamp - from survive to thrive

Welcome to Uni Bootcamp and the start of the rest of your life!

I'm so excited that you're on your journey to your chosen career and the sort of life you'd like.

In this lesson, we set out the key points that everyone wants (and needs) to know as they start university.

As we progress together, mark off each lesson as we go and feel free to add any suggestions into the comments area below (including what you find helpful, so I can carry on!) Please consider reviewing the course if you have feedback or think others would find it helpful.

These days we are all overwhelmed with messages, emails, alerts and texts! So this lesson explains the key points of how your university will communicate with you, as well as how you can streamline this. It also provides a summary of what university services and information you will be able to find and where to find them.

By the end, you will feel confident that you won't miss anything important as you're starting your uni career.

The key tips for success are:

• Monitor your personal email so you can see information from your university early

• Set up your student email address as soon as possible and monitor it frequently

• Access and spend some time exploring your student portal and learning management systems

• Set up email alerts for these

• Attend any suggested orientation activities (these are handy and also fun!)

Welcome to the 'Professional Email Habits' lesson in Uni Bootcamp! In today's digital age, email communication is a crucial skill to have in any professional setting and knowing how to craft a professional email can make a big difference in how you are perceived.

Not only that, setting up your university email account along with your tone, clarity and signature are crucial in order for uni staff to be able to help you.

The key tips for success in this lesson are:

• Log into your university account as soon as your uni gives you the necessary details on accepting your offer

• Create your email signature immediately and add it to every email

• Keep on top of weekly activities and information (creating your own study timetable helps!)

• Check your LMS, Student Portal and Unit Outlines for the answer before emailing

• Be prepared for a 1-2 working day wait for a reply as a minimum (i.e. plan your time – don’t leave things to the last minute)

It can be tricky to keep track of all the tasks in the lead up to the start of your first classes and we also want to make sure that you get to have some fun!

So, use this video as your O'Week Checklist. Tick off the tasks you should do in the lead up to and then during O'Week so you can feel confident you haven't missed anything major.

The things in this lesson cover key points for every student who is new to uni, but there will be other things to think about if you are also a student who is moving out of home, a student who is moving from a remote or regional area or an international student (for example).

There are also other things to cover aside the logistics (e.g. general time management skills, wellbeing and budgeting).

If you would like additional support with anything else, please leave your suggestions in the comments and I'll get to work! There are also free resources available (for example, the Government site StudyAssist explains university fees and loans).

This mini-lecture presents information that a lot of students tell me they wished they'd know in advance, so I'm so glad you're hear and getting ahead early!

In it, we will cover how to know which units to enrol in and how to get your first preference for your weekly timetable. This video ties very neatly into the one in my free resource about the amount of time it takes to study at uni.

Key tips for success:

• Be familiar with the typical study pattern before Semester

• Seek course advice before you enrol if you are unsure

• Request a personalised study plan if the typical study pattern isn’t for you

• Start timetabling early to ensure your first preferences

If there's no other lesson you have time to digest, I recommend this one!

About 40% of all undergraduate students fail at least one unit - it is a very common experience and we saw just how detrimental the consequences can be in my free resource (many students will have to do a full extra year of study!). Unfortunately, I have also worked with many students who have accidentally failed a unit - i.e. they have go to the end of their semester only to realise they have missed a requirement.

Let's make sure this isn't you! Let me know below in the comments if this was helpful.

Key tips for success:

• Check the unit outline of each unit before starting

• Ensure you are clear on all assessment requirements in advance

• Talk to a course advisor early if you already know you can’t meet a requirement

• During semester, talk to your convener if you think you will be in danger of not meeting a requirement

Thank you so much for sticking with me as we navigate the start of your uni adventure. I hope you have found this Uni Bootcamp resource really helpful and that you are feeling confident about your study.

Thank you also for your donation to the World Literacy Foundation (I donate part of everyone's purchase ??). You and they are doing wonderful things.

If you have found all this work helpful, I would really appreciate a comment below on how you have benefited. Please also feel free to add suggestions and requests for other topics!

__________________________________________________________________

Although this might sound straightforward, there are some really important things to know about your university's academic calendar so you can get the most out of your study (and your life outside of study!).

The Academic Calendar is your university’s dates for

• When teaching periods start and finish (e.g. O’Week, Sem-1) (Clashes with study periods could jeopardise your ability to meet unit requirements so make sure you know when these are before planning the rest of your year)

• When assessment periods are scheduled (e.g. Sem-1 Exam Period) (Don’t schedule personal travel during exam periods - it is often not counted as a reason you can be approved to sit the assessment at a different time.)

• Census Date (The date before which you can still withdraw from units without academic or financial penalty - so handy to try things out and figure out your life and routine and then know when you can withdraw if you need!)