It’s not high school anymore Ned Bigby, and to prepare you for the (semi) real world, your friendly UniGuides are here to arm you with some top tips they wish they knew on their first year of uni.
Unless you’ve kept a keen eye on the international news lately, the reason you’re a bit nervous heading into university is probably the fact you’re adjusting to a new environment. And that’s fair enough, because university can be a scary place. Dragged away from the usual comfort of high school, you might feel like Cookie without his glasses, or Coconut Head with a different haircut.
But very soon you’ll be like us, with your only reminiscence of high school being outdated references to a Nickelodeon show that got axed over a decade ago. You’ll get to a point where you won’t just be wondering who Billie Eilish is; you’ll be asking who Maroon 5 are.
Point is, the transition is quick and scary, but it’s also exciting. You’re one step closer to becoming as independent as Jamie Lee Ross! Now that I’ve stretched my joke library thin, I can tell you we UniGuides are here to share with you our top tips we wish we knew as first-years, in the hopes that we can help you navigate this complex and unfamiliar territory that is university.
But first, a little bit about us! We’re the friendly faces (and fellow students) trained to be your buddies and mentors as you adapt to your new university environment. Check out UniGuide Programme on Facebook to meet our friendly team, and to get in touch for anything we can do to ease your transition into university. Read on to learn more about our free campus hangout events all first years are invited to, but for now, enjoy the listicle!
1. Sensational Chicken is awesome. Not even submitting an essay at 11:59pm on Turnitin, or skipping the line at UBIQ for an online order beats the satisfaction of laying your hands on Mount Street’s famous fried succulents. A store so iconic they managed to expand to the other side of the road, look out for this uni sensation as it manages to grow faster than Adam Driver’s film career.
2. Understandably, some students will be looking for more ethical food alternatives, and thankfully our uni has this base excellently covered as well. Visit the Veda and Sustainability Network stalls on Barracks Lawn, as they regularly serve vegan curries for a measly five dollars. We at Craccum have spoken out many times about our love for these vegan lunches, which we treasure almost as much as our editorial independence, and Lachlan’s natural ability to rip on David Seymour.
3. Speeding lectures on x2 speed is great, but occasionally you’ll have the lecturer who may find themselves ‘caught up’ in discussing the extra reading material. In that case, did you know you can download a chrome plugin to speed your recordings up even further? Google Canvas Video Enhancer for a good one, which lets you test your need for speed and ramp it up to x3. Especially useful when you’ve got a dozen recordings to get through in one day 😉
4. Shadows is a student institution which our editor Dan forbids me to bad-mouth, and with good reason. From David Seymour to Savage, and to… hey, is that David Seymour again?… Shadows plays host to a whole plethora of B-list celebrities who are waiting for Dancing with the Stars to revitalize their career. With not only cheap booze and food to offer, did you know that Shadows plays regular host to cheap and fun student events? Look out on Facebook for the quiz, bingo or live music night every now and then, and go see for your own eyes what time away from Craccum does to Dan.
5. Naps can become a commodity as you progress further in your degree, so nap as much as you can (wherever you can). However, be aware that you’re poking a dangerous beast, and that with a delicious lunch, a couch, and the freedom not to show up to your next class, you risk being out like a light. The bus is always a great place to nap; however, having tried it once, and almost being locked in overnight, I wouldn’t recommend it.
6. Free food is everywhere if you look hard enough for it (perhaps our pizza event is a good place to start). If you find that the student budget is starting to disagree with your desire to eat dinner, perhaps it’s time to visit a startup’s beta testing event, or crash an employer’s career evening. If you are going to employ this tactic, get used to eating little other than Domino’s Pizza though.
7. Most of the time, a “prescribed textbook” really means a phrase in a book that your lecturer refers to in ONE of your classes, and never talks about again. Be wary before splurging your money on a thousand-page textbook you may see little of during the year; if you must, purchase them second-hand, or else the General Library will more than likely have it for you to loan. Although, if it’s daddy’s money, then by all means… Wanna grab mine too?
8. Most importantly, go out there and find something fun to do! Enjoy yourself and live your uni life to the fullest. Make sure there’s something for you to look forward to coming in each day, whether that be a sport, social club or even just a good group of friends. You’ll have your highs and lows here, but at the end of the day, it’s the friendships you’ve made that you’ll remember, so get started in forming some great ones!
We hope you enjoyed this fun and silly listicle as much as we enjoyed writing it! Before you go, UniGuides have worked hard on planning an exciting calendar of events for first years. If you’re looking for a fun group activity to get involved in your first few weeks, then ask your UniGuide about these events:
Week 1 (Tuesday 3rd March, 1pm): Free pizza and activities at Albert Park.
Week 1 (Friday 6th March, 6pm): Outdoor cinema screening outside Munchy Mart.
Week 2 (Thursday 12th March, 6pm): Quiz night at international space.
Week 3 (Tuesday 17th March, 6pm): Board game night at Workshop 101.
Week 4 (Friday 27th March, 6pm): Bowling at MetroLanes.
AND MORE EXCITING EVENTS NOT TO BE MISSED!!!
