Many students find that entering trimester two there are many things they wish they knew in trimester one. We sat down with two first year Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) students, Wael Khan and Jakson Perez, and asked them what they wished they knew in their first trimester of studying. Hopefully their tricks and tips can help you better navigate your first trimester with the Wellington School of Business and Government regardless of whether it’s the first or final year of your undergraduate studies.
Time Management
University takes up time, but it doesn’t need to take up all your time. Building a schedule is key and keeping consistent aids in success. Our tip would be to create a system. Whether that be a calendar, to-do list, reminders or widgets on your phone, set a system that works for you. This will help you not only keep track of when your lectures and tutorials are, but also assignments, and even those small tasks that can start to pile-up. In addition, Jakson highlighted how lectures that are recorded can be watched with subtitles and even sped up, thus helping when you need to consolidate some knowledge, allowing you to speed up the catching-up process.
Preparation
Sitting down with Wael, he noted that preparation was key, suggesting some baseline research prior to the lectures. This can be reading over the lecture-slides or even consolidating your knowledge from the readings. This can help you be familiar with the material so your interaction with it within the lecture is further refined. He also pointed out the importance of eating and drinking prior to the lecture, this helps with focus and overall performance during the lecture.
Routines
Another aspect highlighted was the importance of routines. Balancing time for your study, your social life, and even your work life. Brook-Lynn's article explored the benefits of working while studying, but doing this relies on a good foundation of routines.
Jakson highlighted the idea of “keep up, don’t catch up”, which encompasses going through notes and refining them, rewatching lectures, or reviewing reading materials. Wael pointed out that “rewatching the lectures helps to determine what needs to be added or even taken away” when it comes to notes.
Te Taiako Student Learning here at Victoria University of Wellington has a lot of resources for you to use. These include StudyHub online resources for more information on time management and preparation, student workshops, and even one-on-one appointments offered at all campuses.
Overall, university is not as stressful you might think. All you need are good plans and practices in place. Trimester 1 for many is a trimester of firsts, and hopefully these tips make it slightly easier for you. It’s important to find what works for you, and to not be afraid to reach out for help if needed.