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Life Cycle of a First Year Student
First few weeks
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Usually new and stimulating; but while
it is exciting, it is also daunting. |
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You will probably be overwhelmed with important information
and may well suffer from information overload. |
The first few weeks are then followed by...
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A period of shock when the extent of
workload is realised. You may well have been required
to submit your first pieces of assessment and you may
feel that the whole experience is happening despite
you! |
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Do not panic!! These feelings are normal - but now
you have to make a decision.
Are you going to adapt and cope or are you not? Are
you gong to help yourself or are you not? Are you going
to seek out help (from lecturers, tutors, fellow students,
student services, administrative staff and the like)
or are you not? |
Important census dates
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This could cost you money if you are
unaware! |
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Census dates apply to all undergraduate and postgraduate units of study undertaken at Swinburne. The census date is the date set by the University up to and including which students may normally withdraw from a program or unit of study without incurring a financial or academic penalty. |
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Census dates are published via the University's Academic Calendar. |
Then in the 8th or 9th week...
For those who are either unable to or chose not to adapt
to workload demand, a very real and debilitating sense
of panic sets in and there is a self-defeating tendency
to either:
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Become totally overwhelmed and give up
= academic failure and is costly both financially (HECS
liability and future prospects) and personally; |
OR
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Realising
that you can't catch up before exams, adopt avoidance
tactics such as starting to skip classes or pretending
to rely on friends for "help"
or dropping out because you are reluctant to or "too
shy" to seek academic help = academic failure and is
costly both financially (re HECS liability and future prospects)
and personally. |
Don’t let this be you!
Many issues may impact on your ability
to survive and flourish in the first year experience. Research
has shown that even apart from academic issues influential
factors include:
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personal issues |
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social and financial pressures |
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feelings of isolation and loneliness |
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being away from home |
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negotiating accommodation and transport needs |
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the pressure of coping in a new environment (the
size of your first lecture can be off-putting enough!) |
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the financial burden of simply supporting yourself
and your studies |
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academic issues |
In this site you will find a number
of resources to help you cope with any of the above issues.
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