Transition Issues for International Students
Are you an international student and have moved to Australia alone? Would you like some advice? Some of your concerns are common to many students - explore the links on this page to discover more.
Links specifically for International students:
Transition Issues for Mature Age Students
Visit the New Student Web Site to help you settle in.
I feel lonely because the classes are full of younger students and I don't have anything in common with them.
Mature age students sometimes feel that they can't talk to younger students. They feel younger students are not new to study, they seem to know the system and they might already have a social group. But younger students sometimes say that mature age students know so much, have lots of experience, are so serious about their study, that they're actually intimidated by you.
So, give younger students a chance to find their feet and develop their confidence. You'll probably find they are just as scared in the first few weeks as you are but have different ways of showing it. Make an effort to get to know them. You might be able to help each other out.
I have little opportunity to make friends outside of classroom time because I have to rush home to look after the family, other relatives, pick up children or go to part time work.
The juggling act of study, home and work can be very frustrating. Increase your feeling of connectedness to other people at university:
Exchange telephone numbers/email addresses with students who seem friendly and keep in contact that way. |
Form a study group with other students and meet regularly to help each other study. |
If you are based at the St Albans campus, use the mature age part time student room to meet other mature age students. |
Involve yourself in on-campus activities such as join a Peer Mentoring group, write for the student union newspaper, join a club.
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Also remember that many younger students have busy lives and extra demands on their time.
Transition Issues for:
Transition Issues for High School → HIGHER ED Students
Students who come to university from high school can face a variety of issues.
I attended a small high school and had close relationships with my teachers and a close circle of friends. At uni I know no-one and feel very isolated.
Get involved and become informed:
I find it strange to be in classes with a mixture of ages and experiences.
Give yourself a chance to develop confidence and get to know each other. You'll find that the variety of people is one of the many things that makes being at university interesting.
I thought I would be on a large campus with lots of other students and lots happening but I'm on a really small campus and it seems a bit dead.
Some students feel disappointed that their campus is very similar to their old high school. While the campus environment is important, the most important thing is that you're in the right course for you. Being happy with your course usually means you feel more relaxed which means you usually make friends more easily and all in all feel good about where you are and what you're studying.
The campus is very large and I feel lost.
Finding your way around Maps
Remember: there are 2 campuses in Footscray and 2 in the city - check you're going to the right one!
Host scheme - get involved
I have lots of different lecturers so no one really knows me.
It is up to you to note the name of your lecturer and tutor and your course coordinator. Get their contact details (room number, phone and email) and make yourself known to them.
I'm having a great time making friends and going out all the time. I don't have much work to do. Uni's great!
If this happens you, it's great that you are making friends and having a good time. However, if you think you are not being given much work then check this.
I expect the tutors to remind me when work is due in.
This may not happen. Look in your subject guide to check when the assignments are due in.
I have an assignment due in six weeks time so I'm ignoring it until closer to the due date.
Six weeks might seem like a long time and in some ways it is. However, if you remember that each semester is only thirteen weeks long that means six weeks is nearly half of your semester and a quarter of your study year. You are given long lengths of time in which to complete assignments because your tutors believe that this is how long you will need to do a proper job, especially considering all the other assignments you have to do. The six weeks includes analysing and making sure you know what the assignment is asking you to do, going to the library and finding relevant materials, writing drafts of your assignment, returning to the library for different materials, proof reading your essay. If you leave the assignment until later you will put yourself under lots of pressure because other assignments will also be due.
I have friends who have told me that you don't need to work very hard at uni.
Sometimes students say this because in comparison to year 12 it feels like you are under much less pressure. Unlike year 12 when your teachers pressured you and monitored your progress this, at university, you need to be independent and monitor your own progress. Lecturers and tutors won't ask you to study: you need to tell yourself and manage your own time.
Transition Issues for TAFE → HIGHER ED Students
Moving from TAFE to Higher Ed is an exciting time and can also raise lots of questions and sometimes anxieties. Here are some common issues faced by students making this transition:
- Making friends with a new set of students and lecturers.
- Having fewer hours in the classroom and more hours in which you have to study independently.
- Different expectations in terms of your writing.
Do you have other issues you would like to tell other students about? Email me: fiona.henderson@vu.edu.au
Transition Issues for Rural Students
Getting to know other students is a major priority for any student but particularly if you are from overseas or from a region of Australia far away from Victoria University. If you are living at the Student Village then you may find it easier to make friends. However, if you are living in lodgings or with family members it might be harder to make friends quickly. One way to meet other students of course is to talk to other students before, during and after classes. Some students find it easier than others. Just remember that other students are feeling just like you are and they'll be grateful that someone is talking to them.
Another way to meet other students is by joining a student Club or Society.
Visit the New Student Web Site to help you settle in.
Transition Issues for Postgraduate Students
Being a post graduate means you have already graduated from your Bachelors degree. A post graduate degree means after your first degree. A post graduate might be someone who is enrolled in a Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate, a Masters by minor thesis, wholly thesis or fully course work or a PhD (also referred to as a Doctorate).
Working more independently
Some students find that being a post graduate is very different because they have to work much more on their own and be even more responsible than in their first degree for organising their own time and motivating themselves. It is for these reasons that you must make sure you enroll in a post graduate course in which you are very interested.
Post graduate writing
One issue that can confront post graduates for the first time is writing at a much longer length than they have in the past (usually over 3000 words). Writing in a formal academic style is also sometimes an issue.
If you are studying via coursework your assignments will be longer and more detailed, if a Masters student or PhD student will have to design and conduct a piece of research, analyse the findings and discuss the findings. You will be assigned a lecturer who is an expert in your field , known as a supervisor with whom you will have meetings during the year.
Have a look at some online resources which deal with research-based writing.
Transition Issues for:
Second year can be very rewarding. You no longer have the worries of working out where everything is on campus, you've usually made friends and, usually, you're happy with your course. However, 2nd year students can sometimes suffer from the 2nd year blues. You might be overwhelmed by the thought of another 2 years study, find the increase in workload and expectations difficult to deal with or have work or family issues that affect how you feel about studying.
I'm bored with my course and feel I want to leave university
This feeling could pass after a couple of weeks but if the feeling lasts and is making you unhappy, then you must talk to someone or preferably a combination of people: a friendly tutor, your course coordinator, a counselor, or a careers officer.
The workload has increased and tutors seem to want more from me than last year.
You are no longer in first year. Just as years 11 and 12 at high school were more difficult than earlier school years, the same is the case at uni.
Transition Issues for 3rd Year Students
3rd year can be very exciting because you have nearly completed your degree. But you might worrying about finding work once the degree is finished or an increase in your study workload.
When I get my degree what can I do with it?
Visit the Victoria University's Careers Web site for advice on job seeking, resumes and other useful job seeking information.
Check to see if you can participate in a mentoring program linking you with workplace employees.
After doing OK for the first two years of my course, my marks have suddenly dropped.
This can be a worry. Sometimes students forget that moving up a year means that study workloads often increase and the standard of your work is expected to reflect the fact that you are a final year student. Common things that result in lower marks include hasty and sloppy preparation, failing to proof read your work, handing work that is not analytical and/or detailed enough. Put the time and energy into your studies to enable you to achieve your best.
