By Ellie Parker

Going to university for the first time can be scary, but your uni days will really be some of the most exciting few years of your life. You’ll make more friends than you keep count of, pull quite a few all-nighters and begin to have an intense appreciation for microwaveable foods. Here are some of my top tips for starting uni this year –

Making Friends

Whether you’re moving from down the road or another country, making friends at a brand new university can be daunting. You remember your first day of kindergarten? Eagerly clutching your My Little Pony or Thomas The Tank Engine lunchbox, you weren’t nervous… you were excited! I promise, uni is exactly like that. Most people only know a few people, and are just as eager as you to make friends. Go on, put yourself out there and say hi to a stranger and make some potential new uni friends!

Living on Campus

For a lot of students, uni will be their first time living away from home. But don’t worry – you will survive! Living on campus means you are forced to grow up.. yes that means washing your own clothes and cooking for yourself. The best thing about living directly where you study is that you WILL make friends. Your dormies become your besties, and there is nothing better than living less than two metres away from one of your best friends.

Studying

There is one major difference between uni and high school, and that is at uni you are completely thrown into the deep end. Barely any warnings about assignments, you will need to be organised. This means accessing your subject outlines as soon as you can, and writing all the due dates down either in a diary or your phone. Seriously, do this. You need to stay on top of all your assessments, and balance these with your social life.

Got any more questions? Check out student.csu.edu.au for more information on your course, on campus accommodation and how to view your subjects.