Hello 2024, are you ready?
It’s now 2024 and your anticipation for your offer letters is peaking to its limit as your stomach and gut is swirling in anxiety. There’s nothing more stressful than the waiting game – No one likes it, especially when some of your friends have already received emails determining what’s the next step.
So how ready are you for 2024?
Have you started writing down your 2024 educational resolutions for the new year? If you haven’t maybe, it’s time to sit down and understand that it’s going to be a whole new experience entering undergraduate studies.
It may sound silly to be writing down your educational goals, but understanding what it takes to ensure a smooth transition from high school to tertiary studies can assist you towards knowing what to do when the big day starts.
Examples of 2024 Educational Resolutions:
#1 Type first, write them down after.
Most of the time, you’ve been writing with pen and paper. If you’re tech-savvy, you’ve been using your laptop or a digital pen on a tablet – If it’s only reading and it’s not sticking into your mind, perhaps it takes more than just typing to be able to memorize your notes. We can’t always get it correct the first time.
You may have done it while you were studying for your Trials and HSC, but it’s repetition and consistent writing on paper that can assist you in understanding what is missing within your notes (especially when things don’t make sense) and ensuring that you do some more research to fill in the gaps and knowing what’s the next question to ask in next week’s class. If you’re aimlessly typing what you’re hearing/seeing, how do you know if you’re understanding if you’re going to be only skimming through your notes and assuming things are okay?
#2 Don’t do things last-minute – Reduce procrastination.
Time’s ticking and the mindset of “I’ll do it later” or “This is easy, I can finish this within the last few days before the submission” are a few common thoughts to push a priority task away and to use as a reason to procrastinate. As you do more group-work activities, assessments and have different units all having their submission dates all next to one another, it becomes very stressful to crunch everything out all at once.
You’re challenging what you know with your assessments and tasks, and leaving it to last minute will add more to your stress and anxiety when you know that times almost near to submission.
#3 Time-management.
Let’s be honest, how many times have you promised yourself that you will be managing your time effectively after each new year? If you’re not someone that enjoys studying, it’s time to challenge yourself to manage your time when it comes to your studies. A bit of studying within intervals of the week can allow you more time for a better study, work and life balance where things aren’t pushed to the very last minute.
Like reducing your procrastination, time management allows you to effectively understand more about your strengths and weaknesses towards deadlines and how you often approach stressful situations like examinations. It’s a habit that will greatly help you, and it will become a useful skill for the future.
#4 Asking questions without fearing the judgement.
It’s daunting to ask questions, especially when the classroom is silent. You don’t want to be the one always asking questions, and you certainly don’t want to be the one that looks clueless.
But asking questions is what helps you and your peers to understand difficult concepts and theories. It also builds more trust and confidence within yourself and your classmates where it creates a bridge between student and lecturer/teacher. Once one question is asked and answered, more questions will start to arise which will help you understand more and expose you to different insights and approaches.
If it’s too much to ask within a classroom, don’t hesitate to reach out via email or speaking to them after class.
So how can you prepare for your studies?
It can be easy to assume that tertiary studies are like secondary education, however, it’s not a simple thing. It’s not all about the latest technology being brought into a classroom (to assist with your studies), and it’s certainly not something that you can assume to sit and listen without needing to do anything.
Here are some things that can help you prepare for your new study journey:
#1 Instead of using trendy new technology, use what you’re confident in.
Sometimes, having the newest tech may mean that you’ll be ahead of everyone else. Although it’s a confidence-booster to have the latest things within your bag where it may give you greater benefits like convenience, it’s often something that may take you time to learn to ensure you get the greatest benefits out of it.
From technology hacks, to learning new programs and software that’s not on your current device, it can become quite conflicting to be learning that you cannot use a certain program due to software differences while seeing the content slides flick through the board quickly.
Use what you’re comfortable and confident in, then decide what’s the next best step or device if it’s not efficient with your current new study habits.
#2 Online textbooks are your friends – Don’t be quick to buy new required textbooks.
While you have other expenses to worry about, don’t be too quick to buy everything new, especially when it’s going to be used for one or two semesters. Check your online student forums, local online marketplaces and bookstores to see if there are second-hand or used textbooks. They’ll be a portion of the original cost and can save you money.
Online textbooks will also save you a lot of time, money and space as well. They will be readily available on your devices and can be digitally highlighted for notetaking while also saving your shoulders the extra weight.
#3 Have a small notebook, pen and pencil in your bag.
You never know when you need it. Sometimes you’ll forget your digital devices, or you’ll forget your laptop/tablet charger – You just can’t sit there with nothing to help you write down your notes.
Being a bit more prepared and having these things will ensure that you don’t miss out on anything. It doesn’t take up that much space so just keep it in your bag.
#4 It’s time to challenge yourself to talk to more people around you. You’re not going to be around your high school friends all the time in class.
Being exposed to new people will allow you to build your confidence and networking skills. It’s common to find yourself surrounded by people who you don’t know. Not to mention, there’s a lot of groupwork and presentations which you need to mentally prepare for.
To ensure that you know those sitting around you, engage in small talk and build them into conversations that allow you to learn new and different insights. It’s time to stop looking down at your phone when you’re alone in class and turn to the person next to you and learn about them where friendships can start within the classroom.
Although the points listed above can be quite easy to assume that it’s achievable, did you know that many people tend to isolate themselves in a new learning environment in fear of the unknown? Maybe it’s time to also write down in your 2024 resolutions that you’ll challenge yourself to not follow the same old habits that you have in 2023.
It’s a new year, and you’ll be going somewhere else to continue your educational studies.
Did you know that CIHE has an Open Day on Saturday, 20 January 2024?
Learn more about your educational options and what CIHE has to offer for your studies by visiting here: CIHE January 2024 Open Day.
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