Getting the Most out of Orientation

Orientation Week at the beginning of each semester is a time when most departments are trying to give you whatever information you need to hit the ground running.

The orientation week at the beginning of first semester can be daunting. This is the time when the most new students are trying to find their way around the university or college. The crowds can be large and the information a little out of context as you don't know what you need to know just yet. Many students can find orientation week a little disorienting.

It is still well worth your while to attend, though, and if you can push through the stress of all the newness, you will learn some things to your advantage.

The O-week for second semester is usually a bit less stressful. Crowds are smaller and there are fewer events to attend, so its easier to work out what you want to see.

It's always a good idea for a new student to attend the orientation week sessions before starting studies, but it can also be useful for first year students to attend the o-week for the next semester as well. By this stage in time you would have a better idea of what you need to know to make the most of your studies (or at least to make things easier while studying at university/college) - the sessions may seem more relevant as they might be answering some questions instead of giving you information out of context.

To get the most out of any orientation week you should look at attending sessions offered by your School and the Library. A good rule of thumb is to try to attend at least two sessions offered by each. Beyond that, you should also make a point of attending at least one social event - preferably something that gives you the chance to find out what sort of groups and clubs are around the campus.

A little bit of effort put in during orientation week can make the rest of your semester run much more smoothly, so it's worth pulling out your new student diary and marking in a few sessions.

Tips for Studying in Block Mode, #1

Ah, yes, block mode.

An interesting form of study. On the one hand it gets subjects over and done with rather quickly, on the other hand it's a bit like the Tour de France: a hard slog that barely gives you time to notice how much you're hurting.

My first tip for surviving... er... studying in block mode is to think about it as an endurance sport. You won't get anywhere by thinking about how big an undertaking the whole thing is, you have to take it one manageable stage at a time.

So, think about each week as a stage in your tour. Set goals to achieve for that week, and give yourself a reward for every goal that you can tick off your list. Even giving yourself a gold star can make the world seem like a brighter place.

Don't worry so much about the work you have to do next week. Next week is a good enough time to worry about that. Of course, if you have something due on the Monday of next week, you might want to incorporate it into this week's goals...

And, remember, the library is still there, and the librarians have less students to work with at the moment, which gives them more time to help you. They're more than happy to help you tackle the research you need for your assignments.

So, remember, you've got a support crew and you only have to tackle the studies one stage at a time. You're not doing it all on your own, and you're not doing it all in one hit. Breathe, put 'one foot in front of the other' and work steadily. You'll get there in the end.