Universities and TAFEs have a wide range of student services to help with any challenges you might experience. This can include studying workshops, mentoring programs, library services, essay-writing help and counselling services. Your campus might also have first year coordinators to assist with the transition to tertiary studies. Check out student services and find out what’s on offer. 

Your campus is likely to run an Orientation Program/Orientation Week (O-Week), where they’ll provide lots of information on student life and show you around the campus. 

Having a support network is super important but making new friends can be hard work. Universities and TAFEs usually have clubs and groups that you can join – see what’s available at student services or on the notice boards around your campus.  

During O-Week, there will be lots of opportunities to meet people. Check out your student services and see what’s on offer. If you’re worried about going alone, bring a friend along to support you. 

It might take time and effort to find people that you connect with, so keep trying different things until you do.  

A good way to meet people and stay motivated is to join a study group. Study groups help people understand the topics on a deeper level. You’ll support each other to learn and boost each other when you’re just not feeling it. Check out the forums run by your campus, or ask at student services and see what’s on offer. 

Tertiary learning is really different to secondary school; it’s self-driven. You can't rely on getting reminders about homework and no-one will call your house to see why you didn’t show up. It’s your responsibility to make it work.  

Schedule study times into your day or week and stick to them as much as possible. Don't get down on yourself if you end up skipping a day though, no-one is perfect, just pick it up the next day. It’s also important to schedule times in your day to do things that you enjoy and that help you relax. 

There are many different ways to break down your time, so experiment until you find something that works for you. 

Setting goals helps us make positive changes in our lives. Try setting short-term or longer-term study goals. Sometimes the things we want to achieve can seem too big and overwhelming, so breaking down your goals into manageable chunks can help you take those first steps: The first step is often the hardest. 

Working and studying at the same time can be really hard, but careful planning can help. Some our tips for managing this include: 

• create a daily or weekly schedule that outlines your study and work hours 
• set study goals and reward yourself every step of the way 
• make time to do the things you enjoy that help you de-stress
• find a quiet place for study and set up your space 
• make sure you have enough time in your week to meet your study and work commitments.  

Starting Uni or TAFE can bring challenges with your budget. You might be buying your lunch more often or socialising more. Having a budget helps you control your money and gives you confidence that you can afford your lifestyle. Budgets help you keep track of your spending. There are lots of apps that can help you, and you can also check out our tips.

We all feel stressed from time to time; it can be useful and help motivate us, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming. It’s important to prepare for some stress – it’s pretty common to feel this when we’re faced with big changes. Often the stress is temporary and we adjust in time, and there are things you can do to support yourself. 

• learn about stress and your early warning signs. Stress is our body’s way of reacting to pressure when we’re faced with challenging situations. There are things you can do that can help you cope
• make a list of things you can do to support yourself. Things that you enjoy and that help you de-stress 
• notice your unhelpful thoughts. If your worries are getting out of control, try an app like Worry Time 
• accept that some things are out of your control, and others might not go to plan  
• be kind to yourself. Self-compassion helps gives us the strength to continue when we’re faced with life’s challenges 

No matter what’s going on in your life, it’s a good idea to look after your headspace. Our tips for a healthy headspace can support you to live your life in a positive and meaningful way and help you bounce back when times are tough.  

These are things like staying connected with family and friends, building your skills for tough times, staying active, getting enough sleep, eating well, and cutting back on alcohol and other drugs.