Are you ready to study at ACPE?
Getting started at ACPE
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You will need an environment at home that will encourage you to study. Create an area that is free of clutter and distractions such as television and telephones. The area needs adequate lighting and ventilation; as well as a comfortable chair. You should be happy to sit there for blocks of 1-2 hours at a time. It is best to have your own access to a computer and to the internet. Try to keep this place for study only.
Organise a folder for each subject that you undertake and a year planner/ calendar so that you can see all your assessment tasks set out across the semester. Make sure you have a diary that suits you where you can put To Do lists and important dates.
You will also need a range of stationery and other equipment such as a dictionary and a thesaurus.
A word about time management
University is a relatively unstructured learning environment. Classes are only scheduled for part of your day and the rest of the time is yours to manage. You could expect to study for approximately 40 hours per week for a full-time course in addition to your classes. If you are coming from school this is a big change as most of your time is filled up by classes for five days a week. You have to be independent and self-directed.
Homework requirements shift. At school we may have done approximately 1 hour of homework for every 2 hours of school; whereas, at university we can expect 2 hours of required study for every one hour of lecture or tutorial. Your private study time requirements increase.
Assessment can be different
A lot of students find that assignments are longer and more involved than those at school. At school you may have had many small assignments and more feedback on a regular basis. It is not unusual for student to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work, especially at peak assessment periods. Planning and organisation will be essential.
Self-responsibility and self-management is required
You have to take responsibility for your own learning to a larger degree than you may have had to before. Below are some examples of this:
- Lecture groups can be large and you need to make contact with the lecturer (rather than seeing a teacher every day such as is often the case at school).
- You are given a reading list and expected to find and read the articles on it.
- Note-taking in class is almost essential. Class notes are not always given out and you need to know the material for assessment and understanding.
Know your priorities and work out what you want to achieve
Some people experience the extra freedom of university and take on extra commitments and responsibilities and find that they dont have the time to study. Socialising is often high on the agenda and needs to be balanced with requirements for study. The ability to prioritise is essential. You will need to make intelligent, thoughtful and informed decisions about what tasks to do and when it is easiest and most productive to do them.
Have self-development goals
Be prepared to take on feedback and criticism and work to improve in your chosen field. Flexibility and a can-do attitude can help you make the most out of your learning experience.