1. Strategies for Success at Swinburne
What it takes to be a successful university student (Part 1)
Monday 12th February 2018
John Schwartz
Coordinator Academic Development Advisors Group.
Room: AS 422 Tel:

2. Welcome!
Your presence here today means that you are serious about taking control of your studies.
This lecture/ workshop is a part of an ongoing orientation process in which the Faculty of Health, Arts and Design is trying to assist you in your university studies.
No matter which course you are doing this is about YOU getting the most out of your journey as a university student and realizing your full potential with good academic results from the start of this coming semester.
While this is a formal lecture/workshop, please feel free to ask questions at anytime. Your input is always welcome!

3. Introduction: What is the “Strategies for Success Program”?
Let’s start by asking three important questions you should be thinking about:
Why are you here?
That is….
1. Why are you here today?
2. Why have you enrolled in your course?
3. And most importantly…..Why have you decided to become a university student?
We will get back to these questions at the end of this session.

4. What is the purpose of the “S4S Program” ?
To show that you are committed to your studies. To show some self discipline, to manage your time and work out what your priorities are for Semester 1. To charge your energy levels up and become more motivated! To be enthused about university study and understanding what it takes to succeed. You might also learn something new or get some fresh ideas about how to succeed in your studies. To meet and form friendships with other students in your course

5. How different is Tertiary education from Secondary education?
From the outset, university life immediately signals a huge amount of freedom compared to anything you may have experienced in your secondary education in public high or private schools!

6. The standout differences between Tertiary (Higher Education) and Secondary Education.
All those around you are adults.
At university there are no bells and no-one wears uniforms.
There are no detention classes!
There are no late passes!
There are no notes to parents!
There are no parent / teacher nights.

7. How different is university from high school or TAFE?
In your time at secondary school and/or TAFE you got to know your teachers very well and saw them almost daily throughout the long 40 week academic year.
They often gave you one-on-one attention - both in and out of classes.
Teachers constantly reminded you about exams and assignments you had to complete.
The job of the teachers was solely to teach and help you.

8. How different is university from high school or TAFE?
This means that:
School / TAFE experiences often means that students become very reliant upon their teachers.
As a result, School / TAFE students often have not yet learned to be more proactive and independent about their learning.
Additionally, School / TAFE students have also not fully developed their own time management skills.

9. The Reality of University Life
At university, most students enrol for 2 semesters a year, which equals 24 weeks of classes for the year – compared with the more than 40 weeks of classes you had in year 12.
Most full time university courses have only hours of classes a week over the 12 week (or 60 day) semester – depending on the course you are enrolled in.
Depending on your timetable, you could even have 1 or 2 days “off” every week! (so…a normal 60 day semester could end up meaning you come to university for around 48 or 36 days per semester)

10. The Reality of University Life
Yet for most Year 12 students classes ran from 9 am – pm from Monday to Friday.
At university, Lectures, Tutorials and Lab sessions are not compulsory (attendance rolls are not taken in lectures - they mostly are in tutorials and Labs), but you won’t be punished if you don’t go to them!
At university, your lecturers and tutors do not really get to know you as well as your school teachers did.
Your contact with university staff is for far fewer hours per week – and only for 12 weeks during a Semester.
And unlike your school and/or TAFE teachers, the role of university academics is not solely to teach you.

11. The Reality of University Life
Most academics are active researchers, attend conferences and need to publish - while most of your tutors are also post graduate students themselves.
They don’t as a rule come to you - to give you lengthy one-on-one attention.
You need to take the initiative and ask your teachers questions if you need help.
You are expected to remind yourself about deadlines.
This really about independent learning.
There is no spoon feeding at university.

12. Transition for mature age students
Changes in your life – family, social, work arrangements now need to be thought through.
You need to be more “Self-Motivated” and set your own goals.
You are now the Boss of yourself.
That is, no-one is looking over your shoulder, there is no Boss other than you!

13. Reality Bites
Where assumptions come unstuck: Why do some students fail?
In many Victorian and Australian Universities, an increasing number of first year students FAIL a majority of their units in their first semester (they are then listed as being “at risk” and if they also fail the second semester they are listed as “unsatisfactory” and could be asked to “show cause”).
Added to this another group of students drop out of university all together!
For an increasing number of university students now enrolled in online courses, (that is through OUA or Swinburne Online), the fail/drop out rate is also a growing concern.
Therefore we have to look at the assumptions, the attitudes – and the work ethic of those failing students.

14. Why the high fail rate?
One of the obvious reasons some students fail is that they are really not sure that they want to be at university in the first place!
Because of this, they tend to often drop out, or fail a number of units.
So why are these students enrolled in a university course?
Three possible reasons are:
Social pressure from family and also from our national culture which values higher education.
Social pressure from friends, or peer pressure associated with the status and prestige associated with being a university student.
There are no clear alternatives. For example, no interesting jobs out there which don’t require qualifications - or you not yet ready for full time employment

15. The Obvious Point:
You have to really want to be at university, enrolled in a course you really want to do!

16. Motivation
Motivation is often associated with having goals or put in other ways….aims or dreams.
Either you are motivated and set your own goals, or you aren't …..and you don’t.
No one else can force you to become motivated. It has to come from within you. ie You must set your own goals!
Being motivated is one of the key requirements for success in university study and life in general!
Motivated people take responsibility for their own lives.
The literature suggests that there are 4 different forms of motivation: Internal, positive, external & negative. 
Various combinations of these can be brought together to help you achieve success in your studies.

17. Motivation Internal Motivation:
I'm determined to get a good broad education.
I want a secure future and will feel better about myself if I obtain a degree.
Positive Motivation:
I can learn and understand more about this field.
I have the ability to get a degree and I know I can do the work.
External Motivation:
My mother and father will be proud of me if I succeed at Uni.
Many of my friends are also studying at Uni.
Negative Motivation:
If I fail my parents will think I'm stupid.
My girlfriend / boyfriend will be more qualified than I am.

18. What Strategies can I use to get Motivated for Study?
A brief exercise for you to do right now!
Construct a written list of all the positive, internal, external and possible negative forces that can and will motivate you to study this Semester.
Also, Identify your own goals:
Long term (5 years),
Medium term (1 year)
Pin up the motivational forces and long and medium goals list in a prominent place.
Later we will talk about short term goals….ie month/week/day

19. What Strategies can I use to get Motivated for Study?
If you are losing motivation in your degree because you are unsure of its relevance or career outcomes, then make an appointment with an Academic Development Adviser (such as Paul or myself) or a Swinburne Career Counsellor. 
If you feel that stress and problems are getting you down, then make an appointment with a Swinburne personal counsellor or a psychologist.

20. Why Students Fail at University
Lack of Motivation often means that...
Students don’t go to classes (Lectures, Tutorials, Workshops, Labs).
Students are late going to classes – and/or leave classes early.
Students don’t keep up with the required reading.
Students don’t ask for help when it is needed.
Students don’t hand in work on time.
Students spend too much time on non-study activities (working long hours at a job, socialising, playing video games, sport, music).
Students continue to procrastinate – for example, they spend a huge number of hours on social media – facebook, twitter, instagram
Students procrastinate usually because they are full of fear!
Students are guilty of academic misconduct (ie plagiarism – more on that tomorrow!)

21. Missing Classes: How much does it really cost to miss classes?
The cost can mean failure and having to repeat units.
In a 12 week semester, missing 3 lectures means you have missed 25% of the course content.
While some units specify a % of the final marks which are allocated to regular attendance and participation in classes – all lecturers and tutors regard regular attendance as essential.
Regular and punctual attendance is seen as a reflection of your participation, involvement, interest and enthusiasm in the subject, or in other words, it is about how serious you are about this unit and your studies in general.
When you are sitting on a final mark of around 49%, 59%, 69% or 79%, this can make a huge difference!

22. How Important is Class Attendance?
Even if you think a lecturer or tutor is boring or if he/she has an accent that is hard to follow, this is no reason to skip classes.
These lecturers / tutors still know their material and what they teach you is invaluable!
You really have to adjust to how they teach you

23. How Important is Class Attendance?
You will still need to pay full and complete attention in order to gain knowledge and understanding about the subject matter.
They all present important material – the content of your unit - and you need to be there to receive it!
At university, you sign up (and pay!) for classes – in order to complete a degree program.

24. Using mobile phones in classes
It would be fair to say that nearly all academics take a dim view of students talking, texting or engaging with their mobile phones during lecture, tutorial, lab, studio or seminar time.
Switching them off or putting them into flight mode is the best way to go.
The argument here is that multi tasking with your phone is not a good way to engage with your class or,….. that your learning outcomes will be compromised.
You don’t need to take photos of any power points in lectures because they will always appear on Blackboard.
Research clearly shows that taking notes using your phone is seriously inefficient.

25. The time needed for your studies
To do well (that is, get solid Credits and above), you will need to study up to 12.5 hours for every unit you are enrolled in This is the unwritten12.5 = 12.5 rule.
This will take some time to build up and get used to…..but it should be a goal you strive for.
For example, in FHAD courses you often might have 3 hours of classes per week per unit. You should then try to allocate up to 9.5 hours a week studying outside the classroom for each unit.

26. The time needed for your studies
So for example, for those of you enrolled in full time study (ie enrolled in 4 units per 12 week semester) this means that you should set out to try to build up to work up to 50 hours a week.
That is 38 hours of study + 12 hours of class attendance.
So this really is a full time job + some overtime!
Time management becomes a crucial aspect of your academic success…and there will be more about that in our next session.

27. For all power-points / notes / summaries of this weeks “Strategies For Success” Program, go to….
and….PLEASE….as in all live theatres (and movie theatres)…..and in ALL future university lectures theatres and classes you attend….PRETTY PLEASE....

28. Thank you for attending!
For notes / summaries of this weeks
Strategies for Success program go to…..
swi.nu/workshops

29. Small Group Discussion:
1. Briefly state your short term goals (i.e. for this coming semester.)
2. What are obstacles to regular/punctual class attendance?
3. What are the problems associated for you in making financial ends meet while you are a University student?
4. What can you do to properly BALANCE your study time/ paid work time/ and leisure time while you are here at University?