#7 Time Managment

An important aspect of studying is time management. Whether you are doing full- time or part-time at university, time management is key to being successful. Not only is time management important with your studies, it’s also essential when you enter the workforce.

Part-time students have both uni and work to juggle, therefore managing their time efficiently is critical. If they fail to do so they can burn out or become highly stressed out with the deadlines of both university assignments and at their workplace.

pixabay.com

Full time student’s major problem is balancing time between subjects. Taking up to four units means a lot of work and assignments. Ensuring that time is adequately planned out is vital to ensure that there isn't a sudden rush to complete a number of assignments due in the same week or on the same day!

Some tips to ensure your time management is successful:

·         Plan ahead. Look at assignment due dates and plan accordingly

·         Be organised. Use “to do” lists if necessary

·         Prioritise. Do the more important tasks first or the tasks that will take the most time

·         Avoid overload. Don’t forget to relax, take short breaks to ensure you are productive

·         Be flexible. Know how to rearrange your schedule when needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Aaron H

#6 The lesser known aspect of your degree: Self-education

What many students do not realise during their time at university is that it’s what you do outside (or during your breaks between lectures etc) of university that will usually get you further with your degree. However, this blog is about hacks you can do at uni.

One of the highest returning investments you can make at uni is an investment into your own knowledge of a particular interest of yours. Reading books and articles that are relevant to your degree but not directly related, during your lecture and prac breaks, benefits you more than you think.

#5 Résumé tips for Internships / Cadetships

My thoughts about what employers would like to see in a résumé or CV are to:

• Keep it short/brief. It should not be longer than 2 or 3 pages. Employers don't have the time and don't want to go through heaps of pages about yourself.
• If you don't have much experience, you can just put little things down. For example things you've done at school, volunteering things and sports.
• Employers like to see a whole rounded person not just someone who has really good grades.
• Include other things like education skills, any sort of work experience, interpersonal skills, interests, references and any extra-curricular activities

You will need to be prepared for the recruitment process. Most Cadetship/Internship jobs have a recruitment process as follows:

1. The applications stage - to learn more about you
2. Interview process - Firstly a phone interview then a face to face interview
3. Testing - not a right or wrong, mainly testing your ability
4. Group assessments - case studies and presentations to show your team working skills
5. Networking opportunit

This might seem all daunting to you but if you prepare well you could get what you're looking for. You get out what you put in. The interview process is not there to trick you. It's an opportunity to find out more about each other. Hope this helps you to find what you're looking for! I used these sorts of principles and it helped me.

- Jon Barnitt

http://crushable.com/relationships/getting-a-job-and-dating-arent-so-different/attachment/bxp250202/

#4 Internships / Cadetships

I am writing to tell you some tips about having an Internship and the struggles you may go through seeing as I have experienced this for the past year and a half. Sometimes you will be very tired working a full day from leaving home at 7:30am and getting home times between 7pm and 11pm and then having to do Uni work after that. My best tip would be to go with the flow and not to get caught up with what you have to do, but rather think that you have a great opportunity to drive your career. It is good to keep a work/study/life balance. So I also lead in a youth group, which gets my mind off work and study. I also enjoy having family and friends time. These things help you not get too bogged down and help you to enjoy your internship. Another tip would be not to get stressed. Always be calm and act accordingly with all the to-do lists you will have. Remember to always stay positive and never give up. Have someone to look up to and to be your inspiration. I started my internship just before I started university so I guess some could say I am missing out on university life but others could say I am doing the right thing. No matter what you do, try to enjoy it!

Jon Barnitt

#3 Making your bare-maximum into your bare-minimum when it comes to assignments

I've wanted to take multiple risks so far with my uni assignments, not only to stand out from the crowd but to also develop the skills I will need if I want to be successful with app development in the future. One example was quite recent, where I had to create a website. How fun!? NOT! I've never really enjoyed making websites. However, me being me, I decided to do something that was more than the "bare-minimum" and learn more than I actually needed to from the assignment. I won't get all technical in this post, but I essentially challenged myself to create an 'app landing page', a website that helps market a mobile application that has already been developed or still in the idea stage. Simply because I’m into mobile app development and I think if you want to succeed in that one hobby of yours and make it a career, one should also teach themself the 'marketing' side of things.

As much as I would love to tell you all my idea, there are two rules for success: 1) never tell everything you know. Haha sorry guys... you will know my idea once I develop the app.

The idea was way out of my depth and I had no clue how to do it. The only thing I knew, the stress of not knowing how to make my idea a reality motivated me to make it happen even more. It took me three whole days to figure out one line of code that made something complex look embarrassingly simple, and then the rest came easily after that. Every time I got something to work, it was time for me to make a copy of the project folder on my USB, edit the copy and keep the other as a backup. In the end, I found the assignment pretty fun although I wouldn't want to do it again unless I really had to.

(Image licensed under Creative Commons by Celestine Chua - https://www.flickr.com/photos/celestinechua/11583890763/)

Most importantly when it comes to assignments, decide whether doing more than the bare minimum is worth losing a few marks over the new skills you can gain - the more you have of one thing, the less you have of another. Oh and that reminds me, doing more than expected might even present you with some incredible designs and proof-of-concepts you can show off in a portfolio in the future.

Here are a few tips for thinking about ideas for upcoming assignments:
1) A pretty obvious one, relate your assignment to something that INTERESTS YOU!
2) Make your assignment RELATE to what you want to do in the future
3) If you are an ambitious person, CHALLENGE YOURSELF
4) BE ORIGINAL, otherwise IMPROVE ON SOMETHING THAT ALREADY EXISTS
5) Before you start, VISUALISE doing the assignment in your mind. This helps you identify problems before you even start the assignment (yes, it really works)

- Aaron S

#2 A personal reflection: study-life balance

One of the first things that really stood out to me when I began university was the amount of time and choice I had with my study. There was no rigorous structure I had to abide by. Nobody telling me what I had to do and when to do it. It was a whole new world, a welcome change from high school. 

A problem I ran into (and a common problem for all) was enjoying myself too much. I neglected my studies to have a raging social life. I would have something to do every day, from hanging with friends to soccer training, uni work was always pushed back. I think it’s important to have a good balance between both worlds. Non-stop studying can be very draining, and you don’t want to risk losing relationships by ignoring your friends and family. While completely neglecting homework/assignments/study will eventually result in extra stress and potentially a failure in your units. 

So enjoy the new found freedom with your studies, just remember that a good balance is the key to success! 

- Aaron H

#1 Let the Hack Begin!

Are you looking for ways to study more effectively and make university life an all-round experience? If so you've come to the right place! MQ UniHack is a resource aimed at providing you useful and practical tips to help you get the most out of your university experience. We’ll be writing about various topics, including but not limited to:

• Hacking your study. Learn more effectively with less time and develop good habits for studying.
• Participating in extra-curricular activities such as Global Leadership Program and student societies to round off your studies and get practical experiences.
• Kick-starting your career. Develop a unique personal brand and promote yourself more effectively.

To put it simply, we write about life hacks that are essential to university students. Whether you study at Macquarie University or not you’ll certainly find useful information on our blog that will help you succeed at university and beyond.

Now a quick introduction of our awesome bloggers:

Michael Wu
I'm on a journey of discovering my voice in the midst of our dynamic business world. Studying a Bachelor of Business Leadership and Commerce I enjoy getting involved in activities and projects that add value to other people. When I'm not glued to the screen I enjoy playing basketball and reading books.

Aaron Hutchinson
Hi, my name is Aaron Hutchinson. I am 19 years old, in my 2nd year of studying at Macquarie Univeristy. I am doing a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in marketing. I would consider myself a laid-back person, but can be very passionate about sports.

Jon Barnitt
Hello. My name is Jonathan Barnitt but you can call me Jon. I am almost 20 years old. I am studying a Bachelor of Commerce Professional Accounting at Macquarie University. I'm in my 2nd year and hoping to finish in 2 and a half years time. I am working full time in Accounting. I like to work hard and play hard. Weekends are the best. I like doing things with friends and family, it doesn't really matter what it is.

Aaron Steven
Hi, I'm Aaron Stone. Currently a 1st year student studying Information Technology, majoring in Software Technology at Macquarie University.
Apart from my deep interest of developing mobile applications that relate to sport and saving lives, I love to make others laugh and smile whenever possible. If you haven't met a triplet before, you have now....

We hope you find this site helpful to you! Feel free to reach out at any time.