While I’ve just graduated from University during the pandemic recently, my Uni journey has still been fulfilling and enriching. Not only did I make close friends and meet new contacts, but I have also learned to be even more independent, mature, and picked up several useful soft skills too. From learning how best to do your own laundry to managing your own expenses while staying in hall, it can be difficult to navigate about.
Since it’s the orientation season now, many freshies would be scouring for tips and tricks to survive the new playing field. Here, a mini compendium of sorts to get you a slight headstart during a pandemic.
Go For (Virtual) Orientation Camps
Orientation Group Camps (OGCs) today varies from those during the pre-pandemic days – most of them have pivoted online to uphold safe distancing measures. While many would argue that the OGCs today are not as valuable and fun for those of yesteryears, there are still plenty of perks to them.
Despite being virtual, these camps help you get acquainted with your seniors and break the ice with your batch mates. With module bidding, textbook searching, and project works taking place later on throughout University, you’d realise these people can be a reliable social support circle!
Sign up and participate with an open heart, be willing to turn on your webcam, and don’t be shy to interact with your Orientation Group Leaders (OGLs) or batch mates. As a friendly OGL from Tembusu College once shared with me, “OGCs are great opportunities to make new friends. And if you feel fatigued even after all the breaks, don’t be afraid to inform your OGLs! Zoom fatigue is a real concern.”
Know Your Seniors
In university, your seniors are your life saviours. Many of them are friendly and since they have been through the rigour of it all, they are pretty knowledgeable about the tricks and University hacks you can take advantage of. Think where to get free textbooks, lecture slides, lecture notes, free PDFs, assignment syllabus, insights on the best modules to take, or even supper plans!
If you have attended the OGCs, you would already know some of these seniors, who may in the future introduce you to more friends and help you expand your network too!
Learn How To Bid For Your Modules
If you are studying at a local University, you will eventually need to bid for your own modules. Different Universities do their bidding differently.
For NTU, it’s the fastest fingers first; students tend to use multiple devices and “camp” by the screens before the timeslot to bid for their courses, just like what you would do to snag a concert ticket.
For SMU, its bidding process is pretty interesting – a really business-like test of your resource allocation. Students are allocated a fixed number of credits to bid for their courses at the start of the semester. A recent SMU graduate shared with hoolah, “You can get more credits by doing an end of semester review.” Students would also have access to see the range of credits previous batches of students bid for each module. “That’s going to be helpful to gauge how you spend your resources and I used to usually top the average by 3-5 extra credits for the modules I want to take.”
For NUS, it goes by an algorithmic ranking system to optimise allocation. You may find using this student-led timetable planning initiative (https://nusmods.com/timetable/sem-1) to better plan ur modules before hopping over to a separate portal to bid for them.
There are other local and private universities in Singapore with different bidding processes. From our understanding, when the demand of a module exceeds its vacancies, priorities will generally be given to students from their faculty, in their major, or those looking to graduate!
Know Your Syllabus & Professors
Now that you are done with bidding and started University life proper, the next thing on your agenda is to gather the syllabuses for your modules! That said, the first week of university tend to be a slow-moving one, lectures and tutorials typically don’t go full-swing and aren’t as intensive. Take this time to plan your calendar for the coming semester.
Some things to look out for include types of assignments, submission deadlines, presentation dates, and even dates for Final Examinations. Figure out any queries and email your professors who are always more than helpful to address concerns. If you are looking to improve your portfolio in school, seek out these professors for research opportunities (you may even get paid too!) in the future too.
Do Your Readings
There will be plenty of assigned readings to do before lessons. Most of them are academic in nature and may require some time to digest. If you are reading research papers, I find scanning the “ABSTRACT” and “CONCLUSION” segments first to be extremely helpful to set out the research premise. Highlight any queries you have and raise them in class (You may get brownie points for class participation too). Remember, never leave them to the last moment.
Plan Your Time Well
For the most part, you are on your own in university. You have got to manage your time well. That is to juggle between social, sleep, and study. I am a huge advocate of studying smart and planning ahead. So perhaps getting a planner may help you sort out the priorities.
It is also important to eat healthily and weave in some time to exercise and rest. If you find yourself needing to change between lessons and the gyms (or workouts), you may find this style guide to be somewhat helpful.
Have A Productive Study Space
Singapore’s hot and humid, and having an aircon in the room can be a much-needed respite from the heat. Since the bulk of your time will be spent on virtual lessons, it’s important to create an ideal “study-from-home” set-up. If you find yourself sitting for a prolonged period of time, consider investing in an ergonomic chair, such as APOL’s or Ergotune’s. Otherwise, consider setting up your study in a well-lit background, have a good webcam, as well as a nice headset with a microphone.
Related: How to pick the ideal ergonomic set-up for your study or home office!
Finally, It’s All About The Process
Remember, University life is a marathon, not a sprint. You will stumble and struggle. It’s normal to feel stressed out. Figure out hobbies or activities you enjoy doing to relieve yourself of any forthcoming burnouts. Seek help whenever necessary!
If anything, take the opportunities to learn new things, meet new people, and try out new things. It’s the process that really matters!
Related: Psychologists reveal how to best tackle pandemic stress
Feature Image Credits: NTU
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