Skills for University
Communication Skills
It is important to keep connected at university. Information comes from a variety of sources including emails, phone calls, Zoom meetings, face-to-face communication and discussion boards.
Emails | Accessing information via email is the most common way students get information. Students will create their own personal student emails to send and receive information. It is important practice writing professional emails for when you are at uni. Email etiquette (opens in a new window). |
| Phone calls | University services always have the option to be contacted via telephone. See your university website for contact numbers or call the main university number. |
| Face to face | Classes offer students face to face discussions with fellow peers and tutors. Private meetings with tutors can be organised as well. See your course guide for contact details of the course coordinator and other teaching staff. Face to face meetings can also be arranged with Careers, Counsellors and Disability professional staff. Go to your university website for details, or drop in to a campus office. |
| Discussion boards | Students can access discussion boards on their online student platforms for subjects they are enrolled in. Here, students can ask questions regarding course content, assessment guidelines and more, directly to their class tutors. All students enrolled in the subject have the ability to engage with the discussion thread, and view questions and answers related to the subject. |
| Social media | Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter may be helpful tools to use. Often students use social media platforms to communicate amongst each other. Universities may also use social media platforms to post information, and as discussion points of topics in classes. |
Information and Technology (IT) skills
You are expected to have basic IT skills when studying at university. Throughout your university career you will need to:
- Navigate through university websites
- Access online readings
- Submit assessments online
- Perform presentations
- Participate in online classes
- Read and write emails.
All universities have a student centre and IT support which is a good place to start when enquiring about navigating through university websites, and dealing with technical difficulties. See your own university website for details on how to contact the Student Services and IT department.
All universities have learning labs or learning zones to help you with basic skills needed for university which may include:
- Tips on assessments
- Writing skills
- Study skills
- Maths and science
- Improving your English language skills
- Referencing and citation
Examples Learning Zones:
- RMIT Learning Lab (opens in a new window)
- SCU Learning Zone (opens in a new window)
- Western Sydney Self-Help Resources (opens in a new window)
Referencing
This skill allows students to provide the original source of work that a student has paraphrased for their assessment tasks. Students must provide a reference list and in text citation in all assessment tasks (unless specifically told otherwise by course coordinators) to avoid plagiarism. Check with each course coordinator their preferred format of citation.
Some common types of referencing include:
- APA (American Psychological Association) (opens in a new window)
- Harvard Referencing (opens in a new window)
Cite This For Me (opens in a new window) is a referencing generator that can help with creating references for your reference list.
Uni Life Balance
Self-directed learning is a huge part of university life: organisation and time management skills are useful in navigating your way through your degree.
As a student at university learning is mostly self-directed. Organisation and time management skills are useful in navigating your way through your degree. Universities offer counselling services which can help to organise routines and strategies to assist with uni life balance.
Taking breaks
- Have regular breaks in-between study.
Time management
- Scheduling via online calendars, and journaling for tasks.
Friends and social supports
- Making time for social connections
- Pay attention to your mental and emotional wellbeing and seek help if you need to.
Sports and movement
- Take part in university sports groups and free sporting events or gyms on campus
- Follow Australian government guidelines relating to physical activity (opens in a new window).
