The Must-Have Resource List for University Students
Hey! Happy last day of March, and to finish off our focus this month on university students we’ve curated a very university student-friendly list of resources to help your journey through the semester/year/degree much easier.
STUDY SKILLS
The best places to look for study skills? Your very own university. There’s typically a Learning Centre, usually attached to the library or student services. Examples of what you can find include this resource list from The University of Sydney, and this list from Curtin University.
Evernote allows you to take notes, create to do lists, access it across multiple devices, and share with others (hello, study group!).
Remember how we blogged in our post on How to Choose the Right Study Techniques about how testing yourself and spaced repetition were important to performance? Well it turns out that you can do just that with Anki, an online flashcard builder.
Organisational skills including effective time management and keeping procrastination at bay are critical in succeeding in your studies. Check out The University of Melbourne’s tips on time and task management.
And if you need some help pulling it all together why not check out our online exam preparation course Nimble Noodle? (learn more in the blue box at the bottom of this page).
LIVING SKILLS
Budgeting It may not be the most exciting thing to consider when you think about being a university student, but when you consider that being clued in to what is going on with your finances helps immensely. Consider this excellent budgeting sheet with tips for money management put together by the University of Melbourne.
Cooking Seriously, we strongly recommend that you bookmark this page on studential.com. This website has it all when it comes to student cooking, from food budgeting for students, kitchen hygiene, healthy eating from students, and, of course, simple recipes.
Home skills Cleaning, doing laundry, check out Cleanipedia’s tips just for students.
SOCIAL SKILLS
We blogged about how Why Communication and Social Skills Matter at University, and it’s clear that these skills will come in handy long after your studies have finished. For a “How To” summary check out this excellent resource from The University of Kent, which covers skills like making conversation, giving feedback, and active listening.
Here’s some information about working together in teams brought to you by The University of Queensland.
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE + HEALTHY MINDSET SKILLS
Below are some tools and resources to help you develop a healthy inner and outer self.
The Skill Collective okay so this may be a cheeky shout out to ourselves, but check in with us regularly as we blog on mental health and wellbeing topics. As psychologists our main focus is on building skills for a Healthy Mindset (in fact, check out our series on how to Develop and Healthy Mindset).
We also looked at tips for a healthy lifestyle including our recent post on the Essential Ingredients for Staying Healthy at University.
For more information on living healthily take a look at this Student Health page at NHS Choices site which covers health issues relevant to university students including smoking, alcohol and other drugs, exercise, and sexual health.
If you're into meditation try Smiling Mind which is a great app that you can use on the go.
GOT TO GET INTO STUDY MODE? GET NIMBLE NOODLE.
Learn ways to prepare better for your exams by getting on top of your studies. In Nimble Noodle, an online course for students where you can learn to use your brain flexibly to stay focused until the end. We focus on a holistic approach to exam performance - academically, psychologically, and physically. Nimble Noodle for students covers:
GREAT TIPS ON HOW TO BOOST YOUR STUDY SKILLS
Studying is more than just opening your books and rote-learning the information contained in your textbook, nor just attending classes and summarising what the teacher covers. In Nimble Noodle we cover:
How to set yourself up for a great academic year, semester, or term by planning your studies with good time management.
Understanding how your memory works and how to work with its limitations to boost your performance.
How to read and take notes effectively rather than writing everything you read/hear. Pages and pages of notes do not automatically turn you into an excellent student. You have to engage with your notes and study strategically.
How to be effective when it comes to assignments by taking a strategic approach to planning how to tackle your assignment, how to conduct research, and planning what to write.
HOW TO STAY ON TRACK WITH STUDIES (BURNOUT AND PROCRASTINATION, WE’RE LOOKING AT YOU!)
An academic year can seem really long. A semester may seem less of a stretch, but in reality it means that you have to be able to sustain your performance to make it over many weeks. So how do you stay on track with your studies when there are multiple distractions, fun things to do instead, and not burn out before you get to the end? In Nimble Noodle we’ll look at:
How your mindset can demotivate and derail your best intentions, and how to shift your self talk to help you stay on track with your studies. Feeling motivated to approach your studies, or feeling demotivated and procrastinating on a task, all stem from your mindset and powerful self-talk. We take a deep dive into mindset and how to make it work to your advantage.
How to look after your physical health so that you don’t crash and burn. Think of the classic stressed-out student who sets aside a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep, who instead spends every waking moment studying - how effective will this student be when it comes to the crunch?
How to manage stress, intense emotions, and setbacks so that they don’t derail your studies. Feeling overwhelmed can lead you to check out of your studies, so why not learn to managing distressing emotions so that it’s easier to refocus on your studies?
How to manage your time better and to set up an environment that helps your studies. Learning about your peak times of alertness can boost your studies.
How to think critically about your study progress (meta-learning).
HOW TO PREPARE FOR EXAM DAY(S)
Finally, we cover how to prepare for exam time with specific tips covering:
How to study strategically when it comes to your exam preparation
What to do on exam day
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Nimble Noodle is brought to you by our Clinical Psychologist Dr Joyce Chong, and Dr Kevin Yong, GP and blogger at eat.move.chill. They’ve worked together over the years to help students get set for their studies and exams, and have put together their best tips that work so you can access them all in the one place.
Joyce has a special interest in learning and memory, having completed her PhD on the link between anxiety and working memory. She also worked for many years with students at University Counselling and Psychological Services, helping them stay on track with their studies through a combination of developing strong study skills, managing moods that get in the way of effective studying, and also developing the right mindset for success.
Kevin is a firm believer in the benefits of a healthy body for wellbeing and the mind. His focus is on helping students look after themselves in ways that support their learning and concentration, and to ensure that they stay well and illness-free for this very significant year of their lives.
As a special thank you to our The Skill Collective readers, particularly as schools, universities, and colleges are going into lockdown,we're giving a MEGA discount on Nimble Noodle...JUST CLICK HERE!]3
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