MAKING THE TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY STUDIES

A

It is important that you find ways to help yourself survive—and indeed thrive—as a tertiary student. Plenty of research has shown that the best way to have a valuable and enjoyable learning experience is to become familiar with the essential aspects of academic life. Our students find the following advice useful.

B

Become familiar with your faculty. Where is the main office for your faculty or department? Where are your lecturers’ and tutors’ offices and pigeonholes? Where should you hand in your assignments? Does your faculty have a special first-year coordinator? Who is it, and how do you contact this person? Does your faculty have a special place for first-year students? You should get to know this information as soon as possible. Even if you have been at university for a few months, don’t be afraid to go and discover some basic details about your faculty. After all, you’re likely to stay in the same area for at least three years.

---

---

C

Don’t underestimate the importance of the university library to your success as a student. Although you may currently feel more comfortable conducting your research through the internet, you must start becoming familiar with the library as early as you can. You will need to use more than just online resources at university, with lecturers expecting you to use a range of sources. Librarians are aware of the most recent technology and research tools, making them a valuable resource. Read the information given to you on enrolment (Curtin University, for example, provides the StartUp disk to all students) and go on at least one library tour so that you have an idea about the library layout. If you want to research efficiently, do one of the many free courses your library offers to help you discover the best resources for your discipline.

D

Every campus has a place for students to get free support for their studies, such as one-on-one help with study problems and seminars on subjects such as study techniques and writing and note-making skills. Take up these Opportunities and use whatever facilities are available to you. Advice and self-paced tutorials| are often available online, so it’s worth having a look around your university’s main website to see what is on offer at your campus. If you’re having problems, especially in areas such as organising your life or writing your assignments, go and ask for help. It is there!

---

---

E

Read your unit outlines as soon as you receive them. The unit outline contains essential information about the unit. Usually your lecturers will give you instructions specific to their units but, because you will hear so much information during the first couple of weeks, you may forget what they have said. Therefore, make time to read every outline carefully as your success may depend on it. It is useful to have easy access to your unit outlines, so keep paper copies in your files. If you lose an outline, get another one.

F

Don’t be fooled if you have very few compulsory contact hours. Create a study plan as soon as possible. You should make a weekly one, and then use a diary or wall planner to make a whole-semester study plan. Place all your deadlines on this semester study plan, as well as weekly times to review lecture notes and complete required and recommended readings. Set a time in week 3 or 4 of the semester to reassess your study plan to see if it's realistic-you might need to replan some tasks. Check your timetable and get to know it well. Most of you will have work commitments, as well as the demands of 'the rest or your life', so get organised about how you want to live it. If you don't have a plan, you are more likely to get behind in your work and get stressed. Making your plan public, at least to the important people in your life, is also a good idea so that they will support you rather than sabotage your plans.

---

---

G

Although all institutions and courses vary in how and when they conduct their first year, they all go through similar processes. Here is a summary of what is likely to happen in your first semester.

• Orientation Week
• early weeks of semester
• tuition-free weeks and mid-semester breaks
• later weeks of semester
• study break.

Source: Grellier & Goerke, Communication Skills Toolkit, 2010

COMMON HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE

Hazards indicate possible danger that can be avoided through appropriate action. The following overview provides a snapshot of hazards, with more detailed information following in the subsections. These hazards might not exist in your specific workplace, but awareness is essential in order to take remedial action. For each hazard, use the risk analysis chart and assess its consequences.

• physical hazards-noise, vibration, lighting, temperature, air quality, working area, poor flooring
• chemical hazards-fumes and vapours, handling and spillage, incorrect storage
• ergonomic hazards-work station design, equipment, tools and manual handling
• biological and radiation hazards-viruses and bacteria, microwaves, UV rays and X-rays
• psychological hazards-stress, harassment, discrimination, workload and security.

Physical hazards

Many of these hazards can be minimised or controlled. Protective clothing and equipment play an important part in the prevention of accidents, in the following ways:

• The uniform protects and supports us.
• Shoes should have non-slip soles and provide sufficient support. You would not weld in your thongs!
• Aprons protect against spills, dirt or chemicals.
• Glasses and ear plugs protect against damage to the eyes and excessive noise.
• Sufficient light is required to enable workers to see clearly without strain to the eyes. This includes flickering computer screens and fluorescent lights.
• The temperature should be ambient, and if working regularly in extreme temperatures, such as a cool room or freezer, protective clothing must be provided.
• In hot work areas such as a kitchen, sufficient cooling or air circulation is essential. Air quality is important, and smoke or dust must be removed.
• The work area has to be well designed to allow for optimal work performance without overcrowding and with appropriate access to the necessary tools and equipment.

Chemical hazards

The T&H industry uses many chemicals for cleaning and sanitation, and it is important to follow the instructions on the packaging. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) should be kept for dangerous chemicals. Chemicals need to be handled and stored correctly and should never be mixed together as this can cause a damaging reaction or explosion. Chemicals are classified into the following categories, which can assist in the identification of possible dangers:

• toxicity-causes poisoning if absorbed by the body, e.g. ammonia
• corrosion-causes burns to the skin or soft tissue, e.g. solvents, acid or bleach
• irritancy-causes inflammation of the skin, e.g. cleaning or detergent agents
• flammability-causes burning, explosion or injury if absorbed by the body, e.g. gas and fuel.

Ergonomic hazards

The term 'ergonomic' refers to the study of the relationship between people and their working environment. Hazards such as repetitive strain injury for a person working at a computer all day can be minimised or avoided by careful planning of the arm support and the type of chair. In essence, these types of hazards are quite common and can be removed with good planning of work areas. The work station needs to be set up at the correct height to allow for unhindered performance of the task. Equipment and tools should be designed to minimise harm. Desks, benches, chairs and office equipment should be purchased with ergonomics in mind.

Source: Tourism and Hospitality Careers and Pathways, Futura Training, 2007