Student Intranet - My Studies

Tip sheets to help you with studying and uni life

Being a new student can be a daunting experience. Adjusting to life as a uni student involves not only time management, but also an understanding of how things work in the academic world.

This page contains a range of tip sheets to help you out. Just remember there are plenty of people here who can do the same.

Manage your time, manage yourself

Guides for helping you manage your time better, and offers advice on coping with the pressures of deadlines and uni life.

• Tips for planning your semester - PDF File, 80.1 KB
  A semester plan shows important study related dates during a semester, allowing you to track when assessments are due and what they're worth.
• Tips for planning your week - PDF File, 57.2 KB
  A weekly planner helps you keep track of your responsibilities, and schedule your time appropriately to meet those obligations, including your study.
• Tips for studying - PDF File, 118.4 KB
  Here are 12 ways to help you manage your study time and avoid unnecessary stress.
• Tips for managing stress - PDF File, 115.8 KB
  Uni life can be stressful. Here are some tips to manage stress; the emotional, physical and psychological response to (external) demands.
• Tips for balancing life and uni - PDF File, 108.6 KB
  Maintaining a balance between life and study helps you to stay productive, happy and can help you sustain your health during more stressful periods at university.
• Staying Calm During Exams - PDF File, 117.7 KB
  Here are some tips to help you stay calm during exams, so that you can achieve the best possible outcome.
• Avoiding Burnout - PDF File, 121.4 KB
  How to identify the warning signs, and functional methods for coping with stress and avoiding burnout.
• 20 Strategies to Overcome Procrastination - PDF File, 125.2 KB
  With competing deadlines, procrastination can become an issue. Here are some practical tips you can implement to keep on track.
• Relaxation and Stress Reduction Techniques (Progressive Muscle Relaxation) - PDF File, 121.0 KB
  Step by step instructions for the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique.

Explainers - what is...?

Explains some of the common academic concepts you'll encounter as a student, including guidelines and expectations.

• Research paper - PDF File, 181.3 KB
  Explains what a research paper is; outlines what is expected in a research paper; and provides guidelines for developing each section within a research paper.
• Report writing - PDF File, 142.8 KB
  Explains what a report is; describes the features of the most common types of reports; provides some guidelines for the structure and organisation of reports; and reviews some of the common problems associated with report writing.
• Referencing - PDF File, 179.3 KB
  Defines referencing; explains why we reference; looks at the referencing system we use at ECU; and explains how to reference in your academic work.
• Podcasting - PDF File, 297.4 KB
  Explains what is meant by a podcast; looks at the different types of podcasts; describes how to get access to podcasts; and explains how to make a podcast.
• Academic tip sheet: Plagiarism - PDF File, 169.3 KB
  Defines plagiarism; explains why it is important to avoid plagiarism; looks at common areas that students find confusing; outlines a three-step process you can use to avoid plagiarism; and provides a checklist you can use to avoid unintentionally plagiarising.
• Literature review - PDF File, 156.1 KB
  Explains what is meant by a literature review; identifies ‘the literature’; describes some of the conventions to follow when doing a literature review; and looks at the process of developing a literature review.
• Exegesis - PDF File, 160.4 KB
  Explains what is meant by an exegesis; looks at what can you include in an exegesis; and discusses what traps you should avoid.
• Academic essay - PDF File, 175.5 KB
  Explains the academic essay as an academic style of writing; looks at the structure of an academic essay; looks at the main types of academic essays; explains how to write an academic essay; and provides you with a quick checklist that covers most aspects of writing an academic essay.

How to guides

Tips and techniques for writing, reading and researching.

• Tips for written assessments - PDF File, 49.3 KB
  Explains why we assess student learning, the benefits of assessment, how to approach assessments, the critical thinking needed for assessments.
• Tips for writing effectively - PDF File, 51.8 KB
  How to write at university: the factors that affect the style you use, paragraphs and their role in effective writing and how to improve your paragraphs.
• Tips for reading effectively - PDF File, 69.2 KB
  To manage the scope and nature of your reading, you'll need to adjust how you read. When reading, it's important to consider how much detail is required.
• Tips for tutorials - PDF File, 99.0 KB
  Looks at the role of tutorials, how to get the most out of them and also outlines some techniques for taking notes.
• Tips for lectures - PDF File, 81.9 KB
  Explains the purpose of university lectures and why you should attend them and provides effective note-taking strategies.
• Tips for assignments - PDF File, 89.4 KB
  Explains the key components of an assignment task and outlines some techniques and strategies for doing assignments.
• Exam Techniques - PDF File, 148.5 KB
  Explains what you should do on the day of the exam; explains what you should do during the exam; and looks at what to do when things go wrong.
• Chemistry lab report - PDF File, 164.2 KB
  Outlines the guidelines for writing a laboratory report; and lists the benefits of assessment; looks at what you should write in each section.
• Blogs journals et al. - PDF File, 195.4 KB
  Looks at how writing changes over time; describes how to write a blog; looks at the learning portfolio; and discusses the use of reflective journals.