Hey all,

I don't know if this is where I should be posting this, but I figured out of everywhere else on the forums, here would be my best bet. I'm starting Uni in a few days time. My question is, aside from the usual - textbooks, notebooks, pens and folders - what materials will I need? I have a computer and printer and whatnot, but other than the normal stationary, what am I going to need? I'm studying on campus but I live at home. I honestly can't think of anything I *will* need, but I've got this feeling that there is some stuff I'm going to need, and just can't think of anything!

I know I probably should have thought about this stuff ages ago, but I'm only getting my study bonus (used for uni materials) within the next week, so I've been holding out for that.

[kim_johnson]

See if you can access your university email account. They may have sent you emails.
See if you can access your degree program from the webpages... They may have put course outlines up that detail what you need. That will typically tell you the required / recommended text, at least. If there is one. Or the uni bookstore will know about compulsory / recommended textbooks.

You will probably find that most students will rock up to the first day of class with no clue what is going on. Usually... Most first year courses take the very first lecture to give you an outline and work you through it... So you know what books / manuals you need... Whether you need lab coats or goggles or graphing paper or whatever...

Different people have different preferences with respect to how much they like pen and paper and hardcopy books vs going paperless. Paperless can be cheaper if you can hunt out PDF's of textbooks (I'll say no more about this). I personally think that there is something kinesthetic about pen and paper (actually, I prefer nice mechanical pencils)... But it depends a bit on personal preference / what you are studying and the like.

When it comes to things set by the course instructors - textbooks, programs needed, other materials - I've already got that covered; the required textbooks are listed by subject at my uni store, as well as listed on my University's forums, so I'm pretty confident about getting the right things where that's concerned. I'm more thinking other things that will make studying more efficient and productive.

[kim_johnson]

It depends an awful lot on the nature of the course / how the course is being assessed. Teachers will sometimes complain about students studying towards the assessment - but it it the teachers job to make sure the assessment assesses the stuff that they most wanted to teach / that they think is important.

First thing I do is get a wall planner. Ideally... Two of them. One for each semester. Each of my classes gets a color. Chemistry is yellow. Just because it is. Statistics is blue. Etc. Then I write all my assessment deadlines on the wall planner and highlight the day. Then I scribble out the weekends (since I don't have to go to class on the weekends) and scribble out the study breaks, too.

Then... I have something like... 5x5 of class (5 days per week for 5 weeks) then a 2 week break! Of course... I will end up studying in the study break... But psychologically it will help get me through that initial chunk of classes because I will keep telling myself (and seeing) that I only have x number of classes left. It helps things remain manageable because the end is in sight.

The act of making the wall planner... Choosing your color for each class etc... Is psychologically important, too. It gives you a google-earth kind of overview of the semester. You know that week 6 of class (first week back) is a hard week with 2 major tests... And so on...

From there... It depends, a bit. One of my classes gave me a folder, already. Well, I purchased one. Other classes didn't. I brought a green ring binder folder for biology, because biology is green, obviously. A blue one for stats... I got some subject dividers, too. Sometimes you can get enough so that each week has it's own division. Then you only have 3 lectures worth of content, or whatever for one week... Or sometimes things chunk a bit differently. The course might be organised into 4 modules, or something. But handy to have a slot for tutorial stuff. Handy to have one for past years exams...

It is about personalising things, again. Organising and chunking it. It might feel like procrastination / a waste of time... But it is a kind of 'nesting' thing that I do in the week or two before class actually starts. The ideal thing... Really depends on the nature of the class.... At the end of every class I have things I would have changed about my organisation if I were to do it again...

So... I like things like: Good quality stapler (some of those readings get chunky). I like to put 4 or 5 staples along the edge then fold things back like a book. Actual staples are cheap enough. Hole punch. To get things into your binder. Binders. Color coded / get 4 different colors or however many classes you have. Subject dividers. Sellotape. Worth paying more for the easy-off stuff. I like to tape the outline to the cover of the binder. Maybe... Color code the weeks... Or 'block' of content... E.g., Intro stuff can be yellow, then we do cells, which are blue, then we do embryology which is pink...

Pencil case. I like a nice mechanical pencil because need one for scantron anyway and biology drawing. I actually... Don't use pen anymore, unless I have to. I have a nice mars rubber, too... A little metal ruler for biology. A calculator that I'm allowed to use... Highlighters... Refill (but I don't actually use that an awful lot these days - but you might). Graphing paper (because they only give us one piece in labs and I like to have spare). Unruled paper... Some people like that...

I've got this cardboard folder thing this year... Because it is light and fits easily into my bag. I'm thinking of putting a single days worth of work (lecture notes / readings) into that... To take with me each day. Instead of trekking all my notes for all my classes... I think that will work for me...

Half the fun is figuring out what you think might work for you / personalising things.

[Perna]

I'd get a daily planner, I got a 2014/2015 one that started in March 2014 and goes through this September that I love with time delineated from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. I don't necessarily use the time slots, just write anywhere on the day and keep track of my appointments, numbers I want to keep track of (weight, pedometer steps, blood pressure and other health readings to tell my doctor whom I see every 3 months) and things I'm thinking/doing or want to be reminded of in the future. I'd think it would be handy for school to record when assignments/papers are due or tests, etc.

Or, alternatively, when I was in uni last (2001-2007) I would buy a hardback large "artist's" blank book and just use it as a journal. I kept it open beside me as I worked and jotted things/references and ideas and plotted papers, etc. as well as keeping track of my regular daily life.

Since you live at home, do you have your transportation sorted, when you'll buy gas for your car if you're driving between school and home and how to pay for it or how to quickly buy bus tickets, etc.? I was taking a course with a friend and she drove us but I was disruptive a couple times and talked her into not going to class. If you are sharing transportation figuring out emergencies and how things will work if you're sick, etc. so you don't have to "think" about it and be surprised by problems is a good idea.

The wall planner idea is definitely a good one; I'm writing up a budget of things I'll need, so I'll include that in. I actually didn't think about that!

As for transport, it's not an issue. My town isn't overly big; it's an hour's walk, maximum, and I'm quite happy to walk the distance if need be. My mum is out for work, so she can drive me - but again, I can walk if she's busy or doesn't want to run me up there - and the bus, as I'm a student, would be really quite cheap. So as far as I'm concerned, it's not an issue at all. I know many people do have problems with that, though - I'm just lucky I live in the same area of town as my university!

The artist book is a good idea, one certainly worth considering. I often prefer to handwrite my ideas before I type up assignments, I find them easier to deal with that way. I've also done up assignment lists, ordered by the date their due rather than the class, so I can see what is due when, so what I should be working on first. Two of my classes have been in computer labs, so there's not going to be many handouts at all; it's all done through the uni network. I've still got a few folders - different colours, to make it easier - because I like to print out my assignment information.

Thanks for your ideas, guys Given me things to think about.

[tradika]

Bring your brain!