Combining University with other responsibilities
Many first year students attending University will also be working in part-time or full-time jobs and have a range of family and personal responsibilities as well. Research suggests that most full-time students can effectively handle up to fifteen hours of work per week. In fact, working while you're studying can make you more efficient with your time management, help keep things in perspective and contribute to your career path.
Some new students underestimate the time involved with University. For each course you study you may only have a few contact hours each week spent in lectures, tutorials and labs. That's just the start of what's involved. A useful guide of how much time University takes is to convert every credit point you're studying into an hour.
When you add in attending lectures and tutorials, all your weekly tasks such as researching and reading and then preparation of assessment items, you're getting a realistic picture of the time you'll need for study. Don't forget to include time for getting to University , and meeting up with people while you're here. Being realistic about what you can accomplish each week and supporting yourself to do so is important.
Having some flexibility in your work can be really helpful too. It can be easier to work more hours during vacation time, and to plan to work fewer hours at busy times of the semester. You can get help to find work that fits with your University hours. Planning ahead for busy periods can be useful, and might be the time to rally support from family and friends.
How can I connect University with my work and personal responsibilities?
- Explore the ideas in the Counselling Service's self-help resources
- Get information about financing your studies and effectively applying budgeting tools
- Find work that fits with your academic load
What's expected of me?
- Plan your time realistically
- Seek work that fits with your University schedule
- Leave time to relax
- Ask family and friends for support
- Set realistic expectations and goals
Thank you for your feedback about Starting@Griffith. We had over 2000 responses and you gave us valuable comments about what you liked about your first few weeks at Griffith, and areas where we can improve. We will be incorporating your ideas as we plan for future orientation events. All the best for your studies.
Help find your feet at Griffith using the Checklist for new students.