Stay in the know to support and connect with your student
From learning about university life to realising potential opportunities and challenges, your understanding of your student’s experiences will help you give them important support.
Orientation
Although Orientation is a process that can take some time as students transition to university life, Griffith, like most unis, designates a set week at the beginning of the study period as “Orientation Week” with a variety of on-campus and online activities and resources to help students prepare academically and connect with other students and staff. It’s a good idea for students to get their ID card before O-Week so they can easily register for activities and events. Visit our Orientation site to find out more about what O-Week entails for students.
Help with the transition to university
Your student may experience culture shock in the initial stages of transitioning to university. They may feel a mixture of anxiety, apprehension, pride and excitement, which are all normal responses. Research shows students experience an easier transition to university and greater chance of success if they:
Have friends on campus, know their teachers and tutors, have some balance in their life and seek help when they need to.
Know what's expected of them as a student and have some basic mastery of academic skills.
Have a career goal or direction that supports their academic effort.
Have some understanding of academic culture, including how things are done at university and what is important or valued.
School leavers
For young adults the transition from school to university can be a significant challenge. Increasingly, they are expected to balance study with socialising, work and family life. Your student may also be managing the first move out of home into independent living. Our life at Griffith site outlines some of these points for school leavers.
Mature age students
Mature age students (sometimes called adult learners) may experience anxiety about balancing academic requirements with their other significant responsibilities, including caring for family members and finances. If they have had a significant break since they last studied, they may feel quite apprehensive about their ability to take on university study.
Our Student Services site has handy information for adult learners.
All students
Ultimately, each student will need to find their own balance between the new responsibilities of university life and the freedoms that accompany it. The Student Support site offers a range of support services, programs and resources for all Griffith students at every step of their university journey. Students from particular cohorts and from a diverse range of backgrounds in particular may find it useful in their transition to uni to touch base with these.
A typical week at university
A typical week will vary depending on your student’s program and whether they’re enrolled in full-time or part-time study. In general, full-time students are expected to spend at least 40 hours a week on their studies, including contact hours, as well as personal and group study time.
Full-time science or engineering students typically have 20–30 contact hours a week, while arts, business, law, social science students may have 10–20 hours a week. Students are expected to spend 15–20 hours a week reading, writing assignments, researching and attending meetings or study groups in addition to their contact hours.
Part-time work
Many students work part-time while they study. It’s important to have time for recreation, rest and enough sleep, so full-time students should factor that in with any paid or volunteer work hours they commit to. Students with part-time jobs should also be aware of busier times during their trimester—usually around exams and final assignments—and make flexible arrangements with their employer for these periods if possible.
Part-time study
Most courses can be studied on a part-time basis. If your student is planning to study part time, they should plan their study schedule for coming trimesters to ensure they meet any Centrelink or other requirements. Students can also contact the First Year Coordinator for their School to explore and discuss their academic plan. Times and days of lectures and tutorials may vary from trimester to trimester, so your student may have very different demands on their time each trimester.
Financial considerations
University students generally support their studies through a combination of part-time work, Centrelink (where applicable), scholarships or bursaries, and sometimes family support. Students also need to consider tuition fee options such as HECS-HELP. University studies require a significant financial commitment and students need to budget for study-related items such as course materials (which may include textbooks, a laptop and specific equipment for certain courses), and also university parking permits. Depending on the degree, textbooks can cost up to $500 or even around $1000 a trimester, however students are not required to purchase textbooks if alternatives such as e-books or borrowing books from the library will meet the required study needs. There is also an online Textbook Exchange service where students can buy and sell secondhand textbooks.
Students struggling financially may benefit from other student financial support and can check their eligibility for a scholarship.
What makes students stay in university?
Research and experience tells us that a sense of purpose, as well as connections, relationships and social engagement are key factors for students when it comes to staying in university. For most students, university is a chance to get a degree as well as enhance themselves and explore the larger social world. While social participation varies from one person to another, each student is more likely to accomplish remarkable things when surrounded with likeminded people facing similar situations and tasks. Students who become involved in campus clubs and societies, organisations and other social activities build social as well as academic engagement, which contributes to student success.
Your enquiries and student privacy
University students are treated as adults. Griffith University is subject to privacy legislation and can’t disclose personal information about its students to third parties, including parents or family without consent of the student concerned, or when there is a real risk of harm, or when legally obliged to do so. In exceptional circumstances, such as an emergency, you may want to contact the University. We encourage you to communicate with your student, ask questions and be supportive. Open lines of communication will encourage your student to tell you about their successes and challenges at university.
Griffith language and lingo
Knowing some university and Griffith-specific terms can be helpful when communicating with your student. Here are some widely used terms and their meanings.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
Program | At Griffith, we call degrees ‘programs’. |
Course | We call degree subjects ‘courses’. |
Campus | A university location or site. We have five physical campuses plus one Digital campus at Griffith: Gold Coast, Logan, Mt. Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. |
Trimesters | Our academic year is divided into three trimesters, each of 12 weeks teaching duration. Some students will study across all three trimesters; some may study for one or two. |
Lecture | This is typically a one or two-hour presentation by academic staff (lecturers) to a large group of students. Students are expected to attend, participate and take notes. Lectures and notes may be made available electronically. Lectures are usually delivered on-campus, and sometimes via video link, but increasingly lectures (and sometimes even whole courses or even programs) are delivered online. |
Tutorial | A small group discussion forum, in person or online, usually led by a tutor, designed to provide more detailed coverage of course content, with the opportunity for students to actively discuss ideas and participate. |
Plagiarism | This refers to a student using someone else's work without appropriate acknowledgement or referencing, and is a form of academic misconduct. |
Learning@Griffith | An online portal that gives students access to everything to support their learning at Griffith, from course content and announcements to submitting and receiving feedback on assessments. |
Canvas | A software program that allows lectures to be delivered online via Learning@Griffith. |