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What will change?


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The first few months at university are very exciting as you discover an expanding social life and increased freedom and opportunities. All students will experience some sort of adjustment period. You may be more affected if you have moved away from home, or if you are the first in your family to go to uni.

Some of the changes you can expect

More people: QUT has approximately 40 000 students studying across four campuses. Core subjects for popular courses may have up to 600 students in one lecture.

Different teaching methods: You will usually have one lecture per week per subject for 1-3 hours. Depending upon the number of students enrolled in the subject, the class may range in size from 30-600 students. Each subject will usually also have a tutorial for 1-2 hours with classes of 15-30 students. Tutorials offer the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion about the material presented at the lecture.

Less contact time: With one lecture and one tutorial per week per subject, full-time students may spend as little as 12 hours per week in the classroom. Depending on university timetabling, you may be able to cram this into one or two days, or it may be spread over the whole week. However, you are expected to spend time outside of the classroom reading, researching and working on assignments.

More independence: At university you are expected to be more responsible for your own learning. You won’t get into trouble if you don’t turn up for lectures or tutorials or if you don’t do the required reading or hand in assignments. You will however have more trouble passing the unit.

Finding help: Since universities are such big places, it is hard for staff to recognise when you need help. As part of your increased independence, you need to take responsibility for seeking help when you need it. Lecturers and tutors are more than happy to help with any course queries. QUT also offers an enormous range of support in the areas of study, personal problems, financial concerns and health issues. Some faculties also have mentoring and buddy programs.

Finding your way: Navigating a new environment is never easy and a university campus is no different. Orientation is a great chance for students to get to know their way around campus before lectures start. Each campus has a
Student Centre which is a good starting point for all queries. The Centres have a supply of campus maps and, for the first few weeks of each semester, they are staffed with QUT students to help new students find their feet.

Greater use of technology: QUT uses the latest technology to enrich teaching, save time and make studying easier – everything from enrolment details to exam results and lecture notes can be accessed online. Although it can be a bit overwhelming if you are not computer-savvy, QUT provides student computing guides, as well as help desk facilities staffed by other QUT students, to ensure you land on your feet.

New people – You may be nervous about leaving your school friends and meeting new people but you should be assured that everyone is in the same boat. Orientation is a good time to meet people studying the same course, or with similar interests through clubs and societies.

If you are from a rural or regional area, you will find that your life changes substantially – moving away from family, finding your way in a new town, meeting new friends. Our equity web site contains more information for rural students including comments from students who have made the move as part of the Unitalk project.