Questions to ask current uni students
- What’s the typical workload for a student in this course?
- What do you enjoy about your course?
- Is there anything you don’t enjoy?
- What do you do between classes?
- Where do you go for lunch?
- What if I don’t like the course once I’ve started?
- What else is there to get involved in, outside of classes?
Who else to ask about uni life
- If there is a particular university you might like to attend, contact them or check their website to find out if there are any events for school students.
- Don’t just read the glossy brochures: talk to people who’ve been there. If you don’t know anyone personally, ask university speakers who come to your school, or go to open days and chat to current students who can also take you on guided tours.
- University staff, such as lecturers and administration and services staff, can also answer your questions about classes. You can find these people at open days or other programs for school students.
- University recruitment, prospective students or schools liaison offices. Remember, universities employ people solely to answer questions from prospective students, so ring them as much as you like!
- Your school Careers Adviser.
- Your school teachers (particularly those teaching subjects you really like).
- University transition programs. They exist to help students make the move from school to uni, and often have publications and websites with a lot of information about what to expect from uni life.
Take a look at what first year students say about uni life:
University of Melbourne’s Transition and Orientation site: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/transition/thinking/students_say.html