Start of a course

With studying, new and unfamiliar demands are made of you :
 

• ’Student freedom’ requires of you more responsibility taking and the ability to organise yourself effectively
• A high level of understanding required to follow some lectures can make settling in difficult
• Efficient learning strategies are important, to be able to cope with large amounts of material over a long period of time, and with little feedback
• Working together with other students is often useful, although you would have to organise this yourself

Starting to study also means social changes :

• Contact with other students doesn’t come aobut naturally, but demands that you take the initiative and are willing to make contact
• Living in a student home or shared flat can make it easier to have contact with other students
• At the beginning of the semester introductory sessions will be offered which make it easier for you to get to know your colleagues

At the start of studying there are many organisational issues :

• Study plan, departmental guidelines
• financial and social limits/circumstances
• Getting to know and learning to use the infrastructure

You must procure lots of information yourself e.g from the Austrian Student’s Association, from the University Institutes, from study and exam departments and from the scholarship agency. The Psychological Counselling Centre can provide assistance with orientation/guidance questions at the start of studying and can support you with the task of settling in and readjusting.