Starting at Melbourne

New to the University of Melbourne? This online learning module explores expectations of university study, types of classes and assessment tasks, and how you can continue to develop your academic skills.

Starting at Melbourne

Starting your studies

Welcome to the University of Melbourne!
This is an introductory resource for commencing undergraduate and graduate coursework students who are studying at the University for the first time.  
It will take approximately 15 minutes to read and watch.

Listen and watch the video as these students share their first impressions of what it was like to start studying at the University of Melbourne.

What's university like?

Starting a university degree involves change, new experiences and surprises. Compared with your previous studies at school or other institutions, at the University of Melbourne you may have:

  • A greater responsibility for your own learning; the expectation to be an independent learner
  • Fewer hours of scheduled class time
  • Less individualised attention from lecturers and tutors
  • More opportunities to join active discussion with your new classmates.
Watch the video to hear what other students say about study expectations at the University of Melbourne.

Study expectations

The transition to studying at university may also involve a change for you to a more independent style of studying, learning and researching. Being an independent learner sets you up for study success and career development. It encourages you to:

  • Be self-aware and reflect on how you learn as a student
  • Get involved as an active participant in class and study activities
  • Take personal responsibility for managing your time and tasks
  • Develop your personal and professional networks and connection to the broader student life at university
  • Know when and where to get help to support you through your studies.

More ways to get set for success

As a new student, you are off to a great start by engaging with resources like this page. There are also lots of other ways to continue developing as an independent learner, including

You can also get off to the best start at uni by getting set up with the digital tools you need for study. A range of software is available to download for free for all enrolled students at the University. Visit Student IT for more.

Use the module menu to go the next section: Attending classes, where we explore types of classes, and hear students' experiences and tips for your first semester.

Attending classes

Ying and David describe their experience of attending classes at the University of Melbourne.

Students' tips on attending classes

Your subjects at the University of Melbourne are likely to include a range of class types, which vary by size, format and the type of activities you are expected to do. These may be very different to your previous studies or you may already be familiar with them.

Watch the video and think about how you might apply Ying and David's tips.

Tip: Prioritise attending classes on time throughout the semester. This helps you get to know your lecturers, tutors and other students, which in turn will help you settle in and get used to university classes.

Types of class

To find out more about each type of class, explore the drop down links.

  • Lectures are large classes, designed to present theoretical information and provide examples that relate to core concepts in the subject.

    Lectures may:

    • Have minimal opportunities for student-to-lecturer and student-to-student interaction
    • Comprise 1 to 3 hours of a subject’s timetable each week
    • Range in size from 30 to 300 students
    • Include important administrative and assessment information.

  • Tutorials ('tutes') are smaller classes that provide you with an opportunity to discuss the subject content with your tutor and other students.

    Tutorials are:

    • Opportunities for student-to-tutor and student-to-student interaction
    • Usually 60 to 90 minutes long
    • Made up of 15 to 20 students
    • Often compulsory to attend and have participation and preparation requirements

  • Seminars are common in higher-level undergraduate and graduate subjects. They present subject content, like lectures, but they also encourage or require discussion between students.

    Seminars:

    • Are usually at least 2 hours long
    • May require students to research and present content to the class
    • Are interactive and provide the opportunity to get to know other students.

  • Each of your subjects will have a space on the  Learning Management System (LMS) where you can find the subject requirements, assessment information, staff contact details, subject readings, lecture documents and recordings of class content.

    The LMS may also:

    • Provide instructions and links to help you engage with online classes that are a part of your subject
    • Contain discussion forums, wikis, blogs and quizzes
    • Include assessment tasks and feedback.

  • These weekly study sessions are led by an experienced student who has taken the subject with high success in a previous semester. They provide an informal way to revise content already presented in lectures and tutorials, in an interactive, supportive, small group setting.

    PASS Sessions are:

    • available in selected undergraduate subjects
    • optional and flexible – come to any session any time
    • run in weeks 2-12 of semester
    • one hour long

    For more information visit the PASS Program Sharepoint or Academic Skills

  • Other types of subject-specific classes, such as labaratory classes ('labs'), practical classes ('pracs') and studios, exist for different courses. These give you an opportunity to work on tasks and ask questions or get feedback during the class.

    Labs, pracs and studios might:

    • Be 2 to 3 hours long
    • Include time to work on exercises or projects related to the lecture material or assessment tasks
    • Require students to follow safety instructions carefully
    • Involve teamwork between students
    • Have follow-up tasks, such as reports, reflections, journals or folios.

Use the module menu to go the next section: Types of assessment, where we introduce the different categories of exams, assignments and presentations that you might encounter during your studies.

Types of assessments

Most of your subjects will have two or three assessments that you need to complete. This may include a mid-semester test or exam at the end of the semester, and might include assignments that you need to submit on a due date.

As an independent learner, you will be expected to:

  • find out what assessments you have and when they are due by looking on the LMS
  • listen out for any instructions given in your classes
  • take the initiative to start preparing for assessment tasks (without waiting for teachers to tell you how and when to do so)
  • ask questions if you are unsure about anything
  • independently plan, prioritise and manage tasks such as researching, drafting or revising

For each assessment task, take note of the:

  • due date and time
  • weighting (% value of the task to the overall subject mark)
  • length of the assessment (word count, page length, presentation time or exam length).

Tip: Explore tools for planning for assessments, such as a semester planner

Typical assessment types

Here are a few of the more common assessment tasks that you will encounter. Open the drop down links for more information and further resources on each.

    • Are the most common written task at university
    • Consist of an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion
    • Usually require you to take a position or make an argument.

    For more information explore our Essay writing resources.

    • Contain the results of a topic you have researched or investigated
    • May consist of sections with standard headings, such as Executive Summary, Introduction, Method, Findings, Discussion, Conclusion, or may have particular headings required by the subject
    • Often contain recommendations.

    For more information explore our Report writing resources.

    • Require you to review, not just describe, academic or scholarly literature and research
    • Relate to a specific topic or question.

    For more information explore our Literature review resources.

    • Are reference lists with short summaries of each source in the list
    • Frequently also contain a critique of each source.

    For more information explore our Annotated bibliography resources.

    • Are spoken tasks delivered to an audience
    • May be delivered individually or as part of a group.

    For more information explore our Oral presentation resources.

    • Look back at an experience, for example, a placement or an internship
    • Expect you to reflect on, to evaluate the experience, not merely describe it
    • Are usually written in the first person ‘I’.

    For more information explore our Reflective writing resources.

Hear from students on what surprised them about end-of semester assessment.

Students talk about end-of-semester

Assessments administered or due at the end of the semester can include exams, portfolios, presentations, group assignments, individual assignments and demonstrations.

Exams at the University of Melbourne usually occur at the end of the subject and typically draw on all the material you have studied in the semester.

Use the module menu to go the next section: Academic skills development, where we explore ways to build the skills that will help you succeed through your studies.

Academic skills development

Students talk about how they build academic skills and good study habits.

Developing your academic skills is crucial to your success at the University of Melbourne. These skills include critical thinking and reading, note-taking, speaking and presenting, and academic reading and writing.

Academic skills go hand in hand with good study habits like preparing for classes, seeking out and reflecting on feedback and keeping up with reading and attendance in classes.

You will have already started developing these skills and habits in your previous studies, but you may find expectations become higher as you progress.

What are academic skills?

Explore the drop down links to learn more about the main categories of academic skills, and find resources that will help you to develop in each area.

  • Work on your reading skills to:

    • Become familiar with key concepts and technical vocabulary in your subjects
    • Learn about different perspectives on the topics you encounter
    • Engage with literature to use in your academic writing
    • Enable the development of your own ideas.

    Reading and note taking is a good place to start.

  • Listening skills are important for you to be able to:

    • Understand what lecturers, tutors and other students are saying
    • Participate fully in classes
    • Make notes of important information.

    Getting the most out of lectures covers some key learning strategies to try in lectures, while Listening techniques is a great resource for students who want to boost their English language listening skills.

  • It’s common for students to feel a little nervous about speaking up at first, but the more you develop your speaking skills, the easier it will be for you to:

    • Raise questions or points in class about topics you find interesting
    • Have discussions with other students
    • Deliver presentations with confidence.

    Visit Communicating in class and Listening and speaking for a range of resources on how to improve these skills.

  • Improving your writing skills will help you succeed in your assessment tasks and will also enable you to:

    • express your ideas about the topics in your subjects
    • showcase your learning

    Explore our range of resources on all aspects of developing your writing skills at Reading, writing and referencing

  • Study skills are all the things you need to manage your time, thinking and tasks effectively. Some examples of study skills are:

    • seeking out and engaging with feedback,
    • managing revision for exams, and
    • working effectively with peers and teachers.

    For tips to expand your toolkit of skills and strategies, explore our resources on Study skills

This is the end of this module. To support you to keep developing your study and communication skills Academic Skills provides resources, workshops and one-on-one advice. Explore our services and resources to find out more or get in touch with us at academic-skills@unimelb.edu.au.