Steps to start your study

Whether this is your first taste of online study or you’re entering your next study session, there are some important pieces of information to keep in mind as you get stuck into the study term.

Remember the census date

Census date is set by your University. It’s your deadline for withdrawing from subjects—once the census date has been and gone, you can’t withdraw from a subject without getting hit by the full cost of your subjects.

If you’re paying your subject fees using a student loan, you’ll incur a debt for the subject unless you withdraw from the subject by the census date.

Withdrawing from a subject

Make sure you’ve considered everything before withdrawing from a subject—a good idea is to contact a student advisor to go through your options.

Contacting a student advisor

Online study can come with some distinct challenges.

If you’re new to studying you might want to make contact with a student advisor in the first few weeks, they will be able to help answer your questions and make sure you’re ready of your first study term.  They can help with study planning, withdrawing, enrolling in your next subjects, and any other general administration questions.

Alternatively, you can have a chat with your Country Universities Centre staff for general advice and guidance.

Arranging disability support

If you’re a student with a disability that may affect your studies, there are support services available to you, no matter which uni you’re studying with. Make sure you reach out to access the necessary disability support.

Questions about subject requirements and assignments

Your uni sends out your subject and assessment requirements—if you have any questions about these, ensure you get in touch with your university subject tutor.

Feel free to make contact with us whenever you need additional assistance. We can help with essay reviews, essential study skills, academic literacy, including structure, spelling, grammar, punctuation and referencing in our drop-in sessions.

Preparing for your assessments and exams

Throughout the duration of your course, you’ll be faced with a number of different assessments – from exams and coursework to group work and presentations. Make sure you review and prepare for all of these requirements at the beginning of your study session (using a Weekly study planner can be a great tool). The sooner you get on top of this—the better! It’ll make you more prepared, giving you a greater chance of getting a top mark.

And remember  Country Universities Centre is an examination Centre, so be sure to let your education provider know that you want to sit your exams there.