{"id":674,"date":"2020-08-14T12:20:22","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T16:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/scld\/?page_id=674"},"modified":"2025-06-19T11:59:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T15:59:53","slug":"getting-started-with-university-courses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/scld\/learning-skills\/getting-started-with-university-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started on the Path to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p>Are you a 1st year student, wondering how to succeed at university? Or a returning student looking for a fresh start? Check out the tips &amp; services below to help achieve your academic goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch the video to meet some of our upper year YorkU students and recent grads who share tips they wish that they knew in first year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What I Wish I Knew In First Year: Academics\" width=\"1778\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BudyrKDVBrY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for Getting Started<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading h5 text-uppercase text-primary\"><strong>Start Right Away<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Putting off tasks may feel like a method for temporarily reducing stress, but actually it's a recipe for increasing your stress levels as the term progresses. Things won't get easier later on, when the workload snowballs and your deadlines loom ever closer. You don't have to do everything at once, you just have to get started. When you begin a task, you leave behind all the worry and fear that the task is \u201ctoo big\u201d or \u201ctoo difficult\u201d. Break the job down into manageable steps, choose one small aspect of the task and get going right away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading h5 text-uppercase text-primary\"><strong>Use Course Outlines<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you see the course from the perspective of the professor, you\u2019ll have a major insight into what (and how) to study for your courses. Seeing the course from this perspective is as easy as carefully analyzing the course outline and course description for the goals, objectives, and topics of the course. Equipped with the knowledge of what is important in the course, you can organize your approach to the course to focus on the main ideas of the course and their inter-connections.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get into the Right Mindset<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading h5 text-uppercase text-primary\"><strong>Believe In Yourself<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Success is all about doing the best you can with what you have. Success is perseverance in the face of challenge; it means rising to the occasion; it means pulling through when times are tough. A positive attitude is a key ingredient in succeeding at university. Taking responsibility for making things happen, following through on tasks, and staying oriented towards your goals will all contribute to success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading h5 text-uppercase text-primary\"><strong>Grow As You Go<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While each course or assignment might be unique, the skills needed to perform well on them carry over from one to the next. It might seem obvious, but a key element of success is actually paying attention to and working on the feedback you receive. Grades, comments, contradictory information, stress, delight\u2026 these are all forms of feedback that can help you to improve. Instead of working harder doing the same things, change your approach gradually on the basis of the feedback that you receive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th> Resource<\/th><th>Description<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/yustart.yorku.ca\/\">YU START<\/a><\/td><td>A New Student Transition Program designed to support you as you make your way into and through your first Year of York.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.library.yorku.ca\/web\/ask-services\/\">Ask &amp; Services York Libraries<\/a><\/td><td>Access support services from York Libraries such as speaking with research librarians, understanding research guides, and more.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/counselling.students.yorku.ca\/\">Student Counselling, Health, &amp; Well-being<\/a><\/td><td>Seek support as you transition into university and find useful tools to help you balance your mental well-being with your academic goals. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/colleges\/\">YorkU Colleges <\/a><\/td><td>Your college is your home base while at York, a place where you can participate in student government, attend social activities, get academic help, work, and volunteer. Also, the colleges on campus all have areas designated as student space.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns social-bar-block is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading h6 text-white text-center\">Connect with Student Community &amp; Leadership Development<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you a 1st year student, wondering how to succeed at university? Or a returning student looking for a fresh start? Check out the tips &amp; services below to help achieve your academic goals. Watch the video to meet some of our upper year YorkU students and recent grads who share tips they wish that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"parent":477,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"secondary-page.php","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-674","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Getting Started on the Path to Success - Student Community &amp; Leadership Development<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/scld\/learning-skills\/getting-started-with-university-courses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Getting Started on the Path to Success - Student Community &amp; Leadership Development\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you a 1st year student, wondering how to succeed at university? 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