Our Vlog

A wrap up of our own experience and golden tips!

The video is linked to the MQunitips blog as we share our own tips and personal interests, with a link leading viewers to our blog in the end. Overall the video is meant to show a snippet of the type of content that could be found on the MQunitips blog as well as being an advertisement for the blog.

Check us our in action! We tell you what we wish we could’ve done when we were in first year:

- Making use of student services (Sally)

- Joining more student societies (Sarah)

- Taking the degree more seriously (Boris)

We also want to share our favourite thing about uni at MQU!

- Ubar parties! (Sarah)

- Art & Culture! (Sally)

- Chicken nuggets and chips from the hub (A MUST TRY)! (Boris)

Each member took turns to film each other answering the questions and we took multiple clips from different angles and locations till we were all happy as a group with the quality of our content.

Each member contributed equally as we each made comments and contributed to the ideas of how this video would be filmed, what vibe we wanted, and what would be added in to the edits i.e. our transitions, background music, pace, audio and amount of video clips included.

We hope you enjoy our video!

Careers Fair

Every year there is a Careers Fair held at Macquarie University which allows students to get an idea of what kind of job opportunities are out there. The Careers Fair is usually only runs for a day where representatives from many well known companies come and have a booth set up. Students can approach these representatives and have a chat about the company or ask any questions they may have about certain positions in the company. It's a great way of allowing students to see what kind of people these companies are looking to hire. These representatives are usually employees of a company in a recruitment position so it is a huge opportunity to meet them and possibly make them a new connection which would serve as a big advantage in the future when it comes to applying for jobs.

Every student may have different goals going into Careers Fair, some know what they want and where they wish to work already so they attend only for the companies they're interested in. Whereas some students may not know what they want yet so they go around and speak to everybody on the Careers Fair to get a general idea. Regardless of the reason, attending this event is a great way to find out more about different industries and meet different people so we highly recommend it even if you're in your first year!

Here is a snippet of what a Careers Fair looks like at Macquarie!

Before you attend a Careers Fair here are some tips to be prepared:

- Check location and time to make sure you're not late

- Research the companies beforehand so you have some base knowledge of what they do

- Have some questions prepared

- Update your CV/Resume and bring it along with you on the day (In some cases students may be lucky enough to be asked for their Resume)

Lastly! just smile and have fun. it's a great day and you'll definitely get a lot out of it.

Reference: Image:

https://students.mq.edu.au/support/career_and_employment_service/careers_fair/

Studying For Exams

Exams are something that every student encounters, it could be an in class exam, mid semester exam or final exam! The purpose of an exam is to test your knowledge and what you have learnt throughout the semester. 

Exams are a nerve-racking experience and a lot of students can get stressed because exams usually have a higher weighing than other assessments. We have compiled a small list of tips and things to know before you study for an exam: 

Find out what kind of exam you'll be taking
Essay: If it's one essay then it is important to time yourself when writing an essay as the last thing you want is when exam time is over and you haven't finished writing your essay. 

Multiple Choice: Multiple choice usually involve specific question so it is important to go through and cover all of your lecture material and write flash cards. 

Open Book Exams: One mistakes students make is thinking if it's an open book exam that they don't need to study. It is still important to study! because you won't have time to look for the answer in the book. It is important to understand the topics already and use your book as a guide. The open book exams tests you on your ability to find and use necessary information in your book. 

Organising your time
- Allocate a decent amount of hours to study for each of your units and stick to a weekly plan. (Don't study the night before!! It is extremely difficult for your brain to retain all that information and will make your more tired and stressed)
- Study when you are most energetic! Don't study when you've just finished work or really tired. Study at optimal times like early in the morning. 

For more exam tips, follow the link below to a video about successful study tips for your exams!

Best of luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p60rN9JEapg

Info Day and Open Day

Not yet a first year student but about to become one? Not sure what Macquarie has to offer? Well lucky for you, we have two major events to help you get to know the place a little better.

Info Day is one of the best events you can participate in for preparing to start your degree. At Info Day you get to chat to academic advisors and ask anything you would like to know. Academic advisors will be available all day to share the specific details of any Macquarie University degree. There will also be current students who you can meet and chat to about what it's truly like to study here. Learn as much as you want to know about Macquarie, and see for yourself what is the right fit for you here. There is no reason to be shy about asking any questions because all the academics and students are very friendly and have all been in your position before, so don't worry! No one expects you to know everything, there are no stupid questions!

Info Day is coming up in the first Tuesday in January, mark your calendar 'cause you don't want to miss it!

Open Day is the biggest and one of the most exciting events at Macquarie. Open Day gives you the chance to speak with academics, get advice on careers or your field of interest, attend mini lectures on popular courses, and get a feel for life at university. Open Day offers you the chance to explore campus and view all the different exciting facilities. But most of all, Open Day is loads of fun! It gives you the chance to make new friends who are in the exact same boat, check out fun stalls and explore all the exciting different clubs and sports teams you can be a part of! Open Day is a great way to get a sense of what uni life will be like, have fun and get inspired for this amazing new chapter of your life!

Open Day is held on the second Saturday in September - get keen for it, we sure are!

My Experience in Macquarie University!

Written by Boris

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In addition to the post; Your degree is not everything - other ways to add Value to yourself!

Boris is a fourth year current student at Macquarie University Studying a Bachelor of Applied Finance with a degree in Bachelor of Commerce - Professional Accounting.

Being in Macquarie University or any other tertiary education, things happen fast! It is best to always be weary of what is happening around you, and of the vast opportunities that are happening. 

When I first started at Macquarie University, I was shy and timid from the unexpected change of atmosphere from secondary education. What I found was good was that i knew a few people prior to Macquarie University so this helped me in my transition. Howver, if you are new to the area, there is nothing to worry about as Macquarie stafff and students are highly friendly, so it be easy to adjust to the change. See my progress and how much my experience at Macquarie University has been a fulfilling and fast-paced one.

As I was progressing through to university life; I witness the number of Student Societies at O-Week. At this time I joined the Catholic Asian Students' Society (CASS) and the Accounting Students' Association (ASA), where I was expressed my interest to join the executive team. 
Tip: Join as many student societies that may be applicable to you and be apart fo the team, to gain as many soft skills as you can!

From the induction into the Student Societies I went to progress within them as indicated below;
CASS: Spiritual Coordinator --> President
ASA: Marketing Intern --> Marketing Manager --> Vice-President (External Functions)

What I can say about this experiences is that it helped me grow and develop professionally where I can also apply these skills that have been attained in interviews, such as working within the unversity as a Student Administration Adviser and more recently as a Senior within the team, or gain an internship within the University and external firms in Australia. 

Overall, with the assistance of university and its culture that it instigated my growth and development; I believe that without period - my experience in university, let alone life has not been a fulfilling one.

Referencing

Effective and appropriate referencing is very important at university. At uni, there is a great deal of emphasis put on each person developing and presenting their own opinions and ideas. As an individual, it is important to show which ideas are yours, and which come from academic sources you have read. Learning how to integrate sources correctly in your writing is a skill assessed in most assignments. The whole point of referencing is to clearly display which sources you have gathered your ideas from and which are your own. If you do not use references correctly you may be plagiarising and will therefore be penalised, so be very careful!

Plagiarism can include:

• Using any information from a source (such as a book, journal or internet site) without referencing it

• Using an author’s exact words without using quotation marks and referencing the page

• Writing an author’s ideas in your own words but without referencing them.

Penalties of plagiarism can include loss of credit for a subject, to suspension or termination of enrolment.

Knowing how to use and acknowledge sources in your writing takes a bit of practice, but don't worry, after putting some time and effort into learning it, it'll become easier. Find out what referencing system you need for your assignments – for example, Harvard, APA or MLA, and use an official university's guide/template to get familiar with it.

When you read academic articles, pay attention to how different academic sources use and different types of language and as you may be taking ideas from different sources, it is important to integrate all your ideas into one uniform language in your piece of writing. If it feels overwhelming or you're still unsure, you can always attend an Academic Skills Unit workshop or consult one of Macquarie's advisors or your particular tutor/unit convener to help improve your skills in this area - or, even ask one of your friends to help you! Everyone has or has been in the same boat and it can be confusing, so don't be afraid to ask around.


Reference: Image retrieved from https://www.brownstonelaw.com/computer-hacking-an-examination-of-the-illinois-criminal-code/ 

Research and Reading

One of the first things you may notice about uni is the large amount of reading required. You need to develop and express your own ideas based on the reading of appropriate resources. The primary places to find these resources are the university library and its website, so to make yourself more familiar with these, you can see our "Using Macquarie's Library" blog post.

Other than the library, there are many other websites that publish credible university resources which can be accessed via Google Scholar. In our opinion, Google Scholar is the most efficient way to find credible journal articles, books and periodicals that will be most appropriate for your assignments. All you need to do is type keyword or phrases into the search engine and, voila! You have a range of many different appropriate papers to read and research so that you can expand your learning and integrate readings into your assignments. Other sources such as businesspremier and ebsohost can also be found via "Mq Library Research". Make sure that you appropriately cite and reference all of your sources as well! For more information on that, see our "Referencing" blog post. :)

It may all seem overwhelming now, but once you get the hang of it, it gets easier. Good luck!


Reference: Image retrieved from https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/research/university/ 

Student Benefits

Another great thing to remember about being a student is the external benefits outside of university! Just because you've left school and have become an adult, you are still a student on a budget, and it is often hard to get by and be independent and still treat yourself to buying the things you enjoy. But there are student discounts everywhere! And as long as you have a valid student card, you can easily reap those benefits.

Student discounts are available at the cinema, certain fast food joints, bowling alleys, clothing stores, through purchasing flights and many more places you might not realise! Students are also able to ride on public transport at a discounted price, as long as you are a full time student and have an opal card purchased through the university. There is a small, simple process to this which will be convenient for you to be familiar with. Just login to AskMQ with your Student ID, and fill out a declaration for MQ to share your eligibility with TfNSW. Then, wait 24hrs for the application to be processed and apply at TfNSW Concession Opal Card. Then, discounted rides on all public transport! It's that simple!

Another great benefit that comes with being a student is discounted shopping through UNiDays. All you have to do is register under your Macquarie University ID to get discounts to so many amazing brands such as; Missguided, Superdry, Princess Polly, ASOS, CityBeach, Glue, General Pants and so many more! When you need a little study break, it's fun to have a good look at all the discounts on such awesome clothes. :)

We love it, and hope you will too!


Reference: Image retrieved from https://www.opal.com.au/en/about-opal/types-of-opal-cards/
Screenshot retrieved from https://www.myunidays.com/

Using Macquarie's Library

It may seem pretty straight forward to make good use of your university library, but a lot of students don't make the most of it! The Macquarie University Library is amaaaazing for study, whether it's to do some group or individual study. There are so many books, readings, articles, periodicals and more to borrow all at your fingertips. Borrowing is so easy - you can easily borrow items, put them on hold or renew items using your campus card AND you can log in to MyLibrary any time you need to access your borrower information, renew items and check loans, holds and fines.

The convenience of borrowing such a vast range of all the resources you could ask for is just the beginning. The library has numerous facilities for you to use for whatever it is you need! You can book and use computers, book presentation practice pods, book quiet rooms, loan laptops, lock away your laptop and print, scan and copy any documents you need. If you'd like to take a closer, more intimate look at Macquarie's Library and what else it has to offer, you can view Macquarie's online self-guided tour through the Library facilities page, which shows detailed photos and maps of each floor, locations and opening hours of separate sections.

Macquarie University Library Presentation Pods

Remember, the Library is a wonderful place!! The hired security also keep everyone quiet and in order, so that you can get the best out of your study time spent there. We recommend you use it as much as possible!


Reference: Image 1 retrieved from http://www.mbanews.com.au/mba-melbourne-macquarie-university/
Image 2 retrieved from https://clatac.wordpress.com/caul-library-and-learning-spaces-image-gallery/macquarie-university/

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

It's easy to let yourself go when you start uni - you're an independent adult who can make whichever food choices you like, and with plenty of junk food around to give you a quick fix, it may not come as a surprise to you that it's easy to make the wrong choices! Your usual routine is different, without being forced to attend PDHPE and being a part of many different team sports in school. So it's easy and fun to not worry about eating well and getting heaps of exercise, and as an independent adult, there's no one to tell you not to!

However, treating your body like this is actually unhelpful for your studies. Regular exercise improves levels of energy and mood and reduces stress and anxiety. Well, wow! I'm going to be honest, I've never been amazing at treating my body well, but I would never say no to those benefits! Especially during those periods right before big assignments and exams - I would only stress more to exclaim that there was no time to exercise, only time to study! Thats why whenever you're stuck on an assignment, dozing off watching an online lecture, or freaking out at the large amount of content that you just can't seem to remember - get outside for just 30 minutes to go for a quick jog, swim, bike ride or even just a walk to clear your head and drink in some fresh air and sunshine. You might feel like it wont do anything, but it's only good for you and is so much better for your mind than you think! Macquarie also has a Sport and Aquatic Centre packed with heaps of high quality facilities easy available to Students and to the public, as well as opportunities to join in team sports at uni so you can get some exercise, have fun and make some new friends all at once.

Eating healthy, nutritious, balanced meals are also going to help your uni work. Foods that are high in sugar, sodium and caffeine which students often consume when studying; such as coffee, lollies, energy drinks, potato chips and more give you one sudden hit of energy temporarily, followed by a large crash making your body and processes of thinking slow, demotivating you to keep working. However, nutritious foods such as fish, complex carbs, fresh fruit, nuts, legumes, green veggies etc. will give you a steady level of long lasting energy and aid with memory and proper brain function, helping you get the most out of your study and helping you feel good. :)

We know you've been told this all before, but if you put this into practise, it will make a serious difference in achieving your best results possible at uni, reducing your levels of stress, and keeping you feeling your happiest!


Reference: Image 1 retrieved from http://hollylegare.com/exercise/
Image 2 retrieved from http://www.abn.org.au/blog/healthy-food-ideas-tips-save-time-kitchen/

My Experience In A University Society

Written by Sally
Sally is a third year current student at Macquarie University Studying a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Marketing and Human Resources.

In some of our previous posts we said how important it was to go to o-week and check out some of the societies the university has to offer. If you don't join a society in the first year that's completely okay! there's no rule. No one can force you, but if you were ever curious there's no harm to give it a go because it's a great experience and this is a little bit about mine. Some students join as a member where they get the opportunity to attend activities and events held by that society and some students join to be a part of the team behind those events in that society which is what I did.

I joined a ECFS (Economics, Commerce and Finance Society) in 2014 as a Marketing Intern for the experience. As a Marketing Student myself I thought that joining a society in a position related to my degree that would give myself an idea of what kind of Marketing activities this area involved and as it adds value to your resume. (Some employers like to know how involved you are in university and being in a society is one way to show that!).

In this position I was involved in the advertising ECFS events around campus; board advertising, creating posters, managing social media channels and lecture announcements. It was a demanding role as there was deadlines and targets to be met for each event. It was challenging and took up some time working alongside many other Marketing Interns we were a close knit team who met regularly each week to discuss our progress and advise each other on how we could improve for our next event. If we physically could not meet we would make the time to do group chats online or Skype call each other. Honestly I didn't realise how much time went into being aprt of this team however i was committed to it because i loved what I did and I enjoyed working with the people around me. In the end I believe it was well worth it because of all the people I met and skills gained;

- Time Management
- Organisation Skills
- Communication Skills
- Creative Skills (Photoshop and Editing)
- Leadership Skills
- Teamwork

After a while I chose to leave ECFS as the uni workload was getting too much however I still refer to ECFS if asked in a job interview. It's a great example to show employers what you are capable of.

If you are curious to see what working in a particular department is like or gaining some real professional skills, being in team in a society is a great way to achieve that. Even if you decide to leave afterwards, you get to meet some great friends and connections!

For a list of student societies on campus at MQU follow the link below:

http://mq.edu.au/on_campus/get_involved/student_groups/

Reference: 
Image - http://www.learn2success.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Is-Building-a-Team-Really-That-Easy.jpg

Use Your Free Time Wisely

Some students manage to squeeze their timetable to go to uni as little as possible such as just 3 days a week, that's a whole four days free!! You must think GEE that's a lot of free time left, doesn't even sound like a full time student! You might think that that's a lot of days to sleep in, play games, shopping, catch up with friends you name it! Yes technically that's true, it is important to have some free personal time to yourself and some people like those free days because that means they can fit in a casual/part time job on the side. However, be careful! Although you're at uni only 3 days a week hypothetically, that's not all that's required of you.

To successfully pass all of your units, you must commit a lot of hours outside class! It requires you to take responsbility to allocate time to start on assignments, do homework or go over what you've learnt that week. Espescially for units that are more demanding than others. It is extrmely important to be able to balance out uni, extra study time and your own personal time. It's easier said than done though, its not an easy task to do. If you can though try your best to effectively work out which schedule works for you. 

Such as if you have a break in between classes but you know you work best at uni only, then use that time between classes to go over your homework or assignments (every little bit of time put towards your uni work counts!). Or simply use that to take a small break to grab a coffee or bite to eat and then after class head home and do the work as long as each day you are inputting time to each element that's important; work, uni & personal. 

The end lesson here is to not underestimate the workload that's required of you and how long it takes for you to finish an assignment. You may think oh i have a whole two weeks to do it and then BAM you realise it's due in just a few days.. time sometimes does fly quickly. The sooner you use your breaks wisely or work out which schedule works for you, the less you will be doing all nighters, be less stressed and become a more organised student. 

Reference: 
Image - http://f.tqn.com/y/collegelife/1/W/G/8/-/-/72262734.jpg

Your degree is not everything - other ways to add Value to yourself!

"Degrees are not everything, anyone can get a degree these days"

What defines someone in the job market is not simply getting good grades or a degree. What is seemingly evident in the job market these days is that; yes degrees are necessary for entry into a workplace due to the minimum knowledge requirements a workplace may require, however, how employers seem to differentiate between one candidate to another is not simply just grades and degrees, but the other values or attributes a candidate has to offer for the business.

Look at this article: EY: Firm says it will not longer consider degrees or A-level results when assessing employees

As such; we come to the see the existance of soft skills is very important in developing a candidates experience and nature, and this is important to note when getting a job!

• Why? In interviews you will normally be asked "How have you shown (professional attribute) in the past?" or Have you organised a project before, how did it go and what was the outcome?"

Questions, like above look into what else a candidate has done, to show themselves off to the interviewer/s so that they have a better understanding of the potential employee.

So what can you do to improve your own personal "portfolio" (work on those soft skills) while at Macquarie University?

• Join a Student Society or two, and be apart of their committee to gain skills whie working as a team
• Be a leader; become a Mentor, and lead by example
• Never say no to any opportunity that comes up! There's no harm in trying!
• Networking; develop relationships amongst friends, other students and even Academics! You never know who they know and how they can help you!

All the best!!

Living on Campus

Thinking about living on campus? With accommodation at Macquarie University, we've decided to make life on and off campus easier for you! We have a wide range of living options available for you to choose from that are safe, supportive and fun. You can live in a new fully/self-catered residence, single or shared room, and have access to a range of convenient facilities, all within close distance to campus (walking, driving, commuting by public transport like trains or buses, or even cycling!).

Iglu Accommodation located in Chatswood


Becoming an on-campus student is so simple. First, you explore our different accommodation options, then you can choose the option and style of living that you feel most comfortable to live at, and then lastly just send your application to live at your new home you have picked! It's that easy! Did we mention that we can also pick up International students from the airport for FREE?!

We have many different accommodation options to choose from, including; Dayman Apartments, Dunmore Lang College (DLC), Herring Road Apartments, Iglu, Macquarie Parklands, Macquarie University Village, Private Accomodation, Robert Menzies College (RMC) and Temporary Accommodation. For more information on each of these options, feel free to visit us online. :)


Reference: Image retrieved from http://www.iglu.com.au/student-accommodation/sydney/iglu-chatswood 

Building on mentoring relationships with Academics

An important factor that is normally disregarded is the effective use in communication and use of resources while in University.

What we have found and studies show that there is lack of interaction between students and academic staff.

Our tip for you today is, use the resources that are presented to you. Be engaged with those around you and they may help and support you in the long run.

It is evident now in tertiary education that the relationship beteen students and academics can become purely linear; Academics are only for grades, marks and learning. As much of this is true; the experience of students in tertiary education can be so much more fulfiling. It can be interesting and valuing for a students to create and maintain relationships between academics, as they were also once students before. As such; a mentoring relationship can be aspiring to learn how the circumstances and experiences of one can develop and transform another. i.e.Academic staff can become mentors that help journey and offer advice that can be relevant to a student's life.

Currently in Macquarie University there is the Mentors@Macquarie Program aimed to give an orientation at Macquarie University for all new students.
For Faculty of Business Students; there are two mentoring program intiatives.
The FBE FirstSTEP Mentoring Program; where they dwell in the mentoring relationship between academic staff and students and the Lucy Mentoring Program where female students can be partnered with a Senior Executive Mentor in the corporate world.

As a final note for today; for students who wish to study a Masters Program; who need an academic reference, this could be an additional resource! 
Us at MQunitips strongly urge you to get out of your comfort zone and give a chance to establish a connection with academic staff and not to be scared to ask questions! 

- "Get Amongst It!"