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Getting the best out of being a student

Coming to university is an exciting time, but it can also be a daunting experience. It doesn't matter if you're straight out of high school, from overseas, or you're starting ANU as a mature age student, Uni life will be different from any other life you've led.

Some of the questions you'll have include:

This is not intended to scare you - but it's good to be warned about the standards, processes & challenges awaiting you when you first arrive.

At the ANU we have fabulous facilities and services for students, and some really helpful people to assist you, but you need to know where to start. As we want you to have a good chance of settling in as quickly as possible, and meeting other new students outside the classroom, we have created the

Student Information & Guidance Network (SIGN)

Trained SIGN mentors set-up small groups of new students like yourself to help you settle in, and generally get on with being an ANU student.

By registering with SIGN, you'll have someone to help guide you through the first weeks of semester, and in many cases you'll get to know a small group of people - some of whom will be studying similar programs to you.

SIGN costs nothing, and won't take much time out of your schedule - it is just meeting up with some people every now and then.

Getting down to the nitty gritty

So what does this program involve?

1. Register for SIGN and along with several other students, you'll be allocated a mentor. In most cases you'll all be from the same Faculuty or area of study, so you will get a chance to chat with people studying in similar courses or programs of study.

2. After you've registered you will be contacted by your mentor, and a time, and place to meet will be arranged. So make sure you check your email and phone regularly, and please be sure to provide accurate contact details when you register for SIGN, otherwise your Mentor will not be able to reach you!

3. Your mentor group - which is you, your mentor, and a few other new students - will have a chance to talk about Uni life, share information about the campus, your academic program and your experiences.

4. You can meet your mentor regularly, to fit in with both your schedules, and also communicate with them by telephone and e-mail.

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What can my mentor do for me?

• Help you find places on campus and around Canberra! There are over 8000 students on campus and many different buildings - so having someone point you in the right direction is a must.

• Your mentor can also help you sign up for things like tutorials, and help you access facilities and services on campus, like the student email, library, gym and clubs & societies.

• Your mentor will most likely (but not always) share a similar field of study as you, so they can talk about their own experiences and advise you on where to access course specific things, like picking up reading bricks, finding the departmental libraries and so on.
  

The program runs for the first 6 to 8 weeks of semester . It's up to you and your mentor to decide how often, when and where you want to meet up.There's a lot of flexibility for you to fit all this around your timetable. We also have a noticeboard of SIGN and ANU events around campus - check out our noticeboard to keep up-to-date with what's going on across campus.
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Things you need to keep in mind

SIGN mentors are volunteers . They have undertaken SIGN Mentor Training and they're keen to help you - but they are Uni students too, and they are mentoring because they want to help new students. Please respect that they are fitting their role as a SIGN Mentor into their busy schedule.

REMEMBER: you can always ask for help beyond your mentor, and if you have any problems with your mentor, please contact the SIGN Program Coordinator sign@anu.edu.au , ph (02) 6125 6551.

There is also a list of resources on the web that might be of assistance to you.

While your mentor has been given guidelines and all sorts of ideas about how to assist you, it is up to you to get the most out of this program. One thing you could do is articulate clearly to your mentor what you want out of Uni -- is it a degree in record time? great marks? a hectic social life?

Some guidelines for you to keep in mind include:

•  Your mentor is not a psychic! You need to let your mentor know what you want and what you expect them to do for you.

•  Please remember that SIGN is not an academic mentoring program. Your mentor can not do your 'uni' work for you, but can direct you to the Academic Skills and Learning Centre for assistance.

•  Take some responsibility and initiative in contacting your mentor. Keep them up to date with how you are doing, use them as a way to debrief your experiences here. Also, don't forget to let them - and ANU student administration - know if you change your contact details!

•  Have reasonable expectations of your mentor. Sign Mentors are busy people , and they will have other demands on their time in addition to SIGN.

•  Acknowledge their achievements -- positive encouragement is the best way to get someone else on board and it's nice to watch someone else look happily surprised!

•  Make sure your mentor has your current contact detail.  This is very important.

•  Provide feedback to your mentor. This will help you both create a successful and rewarding relationship.

Finally you can drop out of the program at any stage . Just let the SIGN Coordinator know that you are doing so. Otherwise you may be contacted by your mentor to see if everything is going OK.

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Want to know what mentors get told?

You can check out the mentor page. For the curious, it also includes the handbook we give out to mentors in their training sessions.
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Signing up

This program is free and is available to any new student to the ANU.

For further information, please contact the SIGN Coordinator, email sign@anu.edu.au , or phone 02 6125 6551

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