Phew, you’ve completed the enrolment process and it’s time to start learning on the eCampus NZ portal!
Feeling nervous? Don’t worry, it’s perfectly natural to feel like that before you start any learning journey.
What would you do if you were worried about an upcoming driving test? Get behind the wheel, right?
The same logic applies to studying: the best thing you can do to calm your pre-study jitters is to make sure you’re prepared.
By the time you’ve worked through these Starting Study Tips, you’ll know exactly how to set yourself up for success.
Starting Study Tip 1: Complete your enrolment
Check that you’ve completed every step of the enrolment process and are ready to go. If you want one of our Sales and Learner Service Coordinators to walk you through the process, all you need to do is email [email protected] or call 0800 328 269 and press 1.
Starting Study Tip 2: Work through our Getting Started Toolkit
Once you’ve enrolled, our Getting Started Toolkit is a great place to start. It will help you:
- Find out how learning online works
- Meet your support team
- Learn what is expected of you
- Take a tour of the eCampus NZ portal
- Learn how to set yourself up for success
Starting Study Tip 3: Take our quiz
Complete our ‘Am I Ready to Begin’ quiz to make sure you have the tools and resources you need to succeed.
This tool helps you to self-assess if you’re ready to begin your course. If you answer ‘no’ to any of the questions, we’ll give you some advice on how to get organised.
Starting Study Tip 4: Set some goals
One way to strengthen your wairua, or spiritual wellbeing, is to reflect on your purpose and what you hope to achieve in the future.
Before you start studying, work through our goal-setting activities and set at least one long-term, mid-term, and short-term goal.
Everyone’s learning journey is different, and it may not always be smooth sailing. Write your goals down and make sure you can easily refer to them. Reminding yourself about why you decided to study in the first place and what you want to achieve can be hugely motivating if things get tough.
Starting Study Tip 5: Build your support network
You may be learning online, but you’re not learning alone! Visit our Getting Support page and set up your support system before you begin:
- Your student advisor will support you as you progress through your course, helping you to find solutions and stay on track. They can give you advice on study skills and time-management, help you to access resources and services and refer you to specialist support as required. When you enrol, your student advisor’s name and email address will be sent to you with your study plan. Why not reach out to your student advisor and introduce yourself before you begin?
- You’ll find plenty of resources on our student support site Tō Tautoko, from academic writing guides to instructions on how to use the eCampus NZ portal. Spend some time exploring these pages and bookmark any you’ll find useful as you study.
- Whether you’re studying with Ara, UCOL, NMIT, NorthTec, Otago Polytechnic, EIT, Toi-Ohomai, or WelTec & Whitireia, you can use both on-campus and online support services while you’re studying via eCampus NZ. Before you start, check out what kind of support is available through your enrolling institute by visiting their website. Support services may include specialist learning support, counselling, and Māori and Pasifika student support and study hubs. Your facilitator and student advisor can refer you to your institute’s support services, but you’re welcome to get in touch with them directly before you start if you prefer.
- As an eCampus NZ learner, you get free access to Smarthinking. Smarthinking is a live, on-demand tutoring service that will help you to get the academic help you need, when you need it. You can submit assignments for feedback, request live online tutorials and ask questions about new concepts as you learn them. Visit the Smarthinking page before you start and make sure you know about all the services available to you.
- Tell your whānau and friends about why you’ve chosen to study, what you want to achieve and how they can help. Their support can make all the difference.
Starting Study Tip 6: Get organised
There’s nothing worse than starting a course, only to realise that you don’t have the right equipment to complete it.
The first thing you’ll want to organise is regular access to a desktop or laptop computer with an internet connection.
You should also check your course description to make sure you have fulfilled the technical requirements before you begin.
Starting Study Tip 7: Tour the eCampus NZ portal
You’ll get access to your course one week before it begins. It’s a good idea to use this time to learn how your course is structured and how to use the eCampus NZ portal. If you get stuck, there are plenty of resources on our Using the eCampus NZ Portal page.
Starting Study Tip 8: Set up a study space
Creating a quiet, organised, pleasant place to work can take the stress out of studying. Click here to learn how to set up your home office or study space without blowing the budget. Or, if you live close to your enrolling institute, pay their campus a visit and find your favourite spot in their library.
Starting Study Tip 9: Plan your Time
Visit this page for a visual overview of the weeks in which assessments are due in each of the courses. This will help you to plan your time accordingly and ensure you are prepared for weeks in which more than one assessment is due. Check out our Time Management page for more strategies to help you keep on top of your workload.
Starting Study Tip 10: Get Inspired
Take a look at some of the stories we’ve written about our learners. Find a past learner you relate to and think of them as your ‘study hero’. Re-read their story when you’re in challenging periods – if they can do it, so can you!
If you’ve used even a few of these tips before you start studying, you’re doing great! Good luck on your learning journey – and don’t forget to enjoy yourself along the way!