BA: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE

A handy new guidebook lights the way forfirst-time university students, putting a great degree and a great student lifewithin their reach in just 10 simple steps.

Written by new graduate Rebecca Jury and published by Auckland University Pressin time for the 2012 university year, is an honest, entertaining handbookoffering readers practical advice on everything from setting up a study spaceto making sense of academic literature, establishing a winning exam strategyand making the most of student life – it’s not all about exams and uni work,Jury advises, “there’s also work work, volunteering work, and having alife. And make sure you spend one great night at the uni pub.”

“But in particular,” she says, “my bookaims to maximise readers’ chances of academic success and help them plan adegree to suit their individual needs, assert themselves in the academic worldand establish habits which will set them up for life.

“If you’re not afraid to be a nerd,polish up your essays until they shine and master exam-taking techniques,you’ll emerge from the university experience a better thinker, a moreemployable worker and a wiser person.”

Refreshingly unconventional, all advice inthe guide has been personally road-tested by the author, who came up the idea of a studyguide in the final year of her BA. Although she was sitting on an A+ average,many of her fellow students were still developing the skills necessary to copewith tertiary study. So, she decided to produce a small study skills leaflet,which became the Insider’s Guide. She continues to offer the benefit of herexperiences as a successful student, and will answer questions, through herblog An Insider’s Guide at http://aninsidersguide.com/

Rebecca Jury graduated with a BA in English and Mass Communication from CanterburyUniversity in 2008 with an A+ grade average. Sincecompleting her degree she has worked as a university tutor, a youth counsellorand, most recently, a high school teacher at a Wellington college. BA:An Insider’s Guide is her first book.

BA: An Insider’s Guide by Rebecca Jury

Published by Auckland University Press

February 2012, Paperback, 9781869405779, $29.99

Cheat sheet

Rebecca Jury, BA: An Insider’s Guide, AucklandUniversity Press, February 2012

Always go to yourtutorials.

Identify what youwant to eat on campus, then find a cheap alternative.

Don’t be afraidto be a nerd.

If you don’t wanta degree, don’t do one.

Nail the contentof your essay first, work on structure afterwards.

Wikipedia’s agreat start point.

Get into debt ifyou need to – student loans, laptops and good stationery pay off in the longrun.

Be stingy: you’llmake the most of uni when you think about how much it’s costing you.

Travel’s a greatway to use your BA.

Make it fun:seize opportunities to be social, self-assertive and, sometimes, silly.

Don’t do your uniwork all the time – there’s also workwork, volunteering work, and having a life.

Be prepared to beafraid, but remember you’re not stupid, just new and finding your way.

Always have abackup: a backup copy of your essay, a backup pen (or eight) in an exam, abackup transport option for getting to uni.

Start learninghow to study at the start of yourdegree, not the end.

Lecturers arehuman too – get to know them.

Essays – justchoose the most interesting question.

If you engageyour brain during lectures, you’ll be less bored. Take pride in writingkick-ass notes.

Get feedback fromothers on your essays – if they’re confused with your argument, chances areyour lecturer will be too.

Make sure youspend one great night at the uni pub.

It’s not aboutgetting top grades all the time – it’s about giving it your all. 

Reward yourselffor going, writing, studying – no one else will.

Ask other peoplewho’ve been there.

Don’t leap intothe middle of your readings – start with the introduction, that’s what it’sfor.

What did you evenget it for in the first place? Make sure you find a way to use your degree.