Our senior students and graduates provide advice to help students make the most out of their Agricultural Science university degree.

Embarking on university life can be both exhilarating and daunting as students juggle various new responsibilities and challenges. To help students navigate this transition, we've compiled a list of tips and advice from academics and students in the Agricultural Sciences.

• Say yes to networking opportunities: Networking is crucial for building valuable connections that can enhance your academic and professional opportunities. The key to networking successfully is practice, so put yourself out there.
• Treat your studies like a formal job: Be professional nine to five, five days a week. Consistency will help you cover material and set you up for success.
• Build your degree in a way that you’ll stand out from your cohort: Identify areas to emphasise by choosing your electives wisely. Build a professional skill set.
• Participate in honours and consider PhD projects. Monitor opportunities throughout your degree, even if you aren’t ready for honours just yet. Quite often the results will lead to similar research in the future, which may better suit your timeline. Seeing the projects available also gives ideas for potential pathways you may be drawn towards and wish to explore.
• Be proactive and seek opportunities, both within the University and externally in the industry. Reinforce your degree and gain extra experience.
• Join in. There are many interest groups you can take part in and the Murdoch Agricultural Science Student Association (MASSA) also offers memberships. Don’t limit yourself to only the educational opportunities, as fun social events are great chances to network with others in your field.
• Turn up to class. Even if you feel you can learn better at home, show up in person, commit to that time, and then go home and repeat the class again in your own time. While it can be overwhelming trying to keep up with the pace of in-person lessons, going through the work in two different ways is excellent for reinforcing the material. It also offers more networking opportunities and modes to learning.
• Stay informed and engaged. Subscribe to relevant newsletters in areas of interest, follow businesses that align with your interests on social platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc), tune into relevant radio stations during commutes.
• Be open to feedback and failure. Even in failure we have the opportunity to learn.
• Plan for the future, but be flexible.
• Seek support when needed. There is a lot of assistance available through University and externally. Remember that it can be normal to feel overwhelmed at times, but there are ways to minimise or overcome those feelings before they become too much to handle. Employ a positive mindset and get a daily dose of sunlight and fresh air.

Whether adjusting to a rigorous course load, finding that study-life balance, or managing newfound independence, this advice is designed to set you up for success. Adapting to this new phase takes time and effort, but with these tips and a proactive approach to learning, you can navigate the upcoming challenges with confidence and make the most of your University experience.