The Idiot's Guide to University (FAQ)

[Vampire]

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Yep, good work I like this thread.

[Lundy]

Good idea.

Just a reminder for incoming UNSW students, there is a UNSW-specific FAQ here.

[goan_crazy]

thanks glitterfairy for that
something else i found which may be helpful for some people:
First steps:
A beginners guide to studying at university
its something UNSW did
http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/firststeps/expectations.html
hope it helps

[_Alfie_]

Originally Posted by Demandred

From what I have experienced, the majority usually give you the benefit of the doubt, of course, there's always an minority who likes to go on a witch hunt for plagerism in every assessment.

Almost forgot, if you do get an unfair mark, for instance, plagerism, even though you truly have not, you can appeal for a remark. For most universities, you appeal to your lecturer/tutor, then to the unit co-ordinator, then his/her boss, and once last time to the boss of the boss of the unit co-ordinator. The downside is that it takes a long time to get through this process and you may even lose marks as well!

Note: For some lecturers (especially the senior ones and professors) plagarism often equates to using material outside the course, in particular, sources that contradict their point of view (which are conveniently absent from their compiled unit materials). Whilst, paraphrasing whole slabs of their work (i.e. worshipping them) is fine...meh!

Most academics aren't like this but go to uni long enough and you're most definitely goin to encounter one of these. Just be on the look out for them and write your stuff the way "they" want it.

Oh and avoid using sources from google, some lecturers like to impose strict liability when it comes to googling (i.e. use any source from google, regardless of whether you've absorbed/analysed it, and they assume its plagarism even if they don't spell it out)

Advice: if you want any appeal of grades to go faster, talk to the dean of undergraduate studies "after" talking to your course convenor (he/she will prolly send you back to say your department/division head but people say that this method puts more pressure down the power hierarchy to hurry things up)

[glitterfairy]

Originally Posted by natstar

From my experience, to battle plagerism, most lectures, when setting assignment make it a requirement to reference at least X number of ACADEMIC sources. As Alfie said, try not to do random googles for info. Academic sources means info from relevent academic/industry journals

Oh yes. I don't think I used a single website as a source of research last year :S No wait - I lie! I visited the Lean Cuisine site for my Marketing assessment... (when I was researching advertising methods for Lean Cuisine products...)

[braindrainedAsh]

Yeah you will find at uni you have to go to the library and use actual books a lot more than at high school.

I think one important thing for the newbies to know is that in first year in the first semester, in most subjects everyone is new and the tutors and lecturers do make an effort to help you understand how things work at your university. So don't worry too much, when you get there you will probably find it isn't too stressful to adjust. I've just gone through starting at new university in London this week and even though I am going in to my final year and haven't had as much help as first years get, there is still a lot of people to ask for help if you are confused etc. So don't stress, it's really not that scary!

[Shell]

eeeek. im so scared

[lala2]

Thanks glitterfairy! It makes uni sound a whole lot less scary--at least it's not like starting high school all over again, cos everyone will be in the same boat!

[xrtzx]

wow, thnx glitterfairy

[lourai*87]

Thankyou!

I know i have asked this elsewhere but im getting nervy lol.

You menitioned about tutorials....well, I have 2 tutorials for Subject1 (one Monday one Tuesday), but the Monday one is at the same time and for the same duration as a lecture for Subject2. The problem is, the lecture for Sub2 only has that one time, and there is only one option for a tutorial for Sub2 as well. So do i forget about one of the Sub1 tutorials, or scrap the only lecture for Sub2?

Im heaps stressed, pls help?

[davo_]

Originally Posted by lourai*87

Thankyou!

I know i have asked this elsewhere but im getting nervy lol.

You menitioned about tutorials....well, I have 2 tutorials for Subject1 (one Monday one Tuesday), but the Monday one is at the same time and for the same duration as a lecture for Subject2. The problem is, the lecture for Sub2 only has that one time, and there is only one option for a tutorial for Sub2 as well. So do i forget about one of the Sub1 tutorials, or scrap the only lecture for Sub2?

Im heaps stressed, pls help?

I'm actually surprised the uni allows for there to be a clash, I'm not sure why you're asking here rather than somebody at the uni. But if it really came down to it (I'm sure the uni would be able to sort so that this wouldn't happen), you would have to go to your tute over your lecture. Generally tutorials are compulsory and lectures aren't, and lecture information is generally available on the net anyway. I actually found I went to very few of my lectures by half way through second semester. I know I haven't really helped your problem, but hopefully have helped your worrying.

[frenzal_dude]

hey if a semester is only 14 weeks, thats 3.5 months, and if you only have 2 semesters a year, then thats only 7 months of uni, does that mean 5 months of holidays a year?

[Demandred]

Yep, just about. It really depends on how your exam timetable.

13 week semester + 1-4 weeks for exams = 14-17 weeks

14-17 weeks x 2 = 28-34 weeks

So that means at least 18 - 24 weeks of holidays, or 4.5 - 6 months a year.

[leeam]

would it be hard to get distinctions in arts subjects (linguistics, psych, indo and journalism)?
in vce i did english, literature, psych, indo second language, maths methods (second hardest) and media, and was getting As in English, B+/As in Lit, A+ (high) in Psych, high As in Indo and B+s in Math (although thats irrelevant). Oh and I was getting mid As in Media.
Would it be hard to get many credits or even distinctions?

[Demandred]

There is a degree of scaling involved, so it depends on your cohort. But from the looks of your marks, you should be able to get D, if not at least a C.