Studying @ UNSW – a guide to what you really need to know in plain English from an UNSW student
An introduction
Who is this and why are you writing this?
My name is Nancy, and I began a Combined Science/Arts degree at UNSW this year. Personally, I found most of the guides to UNSW too wordy, or they contained info that I didn’t need, but not the info that I did need. So I decided to make my own guide, with all the info you need summed up neatly. Of course, I don’t know EVERYTHING about the uni, and some of my info might not be 100% accurate, so if you wanna contribute then go ahead. Enjoy!
Thanks to McLake for the contributions!
- What’s a UNSW?
UNSW stands for the University of New South Wales.
- I know what a university is. What’s so special about UNSW?
If you wanna know the full details, you can have a look at the official UNSW website, http://www.unsw.edu.au . But I’ll sum it up for you, from my point of view:
- 3 main campuses – Kensington, COFA (College of Fine Arts) and ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) and many more affiliated sites (from this point onward, I’ll generally be referring to the Kensington campus)
- A leader in research and teaching excellence
- Strong links to research and industry
- Extensive diversity of students
- Wide variety of programs offered to students
- Great social and recreational activities (clubs, societies, sport) offered to students
- Excellent reputation for alumni (= people who’ve finished their degree and graduated)
- Well, you’ve sold me. How do I become a student there?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably just finished the HSC, so hopefully you’ve already listed UNSW as your number 1 preference! If you haven’t, or if you haven’t done the HSC this year, see http://www.uac.edu.au for more details on how you can apply.
- What’s the difference between a faculty and a school?
I guess you could define a faculty as a department. Within the faculty, it is split up into different schools which specialise in a certain area. So for example, the Faculty of Arts, which basically covers the humanities, is split into the School of Modern Languages, School of Education… etc.
- What are the faculties at UNSW?
The faculties are as listed below. For more info, visit their websites.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (humanities and languages) - http://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of the Built Environment (architecture and design) - http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Commerce and Economics - http://www.fce.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Engineering - http://www.eng.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Law - http://www.law.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Medicine - http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Science - http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of the College of Fine Arts (creative arts) - http://www.cofa.unsw.edu.au/
Australian Defence Force Academy - http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/
Transport
- I heard UNSW is in the middle of nowhere.
Whoever told you this is a filthy liar. The Kensington and COFA campuses are located just 15-20 minutes from Sydney CBD. ADFA is located in Canberra.
- How would I get there?
If you don’t live in the eastern suburbs, then first of all, take a train to Central. Follow the signs to Eddy Avenue. Cross Eddy Avenue, and walk down to the opposite ends of the bus stands. (It’ll make more sense when you’re there, trust me!)
After that, you can catch a bus numbered 891, which is an express bus to the Kensington campus. These buses run most frequently during the morning from 8-11. (link to timetable - PDF file) If there isn’t an 891 around, you can catch the 391, 393 or 395 from Eddy Avenue.
The 891 will stop at various places along High Street, which runs parallel to the uni.
I don’t know much about traveling to UNSW from Circular Quay or from the eastern suburbs
- I don't do public transport!
For those of you who feel the need to get to uni under there own steam, here is details of where you can park:
On Campus
There is minimal parking on campus. With that said, the little parking that is available is reserved for staff and PHD students. If you do intend to park on campus, it will cost you $2/hr with 4 hour maximums. A red ticket is a little more expensive which is $5/hr for up to 12 hours, but there's a $8 max so so really your two options are:
$2/hour - 4hr max
$8/day - 12 hr max
Near Campus
While many people think free parking around the uni does not exist; you can find free parking around the streets near the uni, however, you'll only find free parking well before 9am in the morning. I reccomend Barker street and the streets that join onto that. After that time, the only free parking you'll find will be a good 15-20 minute walk from the university.
Things to watch out for:
- And how would I get back to Central?
Depending on what time and where you are on campus. Most of the time, you can walk to Anzac Parade, and catch an 895 (Central Express), 391, 393 or 395 back to Central. From about 4pm onwards, you can also catch another 895 which stops on High Street near the Mathews building and Biomedical Theatres.
- Slow down! I don’t know where these places are.
Oh yeah, heh. Well, have a look at a map of UNSW here. Have a look at the faculty websites to see where a faculty is located on campus.
- OK back to transport. What’s the costs involved with transport?
- The best way to save money if you have to travel by train AND bus is to purchase a TravelPass, which will allow you to travel by train and bus. Just dip your TravelPass into the machine when you get on the bus. See here for more info on this.
- Fares for the 891 and similar buses, one way will cost around $1.30 if you travel on concession (which you are automatically entitled to when you get your student ID card).
- You can also purchase a "TravelTen", which will give you ten one-way trips at a discount ($10.80 for a 5-section brown student TravelTen, so a 32c saving per trip). The best part is that the card never expires. "TravelTens" can be bought at newsagents around UNSW or Central.
Enrolment and other boring jazz
- I got offered a place at UNSW. How do I enrol?
The letters UAC send you should be fairly self explanatory, but basically it is all done online – yay! First, you need to accept the offer. After this, you can start the other stuff. But yeah, the stuff UAC sends you should be enough. Post here if you need any more help.
After you’ve sorted out the UAC business, you’re brought to myUNSW where your enrolment is handled online. You get to pick and choose your timetable as you wish.
- How many subjects do I have to enrol in?
Depending on your degree (single or combined) and your workload (part-time or full-time), the amount of subjects you need to do in one semester will vary. But in general, full-time students should be enrolled in about 3 to 4 subjects worth 6 credit points each.
- Credit points???
Yup. Think of it like units in the HSC. E.g. Chemistry is worth 2 units. Like that, there are minimums and maximums for how many credit points (abbreviation: CP) you can take per semester. Most subjects are worth 6CP, and the minimum you need to do in one semester is usually 18.
- I don’t know the difference between lectures, tutorials, practicals…
Lectures are where you are presented with new information. A professor or other educator will present the material which you are then presumed to absorb and understand. Most, if not all subjects have lectures. If you don’t show up, nobody will notice because they don’t call roll there. But it’s your loss.
Tutorials (“tutes” in short) are where you are arranged into smaller classes (ranging from 10 to 30 people) with a tutor (like a teacher at school). This is where you can get more information on stuff from the lecture, ask questions about stuff you don’t understand and discuss what you’ve learnt. There is usually homework for the tutorials which helps you with the lecture content. Attendance is compulsory.
Practicals (mainly for Science and Engineering students; “pracs” in short) are where you apply your knowledge to practical situations. You will generally be assessed on your performance. Attendence is compulsory.
- Why don’t tutorials and practicals show up on myUNSW?
Most of the time, you’ll sign up for tutes and pracs in person during your first week of uni.
Textbooks and course material
- Are uni textbooks expensive?
They can be, but I’ll give you some money-conscious options below
Keep in mind you might have to buy extra materials like course packs, calculators, lab coats etc.
- How do I find out what textbooks I need?
You’ll usually be told what to get during your first lecture.
- Where can I buy uni textbooks?
The main place to buy textbooks at UNSW is at the University Bookshop. The bookshop is located near the Colonade on Lower Campus (have a look at the uni maps). Here, you’ll find textbooks, dictionaries, course packs and a variety of other books.
If you’re a penny pincher (nothing wrong with that), then you can have a look at the Second Hand Bookshop, which sells old textbooks at fractions of their store price. They’re all pre-loved, obviously. (details posted later)
- Do I HAVE to buy the textbooks?
Yes you do. Most of the time, your textbooks are prescribed texts. The lectures and tutorials will refer to them, and if you don’t have them you’ll be left behind.
[EDIT] McLake disagrees with babydoll_ about this ...
[EDIT] sunny also disagrees. Depending on the subject, sometimes not even prescribed texts are absolutely necessary.
Technology
- I hear they have the Internet on computers now.
Yes they do. My point being here that at UNSW, a lot of communication between uni and the students (and vice versa) is done through the Internet.
OK so what are the main things I should know about then?
- myUNSW http://my.unsw.edu.au - here you can enrol/unenrol for subjects, plan your timetable, view details of your enrolment, pay your fees and see your examination timetables (which are released around a month prior to your exams).
- WebCT http://www.webct.unsw.edu.au - little forums are located here, where your lecturers can post notes, past exam papers etc. Some subjects may have message boards (nothing flashy like BoS - just the basics) where you can ask any questions about the subject.
- Unimail - most communication will be sent to your Unimail address, which is zXXXXXXX@student.unsw.edu.au where XXXXXXX is your student ID number. Be sure to check it regularly, or to have the emails forwarded to an address you DO check regularly.
- Internet access at UNSW is free for students! Computers are located on Level 2 (the ground level) of the Library, and at Java@Java near Mathews.
- Photocopying and printing costs ~11c. To do photocopying or printing at the library, you need to purchase a copycard and load it with credit.
Food and recreation @ UNSW – COMING SOON
Off Campus
Not all the best food is on Campus:
- McDonalds This American favourite is the closet fast food to uni. It is located near Shalom College (lower right corner of standard UNSW map).
- Kensington Once you have found McDonalds you are just a short walk from several fine restraunts in Kensignton. Another block down and you will also find an Oporto.
- Randwick Just a short walk from Upper Campus is Randwick. Here you will find another McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Gloria Jeans along with a large selection of cafes and restraunts.
- Eastgardens & Bondi Junction Got a Travelpass? Then it won't cost you a cent to get to either of these shopping centers, which offer a good selection of food. Both are around 10 minutes from university. To get to Eastgardens, exit via Anzac Prade and catch a 400 bus from the University side of the road. Make sure it is an Eastgardens, and not a Burwood 400 bus. To get to Bondi Junction, head up to Upper Campus and hop on a 400 bus in the other direction. Buses run frequently, but make sure you leave time to get there and back.
Somebody help me!
- They don't expect me to know EVERYTHING as soon as I go there, do they?... DO THEY?
Hahaha! Of course not! It's only natural to expect new uni students to be a bit lost, since the environment is so different. That's what O-Week is for!
- What is this so-called O-week?
O-week is a week-long event held the week before uni officially starts. It's an opportunity to get yourself acquainted with your new environment, meet new people, and just have lots of fun. See http://www.oweek.unsw.edu.au or http://www.union.unsw.edu.au/oweek for more details.
An introduction
Who is this and why are you writing this?
My name is Nancy, and I began a Combined Science/Arts degree at UNSW this year. Personally, I found most of the guides to UNSW too wordy, or they contained info that I didn’t need, but not the info that I did need. So I decided to make my own guide, with all the info you need summed up neatly. Of course, I don’t know EVERYTHING about the uni, and some of my info might not be 100% accurate, so if you wanna contribute then go ahead. Enjoy!
Thanks to McLake for the contributions!
- What’s a UNSW?
UNSW stands for the University of New South Wales.
- I know what a university is. What’s so special about UNSW?
If you wanna know the full details, you can have a look at the official UNSW website, http://www.unsw.edu.au . But I’ll sum it up for you, from my point of view:
- 3 main campuses – Kensington, COFA (College of Fine Arts) and ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) and many more affiliated sites (from this point onward, I’ll generally be referring to the Kensington campus)
- A leader in research and teaching excellence
- Strong links to research and industry
- Extensive diversity of students
- Wide variety of programs offered to students
- Great social and recreational activities (clubs, societies, sport) offered to students
- Excellent reputation for alumni (= people who’ve finished their degree and graduated)
- Well, you’ve sold me. How do I become a student there?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably just finished the HSC, so hopefully you’ve already listed UNSW as your number 1 preference! If you haven’t, or if you haven’t done the HSC this year, see http://www.uac.edu.au for more details on how you can apply.
- What’s the difference between a faculty and a school?
I guess you could define a faculty as a department. Within the faculty, it is split up into different schools which specialise in a certain area. So for example, the Faculty of Arts, which basically covers the humanities, is split into the School of Modern Languages, School of Education… etc.
- What are the faculties at UNSW?
The faculties are as listed below. For more info, visit their websites.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (humanities and languages) - http://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of the Built Environment (architecture and design) - http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Commerce and Economics - http://www.fce.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Engineering - http://www.eng.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Law - http://www.law.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Medicine - http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of Science - http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/
Faculty of the College of Fine Arts (creative arts) - http://www.cofa.unsw.edu.au/
Australian Defence Force Academy - http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/
Transport
- I heard UNSW is in the middle of nowhere.
Whoever told you this is a filthy liar. The Kensington and COFA campuses are located just 15-20 minutes from Sydney CBD. ADFA is located in Canberra.
- How would I get there?
If you don’t live in the eastern suburbs, then first of all, take a train to Central. Follow the signs to Eddy Avenue. Cross Eddy Avenue, and walk down to the opposite ends of the bus stands. (It’ll make more sense when you’re there, trust me!)
After that, you can catch a bus numbered 891, which is an express bus to the Kensington campus. These buses run most frequently during the morning from 8-11. (link to timetable - PDF file) If there isn’t an 891 around, you can catch the 391, 393 or 395 from Eddy Avenue.
The 891 will stop at various places along High Street, which runs parallel to the uni.
I don’t know much about traveling to UNSW from Circular Quay or from the eastern suburbs
- I don't do public transport!
For those of you who feel the need to get to uni under there own steam, here is details of where you can park:
On Campus
There is minimal parking on campus. With that said, the little parking that is available is reserved for staff and PHD students. If you do intend to park on campus, it will cost you $2/hr with 4 hour maximums. A red ticket is a little more expensive which is $5/hr for up to 12 hours, but there's a $8 max so so really your two options are:
$2/hour - 4hr max
$8/day - 12 hr max
Near Campus
While many people think free parking around the uni does not exist; you can find free parking around the streets near the uni, however, you'll only find free parking well before 9am in the morning. I reccomend Barker street and the streets that join onto that. After that time, the only free parking you'll find will be a good 15-20 minute walk from the university.
Things to watch out for:
- Those pesky 2 hour limits that pop up out of nowhere on the streets.
- Avoid parking at McDonalds, they have a 30 minute limit. McDonald's emphasised this alot during the start of 1st session as lots of new uni students thought they were very clever by parking there and no one would notice but they do notice and will tow people.
- Be aware that with Anzac parade your car can get towed after 3pm
- Avoid parking in front of bins on bin day. I assume you'll get a ticket or something.
- And how would I get back to Central?
Depending on what time and where you are on campus. Most of the time, you can walk to Anzac Parade, and catch an 895 (Central Express), 391, 393 or 395 back to Central. From about 4pm onwards, you can also catch another 895 which stops on High Street near the Mathews building and Biomedical Theatres.
- Slow down! I don’t know where these places are.
Oh yeah, heh. Well, have a look at a map of UNSW here. Have a look at the faculty websites to see where a faculty is located on campus.
- OK back to transport. What’s the costs involved with transport?
- The best way to save money if you have to travel by train AND bus is to purchase a TravelPass, which will allow you to travel by train and bus. Just dip your TravelPass into the machine when you get on the bus. See here for more info on this.
- Fares for the 891 and similar buses, one way will cost around $1.30 if you travel on concession (which you are automatically entitled to when you get your student ID card).
- You can also purchase a "TravelTen", which will give you ten one-way trips at a discount ($10.80 for a 5-section brown student TravelTen, so a 32c saving per trip). The best part is that the card never expires. "TravelTens" can be bought at newsagents around UNSW or Central.
Enrolment and other boring jazz
- I got offered a place at UNSW. How do I enrol?
The letters UAC send you should be fairly self explanatory, but basically it is all done online – yay! First, you need to accept the offer. After this, you can start the other stuff. But yeah, the stuff UAC sends you should be enough. Post here if you need any more help.
After you’ve sorted out the UAC business, you’re brought to myUNSW where your enrolment is handled online. You get to pick and choose your timetable as you wish.
- How many subjects do I have to enrol in?
Depending on your degree (single or combined) and your workload (part-time or full-time), the amount of subjects you need to do in one semester will vary. But in general, full-time students should be enrolled in about 3 to 4 subjects worth 6 credit points each.
- Credit points???
Yup. Think of it like units in the HSC. E.g. Chemistry is worth 2 units. Like that, there are minimums and maximums for how many credit points (abbreviation: CP) you can take per semester. Most subjects are worth 6CP, and the minimum you need to do in one semester is usually 18.
- I don’t know the difference between lectures, tutorials, practicals…
Lectures are where you are presented with new information. A professor or other educator will present the material which you are then presumed to absorb and understand. Most, if not all subjects have lectures. If you don’t show up, nobody will notice because they don’t call roll there. But it’s your loss.
Tutorials (“tutes” in short) are where you are arranged into smaller classes (ranging from 10 to 30 people) with a tutor (like a teacher at school). This is where you can get more information on stuff from the lecture, ask questions about stuff you don’t understand and discuss what you’ve learnt. There is usually homework for the tutorials which helps you with the lecture content. Attendance is compulsory.
Practicals (mainly for Science and Engineering students; “pracs” in short) are where you apply your knowledge to practical situations. You will generally be assessed on your performance. Attendence is compulsory.
- Why don’t tutorials and practicals show up on myUNSW?
Most of the time, you’ll sign up for tutes and pracs in person during your first week of uni.
Textbooks and course material
- Are uni textbooks expensive?
They can be, but I’ll give you some money-conscious options below
Keep in mind you might have to buy extra materials like course packs, calculators, lab coats etc.- How do I find out what textbooks I need?
You’ll usually be told what to get during your first lecture.
- Where can I buy uni textbooks?
The main place to buy textbooks at UNSW is at the University Bookshop. The bookshop is located near the Colonade on Lower Campus (have a look at the uni maps). Here, you’ll find textbooks, dictionaries, course packs and a variety of other books.
If you’re a penny pincher (nothing wrong with that), then you can have a look at the Second Hand Bookshop, which sells old textbooks at fractions of their store price. They’re all pre-loved, obviously. (details posted later)
- Do I HAVE to buy the textbooks?
Yes you do. Most of the time, your textbooks are prescribed texts. The lectures and tutorials will refer to them, and if you don’t have them you’ll be left behind.
[EDIT] McLake disagrees with babydoll_ about this ...
[EDIT] sunny also disagrees.
Depending on the subject, sometimes not even prescribed texts are absolutely necessary.Technology
- I hear they have the Internet on computers now.
Yes they do. My point being here that at UNSW, a lot of communication between uni and the students (and vice versa) is done through the Internet.
OK so what are the main things I should know about then?
- myUNSW http://my.unsw.edu.au - here you can enrol/unenrol for subjects, plan your timetable, view details of your enrolment, pay your fees and see your examination timetables (which are released around a month prior to your exams).
- WebCT http://www.webct.unsw.edu.au - little forums are located here, where your lecturers can post notes, past exam papers etc. Some subjects may have message boards (nothing flashy like BoS - just the basics) where you can ask any questions about the subject.
- Unimail - most communication will be sent to your Unimail address, which is zXXXXXXX@student.unsw.edu.au where XXXXXXX is your student ID number. Be sure to check it regularly, or to have the emails forwarded to an address you DO check regularly.
- Internet access at UNSW is free for students! Computers are located on Level 2 (the ground level) of the Library, and at Java@Java near Mathews.
- Photocopying and printing costs ~11c. To do photocopying or printing at the library, you need to purchase a copycard and load it with credit.
Food and recreation @ UNSW – COMING SOON
Off Campus
Not all the best food is on Campus:
- McDonalds This American favourite is the closet fast food to uni. It is located near Shalom College (lower right corner of standard UNSW map).
- Kensington Once you have found McDonalds you are just a short walk from several fine restraunts in Kensignton. Another block down and you will also find an Oporto.
- Randwick Just a short walk from Upper Campus is Randwick. Here you will find another McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Gloria Jeans along with a large selection of cafes and restraunts.
- Eastgardens & Bondi Junction Got a Travelpass? Then it won't cost you a cent to get to either of these shopping centers, which offer a good selection of food. Both are around 10 minutes from university. To get to Eastgardens, exit via Anzac Prade and catch a 400 bus from the University side of the road. Make sure it is an Eastgardens, and not a Burwood 400 bus. To get to Bondi Junction, head up to Upper Campus and hop on a 400 bus in the other direction. Buses run frequently, but make sure you leave time to get there and back.
Somebody help me!
- They don't expect me to know EVERYTHING as soon as I go there, do they?... DO THEY?
Hahaha! Of course not! It's only natural to expect new uni students to be a bit lost, since the environment is so different. That's what O-Week is for!
- What is this so-called O-week?
O-week is a week-long event held the week before uni officially starts. It's an opportunity to get yourself acquainted with your new environment, meet new people, and just have lots of fun.
See http://www.oweek.unsw.edu.au or http://www.union.unsw.edu.au/oweek for more details.Sunny said:
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