ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => General University Discussion and Queries => Topic started by: pi on June 29, 2013, 07:36:43 pm

Title: How university works
Post by: pi on June 29, 2013, 07:36:43 pm
(https://i.imgur.com/91sKvgs.png)

Following on from comments such as here, this collaborative FAQ-style thread might address some concerns. It is a work in progress and I'd like to ask on people from other degrees to chip in with their own experiences into the areas that need filling (post a reply).

Please note that this is a general guide to just get a feel for uni life. This isn't the be-all-and-end-all of every unit but just a simplification and generalisation of things. It is aimed at VCE students and given the forum member base we have, this will inherently have a Monash and UoM bias to it.

This post is subdivided into five sections for your convenience: "Transition from VCE and school", "Basic aspects of uni life", "Academic aspects of uni life", "Social aspects of uni life", and "Miscellaneous aspects of uni life". If you're looking for a key word, it may help to quote this post and then use your search function to find it, and then look it up on the more aesthetically pleasing and readable post.

Hopefully this covers everything you want to know before entering uni, but if you have additional questions, please don't be shy, just reply to this post with a question; chances are you won't be the only one with that question :P

How university works

List of contributors: pi, b^3, epl, Shenz0r, laseredd, yearningforsimplicity, MJRomeo81, simpak, alondouek, El2012, Russ, DisaFear, furbob, SenriAkane, Phy124, ninwa, Kuchiki, scribble, Mr T-Rav, Stevensmay, EulerFan101, Darth_Pepe


Transition from VCE and school
What if I got a high ATAR and a load of awards? Am I special and better than everyone else? Is talking about ATARs the norm of uni?
Answer
(http://i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/007/423/untitle.JPG)

This is the best summary I have heard of ATARs and uni:
Your ATAR gives you keys, keys to open doors, doors that open into courses. Some people will get to choose from a wide range and variety of keys, but we all have at least one. Use that key to get into your course. Once you open the door into your course, do you keep the key? No why would you need it again? You have moved on.

Having said that, it's understandable that many of you will still care about ATARs and the like and that's ok, but don't expect other people to feel the same way. Over time, you'll care and less and less. Having said that, there are mirrors in uni bathrooms if you want to talk to someone about your great scores in high school ;)

I actually didn't get the ATAR I wanted and am not where I wanted to be. Are people going to judge me? Can I transfer to my #1 preference?
Answer
Sorry to hear that, but as above, no one cares about your ATAR! Consider it a fresh start on a clean slate :)

(http://i.imgur.com/l1Jctto.jpg)

If you didn't get into your desired course as a result, work hard in first year to get good grades and you may be able to transfer. Transfer windows are generally available at the end of each semester, although the specifics of that are probably beyond the scope of this thread as each uni and course has different requirements and processes, but if you do well you'll make it easier for yourself.

Do I need to study over the summer break?
Answer
We can divide summer breaks into either the break after VCE, or the break between uni years. In general, unless you're particularly nerdy or anxious about what's to come, there is no need to study during the holidays, especially not the break after VCE. However, some people do find it useful, especially in the weeks leading into semester, to do a bit of light reading or watching old lectures just to make sure they feel comfortable before they formally start. It's always important to make sure your holidays are actually holidays, ie. studying should be taking the back seat over catching up with mates, enjoying the sun, catching up on sleep, etc etc. Having a balance and making sure you're fresh and pumped for the year ahead is really important, so keep that in mind regardless of what you choose to do during the break!

VCE in my school was very competitive because of "rankings" and stuff, is that the same in uni?
Answer
In general, that will not happen in uni. That's mainly because there aren't really "rankings" that can affect your grades. In uni, you get what you deserve and your marks just add up (with maybe a bit of Faculty scaling at the end of it) without other people's marks having an impact. Having said that, there are always be a few competitive people (or "gunners") everywhere who will fake modesty, lie about their progress in the course, make sure other people know they're smart or have pre-read, or even hide resources from everyone else. Best thing to do is to just avoid and ignore those people :)

I was tutored through VCE, can I get some tutoring here?
Answer
lol, no.

There are sometimes people who may run revision lectures and they may be worth going to but there is no additional "weekly tuition" anymore. That's all part of "independent learning" and growing up.

I'm using to getting high 90+ grades in school, will I probably get the same in uni?
Answer
Be ready for grades that were lower than your VCE ones. This is normal, especially for courses like Med or Law where it's very difficult to get 80+, let alone 90+ which is near impossible.
(exceptions to this: True Tears, simpak, stonecold, thushan, Hancock, EastsideR, b^3, dcc, REBORN, Shenz0r, amalgam, DisaFear, kamil, Ahmad, neobeo, LeviLamp - so many geniuses!)

Is uni like school in any way?
Answer
Really depends on your course and where you're from. If you were from a selective school or top-tier private school, it's likely you'll have lots of school peers in the same uni as you. This can either be comforting or it could be a nightmare depending on how school was for you. Some courses can also become very cliquey such as medicine or biomedicine where friendship groups are similar to school ones (can tend to be ethnically based too) and don't change too much over the duration of the course which can really resemble school in many regards (which I love as school was awesome for me).

The academia of uni is also very different. As we'll touch upon later in this thread, there aren't really "study designs", textbooks filled with practice questions, or years of practice exams. The study is different and the expectations are very different.

In summary, everyone will have a different answer to this question, but in the end, it doesn't really matter if uni was the same or markedly different to school as long as you have a good time and get what you want out of it. Keep reading this thread to get a better idea of the differences!

What does "CSP" mean?
Answer
CSP is "Commonwealth Supported Place", which means the government will pay for part of the subject fees, normally bringing the cost to you down to around $1000 per subject. If you are full fee, then as the name suggests you pay the full cost without any subsidy by the government. There is quite a large difference, around a few thousand dollars per subject.

I don't really understand "HECS"?
Answer
Best place to start is reading through http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helppayingmyfees/hecs-help. It's pretty comprehensive and should answer all your questions :)

In short, HECS-HELP (if eligible) means that instead of paying for your CSP subjects upfront the government pays for them. You only need to start making compulsory repayments when you start earning over a certain amount per year, I think around 53k. When this happens, you will be paying more tax than normally as this is where the repayments are taken from.

I've heard I need something called a "TFN" to go into uni?
Answer
TFN is a Tax File Number and yes, you'll need this for HECS and also if you ever want to work. Best to get it done in school, but you can apply by yourself if you want to http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/tax-file-number/applying-for-a-tfn/. Note that there is a processing time, so keep that in mind and don't apply in the last second.

Should I take my parents along to uni info, enrollment and orientation days?
Answer
No, don't be that guy. This is your start to independence, not theirs. Additionally, it also looks really sad and lame.


Basic aspects of uni life
What is a "jaffy"?
Answer
That's what you will be when you are in your first year of uni. The Aussie version of "freshmen" and it stands for "just another f***ing first year". Enjoy the tag and get used to it, it's rarely said to mean anything sinister is just part-and-parcel of jaffy life :P

I'm having trouble understanding the terminology my cool uni friends use, any help here?
Answer
Some basic terms that will probably help to be familiar with:
• Course - the individual subjects you study
• Major - a collection of subjects in an area of study e.g. 'physics'. There may be compulsory subjects to complete, and also some minimum number of subjects you must complete in this area of study, usually around 8, across your entire degree to satisfy a major.
• Minor - a smaller collection of subjects in some area of study, usually about 4 subjects worth.
• Unit - Each subject is assigned some value of unit points (usually 6). Your degree will mandate that you complete some number of units (usually 24 per semester).
• Core unit - A subject that is needed to complete your degree. A core subject usually needs to be taken at a specified time within your degree, as it is often a prerequisite for more advanced subjects.
• Elective unit - Self explanatory, not needed to complete the degree.

The details for the above for you depends on what you want to to, see your desired uni's handbook, eg:
• Monash - http://monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/
• UoM (which stands for "University of Melbourne" btw) - https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/faces/htdocs/user/search/SimpleSearch.jsp
• ANU -  https://studyat.anu.edu.au/
etc.

What is "O-week"?
Answer
"O-week" stands for "orientation week" and is a week run by the university and the student association before semester 1. Each uni does things differently, but in general they all encompass:
- Enrollments: getting your ID cards (you get one shot to take a photo and they're damn expensive to replace if you lose it or want another one!), getting an intro tour, getting an intro lecture or two from your Faculty (Faculty-dependent), etc. There will be heaps of staff to help you get things done, so don't worry if you feel lost at first, no one gets left behind!
- Clubs: each club will have their own stall or area somewhere on campus, you can sign up for them, get their free stuff, buy tickets for events (such as camps!) in advance, etc. I'd highly recommend signing up to a few clubs
- Free alcohol: there should be lots of alcohol, this is probably the most important aspect of O-week!
- Parties: plenty, not held during the day but usually after hours, always good fun
- Newspaper subscriptions: you can get a yearly subscription for a heavily discounted rate as a student
- Free food: should be plenty, if not from specific clubs, then they'll be BBQs are the such running all day every day

All-in-all, a top week and always a good opportunity to meet people and have a great time.

What sort of things do I need in a typical uni day?
Answer
Typically a uni student would carry a back-pack (or similar) containing:
- Laptop (with charger)/tablet (with charger)/book for notes and the like
- Lunch (uni food can be costly at times) and water-bottle (lots of places to refill)
- Pens and pencils (I carry 1 pencil and eraser)
- Unit guides and/or lecture notes if they are hard-copy
- Lab-coat, stethoscopes, etc for special pracs and whatnot on the day
- Umbrella (especially in Melbourne :P)
(- Textbooks: personally I have them on my laptop and can borrow them if I want hard copies, I don't like a heavy bag)

You don't really need much else and it doesn't differ much from school except that you don't get a "locker" to store your stuff so keep what you carry to a practical weight.

Will most people have a laptop and/or tablet?
Answer
Yes, they are incredibly useful for storing lecture notes/slides, having a portable access to many textbooks, accessing the internet wifi, etc etc. If you're going to have one, best to have one that isn't larger than 13'' and isn't too heavy. The rest of the specs will depend on what you want to do with it (eg. some light gaming, programming, graphical design, you're a hipster and/or technologically inept and hence like Macs, etc.), just remember that for uni purposes portability is the key and should be your top priority.

What can I find at my library?
Answer
A uni Library should be able to offer, at the minimum:
- Borrowing (a mix of normal and short-term) of prescribed and recommended textbooks
- Internet access via wifi (the whole uni will have this access!)*
- Power plugs
- Study areas (mix of silent individual areas, group study rooms, and louder open areas)
- Databases for journals and other resources (via an ezproxy of some sort)
- Computer sections with computers to use
- Printing (black and white, and colour, and A4/A3 page sizes) facilities (be wary of costs)
- Scanning facilities
- Photocopying facilities (be wary of costs)
- Staff who can help with any of the above

Typically unis will have multiple libraries over multiple campuses and typically books can be returned to any of them. Libraries may be organised by subject matter.

*one wifi network called "eduroam" can actually be accessed between many different unis all around the world which is incredibly handy!


Academic aspects of uni life
Are textbooks necessary?
Answer
Really depends on the unit. Best bet is to get opinions from those who have done the unit (eg. look through Monash University - Subject reviews & ratings or University of Melbourne - Subject Reviews & Ratings etc.) or ask your tutor or lecturer. Usually you won't need every textbook on your list, and those you will need will probably be from your prescribed list and not the recommended/optional list.

Remember that libraries will have copies of textbooks too for you to borrow and some may be found in dubious areas of the internet ;)

If you are keen on purchasing textbooks, uni bookshops are usually HEAVILY OVER-PRICED so unless you're particularly wealthy best to either buy second-hand from past students or to hit the internet by either visiting a price-comparison site like http://www.thebooklist.com.au/search and working from there or to buying from a well-respected site like http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ (a bit cheaper than its US version) which has free-shipping anywhere.

What is a lecture? Are they recorded?
Answer
Essentially, a lecture is a presentation by a lecturer/professor on a given topic. It takes place in a lecture theater (or lecture hall) with your peers (number could be as large as 400 or so), as below, whereby a lecturer presents the topic usually using a powerpoint presentation that is shown overhead on either one or two projector screens. Lecturers may interact with the presentation by drawing on it (using a tablet), highlighting and so forth. Furthermore, lecturers may also have polls included hat students can answer either using special devices, SMS or online polling.

Occasionally, lecturers will also provide overhead slides, however the use of these is obviously diminishing as time goes on. Some lecturers use these to complement a powerpoint presentation, and as they don't become recorded they provide an advantage to the audience that actually bothers to rock up.

Depending on the subject/unit, lectures may be audio recorded, video recorded, both or neither. These recording are available for free download from the university portal (or similar). Check with your uni handbook (or similar) or get in touch with your unit coordinator to find out more.

Your typical lecture theatre:
(http://www.monash.edu/__data/assets/image/0011/178823/S1-lecture.jpg)

Or in reality... :P
(http://i.imgur.com/8x4NHbv.png)

Commonly students take notes via handwritten means, computer or tablet. This is made possible with small tables attached to each of the seats in the lecture theater and the fact that most subjects would post the lecture slide content either on their portal or have them available for purchase. Depending on the uni and theater, power plugs may or may not be available.

Typically lectures last for around 1 hour (depending on the unit some may be more), and in my experience lecturers are happy to answer questions at the end (within reason) and during the lecture itself (see below flow-chart). Most lecturers would respond to emails but probably not Facebook friend requests or to become a LinkedIn connection :P.

As we'll touch on later, each lecture may have a set of objectives and all objectives should be able to be found in the handbook for that lecture on on the lecture slides itself. Not all units have this unlike in VCE where every subject does. Count yourself lucky if you get one.

What is a tutorial?
Tutorials can be wide and varied depending on the course (this is where I need people from other degrees to share knowledge!). Some may resemble high-school classroom atmospheres, others may have hundreds of students in a large hall-type room.

Medicine units (pre-clinical) (Monash-based perspective)
Tutes are led by qualified doctors (usually) or other health professionals (sometimes) and tute groups are usually in groups of ~15. Usually either the tutor guides students towards a particular task while acting as a facilitator (Problem Based Learning tutes, "syndicate" tutes) or the tutor acts as a teacher and teaches some new (and usually practical) content (clinical skills tutes, epidemiology tutes, health promotion tutes, etc.). Tutes have a set of objectives that students can check and usually last from 2-3 hours in length.
Medicine units (clinical) (Monash-based perspective)
These vary from hospital to hospital, but the essence of all the tutes is similar. Tutes are led by consultants (but sometimes registrars too), in small groups depending on your site. Tute types include (for example) bedside tutes, PBLs, specialty tutes, etc. Each tute runs in a different way depending on how the consultant wants to run them and may or may not involve taking a history and performing an examination on a patient in front of the tutor and the group.
Engineering (Monash-based perspective)
Basically you’ll have set questions each week, for some units these may be worth marks towards your final result, so at the end of the tute you’d have to hand them in and get them back the next week. These can be small or quite large, anywhere from 20 students to over 100 students, with to 3 or 4 tutors (and sometimes the lecturer too). As a result it can be hard to get help sometimes. They’re typically held in a tute room or the engineering hall, but can be held in lectures in some case (although if they are then you probably won’t have to hand them in). However in some tutes, you may be in smaller groups taught by senior students instead of having a "qualified" tutor. It really depends on the unit and stage of your degree.
Commerce/Business units (Monash-based perspective)
Tutorials (normally 1 hour long) for comm/business units are generally one week behind lectures, regardless if your tutorial is before or after your lecture. This is essentially where the previous week's content is discussed based on set tutorial questions or there is general discussion had about certain concepts. Tutorials provide students with the opportunity to ask questions, clarify their understanding, and are more of a classroom-size. You may also have to submit assignments to your tutors, such as reports or essays.
Law units (Monash-based perspective)
Most of the earlier year units will have compulsory tutorials which make up 10% of your final mark. Later units may not have tutorials at all, or only have optional ones. Even though they don't count for marks I would still attend them because they provide valuable revision for the exam.

You will receive a tutorial book at the start of semester, which contains various problem questions in a similar style to what you will receive on the exam (often they are past exam questions), corresponding to the topics you will study each week. Basically, in class you learn the theory, and in tutorials you learn how to apply it. You are expected to attempt the question before coming to the tutorial, because 1) you won't get any marks unless you participate by volunteering your answers, and 2) some tutors have been known to throw out students who haven't prepared beforehand.

Here is an example of a property A tutorial question. In week 3 you study leases and licences, and the tutorial book for that week contains 4 questions relating to leases and licences. This is one of those questions:
Quote
Question Two

(From 2008 exam)

Frank is the registered proprietor of a caravan/residential park which he runs as a business.  He lives in a house in the park, which is on the same registered title as the park.  At the back of the house, but forming part of the house, is an apartment.  The apartment has its own exterior entrance and a door with a lock which separates it from the rest of the house.  To help with his finances, Frank entered into a written occupation agreement for 4 years with his friend Larry.  Larry was to live in the apartment for 4 years and pay Frank $100 per week plus the expenses of maintaining the garden.  Frank and Larry have an amicable relationship.  Larry often enters the apartment from the house to which he has a key and does not bother to lock the door that separates the apartment from the house.  He is also happy for Frank to use the computer in the apartment provided he checks first.  Frank often uses the refrigerator in Larry’s apartment to store his beer.

Larry would like to know whether:
 
(a)   he has the right to remain in the apartment if Frank sells the property to a new owner, and
(b)   he can maintain a trespass action against a third party if that person comes into the apartment without his consent?
Languages units (Monash-based perspective)
Language tutorials are very much like school classes where you may have to read texts out loud and be given weekly/fortnightly quizzes on grammar, vocab etc. Most of the tutes go through grammar, topics you're learning, vocabulary and guidelines on assessments. Sometimes there's group work (like oral presentations in partners) or class discussions where you may need to solve or discuss a topic  in a group. You'd be likely to make lots of friends as you'd be stuck together for at least 2 semesters (unless its a one-off elective)
Maths units (UoM-based and Monash-based separate perspectives)
UoM: You are given problems that you have to work through, and it usually helps to work in small groups for the sake of learning and efficiency. Some rooms have walls that students can write on (whiteboard walls) and tutors will walk around to see progress and help you out. Some assignments may be handed in during tutes.
Monash: You'll be in a room of about 8-14 other students, working on a problem set which will cover the topics that were discussed in the previous week of lectures. These tutorials generally last from 1.5-2 hours. The tutor will generally go through some of  the theory as a refresher, and may do a few problems to help you get the basics under your belt. You can talk with the people beside you, its not a test. The tutor is also available to answer any queries. Also, you will usually hand in assignments in the tute, and complete tests (if applicable) in the tute. Tute attendance, whilst not compulsory, may provide advantages if you're close to failing.
Chemistry units (UoM-based and Monash-based separate perspectives)
UoM: Differ quite a bit from first year to second year etc. The focus of the tutorial is going through questions. For example, during first year they sort of give you like 5 minutes to go through a question before the tutor goes through it with the whole class. whilst for second year it's more like the tutor pretty much goes through everything from the moment the class begins. They are definitely helpful and there are opportunities to ask questions during / at the end of the tute or alternatively make an appointment with your tutor. The tutors may change for different topics (or areas of the course). In terms of class size there's about 20-25 students and they often give a few options for which time/date suits you. If you have the chance it's worth going through the questions before the tutorial.
Monash: These usually contain more people (~70 people were enrolled in my session) but not many people show up (~maybe 15-20), as they aren't compulsory. These tutorials generally last an hour. There were two different styles of tutorials for chemistry: one involved the lecturer going through questions on a board, and the other involved tutors roaming the room, answering questions that people may have. Tute questions are usually taken from past exams,so they can be a good indicator of what to expect on the exam.
Physics units (ANU-based perspective)
There were three different streams for tutorials: standard tutorials that would work through worksheets, exam-focused tutorials where you'd look a bit more closely at exam technique, and 'ninja tutorials' where it would focus on pretty interesting questions to think about in small groups and then try and approximate an answer to. Regardless of stream, there would be some kind of skill that they'd be trying to teach you.
Biology units (UoM-based perspective)
The tutor has a specific agenda and covers specific topics. Normally this is usually just a review of the lecture content, going over tricky concepts and seeing whether or not the students can recall the information presented to them in lectures. Particularly in the genetics component of biology, tutorials will be more focused on skills. The tutors will run through methods of setting up and completing questions. They will sometimes do this in other ares, but mainly that's for genetics. In essence though, the tutes at UniMelb were just sitting around doing worksheets with 5 minutes of the tutor hastily running through answers.

These tutes are largely useless though :P
Psychology units (UoM-based perspective)
Tutes run for about 2 hours and have ~25 students per tute. In tutes, it is common to have group discussion of questions, discuss the criteria for upcoming assignments and lab reports, watch relevant videos (DVDs from the library) relating to our topics and learn how to use the SPSS data program for manipulating statistics in psych, among a wide range of topics.
Arts units (ANU-based and UoM-based mixed perspective)
Small tutes of ~15 people and a duration of 1-2 hours depending on the unit. Each tute would really just be discussion focused around that weeks reading and lectures. The tutor would direct the conversation and interesting ideas would end up being discussed.
Other units?
Make a request in this thread!

What are labs or pracs?
Labs or pracs can be wide and varied depending on the course (this is where I also need people from other degrees to share knowledge!).

Medicine units (pre-clinical) (Monash-based perspective)
Pracs will be in large groups (usually ~160 students) and you'll break up into small groups from there. Typical pracs include histology (looking at dyed specimens under microscopes) and pracs on body systems (say a cardio prac to test for certain values). Some pracs require volunteers to do some activity or to be measured, but you're not hurt in any way and in some regards learn more from being the guinea pig.

Labs medical students do are largely based around cadaver dissections. They may be a bit unsettling at first, but most people get desensitised to the whole thing in about 5 minutes or less. Good for learning and good to see if you are a budding surgeon at heart.

Usually lab-coats and gloves are required for all of the above..
Engineering (Monash-based perspective)
Pracs - These will probably not be every week, but again will depend on the unit. You could have say only 3 labs a semester that you have to write a big report up for or you might have one every second week. These will be worth marks towards your end mark. Depending on the lab and unit, you might have to come back at a later date after doing some calculations to show that what you set out to do actually works.
Computer Labs - These typically are making use of MATLAB or CAD programs. So you’d come to the lab, work through the question list or instructions for that week to either make a program to do what you’re asked to or to model a part in Solidworks or whichever CAD program or software relates to that unit. These again will be marked, with the tutors going through your code or model at the end of the lab when you’re finished.
Engineering Group Projects - Basically in groups, you will have a task to design something according to a design brief, and a date on which you test what you’ve made. At the end of it all you’ll need a report to document the project (some can be fairly long, a friends group had 60 or so pages for their Warman Group Project Report). Again these will be worth marks and will require you to be able to communicate effectively with your peers, as well as knowing your material.
Commerce/Business units (Monash-based perspective)
For business statistics subjects, you will have computer labs that are typically 90 minutes long, though you may finish the work in as little as 30 minutes or less, at which point you can just leave. Basically, you walk into the room, sit down at a computer, open the Excel file with the week's questions, and get to work. Some of the weeks (around half, in my experience) will be "submission weeks," where you have to submit your finished work online by the end of the lab to get it graded. If it's not a submission week, you can just save your work when you're done and then leave, though nobody's going to check your work so you can basically leave whenever you want (a lot of people choose not to show up at all on non-submission weeks). There is a lab supervisor to help you if you have any problems/questions, but otherwise, they're not very involved. Don't expect to make many friends during this class; people generally just get in and out as soon as possible.
Chemistry units (UoM-based and Monash-based separate perspectives)
UoM: Some pracs are done individually, and some are done in pairs. Normally there are ~60 people in one practical session, but you'll all be split up into smaller groups depending on what practical you're doing (people throughout the lab will be doing different pracs). It's not that much of a step up from Year 12 chemistry to begin with (of course as you progress this changes obviously) but you'll have to write up your practical reports during the prac itself.
Monash: These are usually 4 hours long and have anywhere between 20-50+ people, depending on the unit and the year level. These sessions usually require labcoats and safety goggles (some units just require the safety goggles). In first year chemistry, you will work in pairs. However, you may be required to do a presentation on a specific prac, which will consist of larger groups. In second year chemistry, there will be times you have to work alone, so don't always rely on your partner to do the hard work! You will need some basic lab skills. Experiments will be conducted as per the lab manual, with a demonstrator to explain all the steps at the start, and help you during the prac if necessary. Pracs will relate to topics covered in lectures and relevance as such will become more apparent as years progress. Labs often require you to complete a proforma (work-sheet type thing) or a lab report (depends on the unit) which is due on the day of your next lab session. Lab components are usually hurdles, meaning they need to be passed to pass the unit. There are usually pre-lab questions that must be completed before the lab session - they are signed by the demonstrator before the lab, and count for marks. In second year labs, you will need to fill in Safety & Hazard forms before the lab - these must be signed by the demonstrator as well.
Physics units (ANU-based perspective)
Pre-lab worksheet online (generally a video and a couple of questions), which would cover the necessary theory or skills (e.g. how some particular instrument works, stuff to do with uncertainties/statistics, using python to plot stuff) which needs to be done beforehand. During the lab you'd work through the sheet given, taking all the measurements/whatever needed and answering the questions. Sometimes you'd work in pairs for taking measurements etc, but you'd do your own writing up of stuff (since that's what you'd get marked on).
Biology units (UoM-based perspective)
A lot of variety but in many regards fairly similar to VCE Biology practicals, with added time pressure. You actually do multiple "activities" in a single practical session, so you may be testing a few enzymes, and then you'll be dissecting something while you wait for the results from your enzyme test. Pre-practical and post-practical tests may be done online, and all count towards your practical mark. As you move up the uni ladder, you'll start doing subjects that focus more on specific fields, such as anatomy, microbiology, physiology. In subjects like anatomy, you'll be expecting cadaver dissections, whereas in microbiology you'll probably grow cultures of microorganisms. Some pracs are individually done, some are done in pairs, some require your whole table.
Psychology units (UoM-based perspective)
Labs are 2 hours in length and have a frequency of around every couple of weeks or weekly depending on the unit. A fair bit of the lab work relates to certain assignments for the unit and lab reports are fairly commonplace to follow.
Computer Science and IT (La Trobe-based perspective)
Labs complement lectures. Typically you are given a problem sheet in your lab class and you work through it alone or in pairs (pair programming). The labs aren't designed to be finished within your two hour time slot and you should attempt the questions at home first and then use your allocated lab time to discuss things with your tutor to maximise what you gain out of them. If you're taking an object oriented programming subject, expect to be working in a unix console environment.
Astronomy (Monash-based perspective)
These are usually 2 hours long and have between 8-12 people. These labs are really interesting because you do a variety of activities! For example for first year and towards the start, you will learn the basics of reading star charts and the terminology behind them. Then, other activities arise, such as constructing your own spectrometer, using telescopes to spy on the Menzies building (and burn stuff with the sun!), computer-related activities related to calculation of orbits/etc and lots of other cool stuff! There were also role playing activities, where you get to plan your crusade to a planet with a fixed budget with a group of people. There were a fair bunch of the 'calculation labs' but really, it ties in so well with the content in lectures that it is somewhat enjoyable (when it makes sense).
Other units?
Make a request in this thread!

When I'm in a lecture/tute/prac, will it only be people from my course there?
Answer
Depends on the unit.

For example, there are some units that people from all sorts of degrees can take (don't require pre-reqs and the such), whilst there are others that only certain students can take (eg. any MBBS unit). Even in a specialised Law unit you may have people doing Law, or Comm/Law, or Arts/Law and so forth, so not exactly solely your one cohort.

What is this "independent learning" I hear a lot about? My VCE units had "study designs", is this the same in uni?
Answer
Essentially, what you learn at uni comes down to what you want to learn. Being proactive and not afraid to ask questions (as long as you don't become "that kid" who is a nuisance) is the key to getting things out of lectures and tutes. There is literally an infinite of things to learn and uni is the best place to start learning about where your passions lie.

Whilst some units will have a clear list of objectives to cover for exams (similar to a VCE "study design" but less detailed), others unfortunately won't. This is why it's so important to attend lectures and tutes to make sure you know exactly what content is being taught because otherwise you might miss out because that bit of material may not be mentioned at any other time. Having said that, if you're keen, there is no reason to not extend yourself beyond the coursework if you wish to. Most lecturers would be happy to answer a few queries from keen learners too (although there is the occasional lazy one you'll encounter). What makes this difficult for some is the lack of questions.

Unlike VCE where you could learn by doing say 50 questions out of an exercise of Maths Quest, the vast majority of uni textbooks are not like that. They have a LOT more theory and very few questions in proportion to what you're used to. Some have no questions at all and the units may have no official past practice papers for the exams either meaning that the first questions you could encounter may be from the actual exam (however if you do get past papers, they are honestly your best friend!). This is something you've got to accept and move on from.

Furthermore, independence means more responsibility. If there is an assignment due, no-one will remind you about it. The Faculties couldn't care less if you handed it on-time or a week late, but expect penalties in the latter. It's up to you to keep track of where you're going and to not fall behind.

There's no one method to adapt to this new style of learning. Some students take a few days, others a semester or two. It's part of the package with uni and I'm kind of glad there isn't a "formula" for this transition, everyone has their own unique journey through learning which is great. May sound daunting, but if you've chosen the right degree, it should be fun too!

How do I take notes during a lecture?
Answer
Attend lectures and see what works for you :P

Some people like to annotate printed/electronic lecture slides, some like to write/type as much of what the lecturer says and displays, some already pre-make lecture notes and add to them during the lecture, some people just like the listen intently, some people never rock up at all and wing it, etc etc. It's really individualistic, and like the answer to the above question, there's no correct answer or formula.

Are there study groups?
Answer
Usually not officially, however there are some official jaffy study groups organised by some Faculties of some unis.

A lot of the more common units will have a student-run Facebook study group where people help each other out and post questions etc. If you're lucky, some students from previous years may drop in to lend a hand, but this is usually pretty rare so you work with your own cohort. From these groups there may be physical group study, but this really depends on the group and if you find people you can study with.

So how do I study for the exams and the course in general?
Answer
Exam at university are quite different from those in VCE, in that they are significantly more dependent on independent learning abilities as aforementioned. You're unlikely to be given many practice exams for a subject and be thankful if you get any but don't expect them do get to be either complete or have solutions - though this depends on the course coordinator and subject to an extent.

Given that exams are based on lectures and readings, it's often useful to summarise the lectures and readings until the content is well understood. Usually (especially for sciences), the exam questions are very similar to those given in tutorials and other exercises throughout the semester. It's a good idea to be able to do these questions and questions like them independently, with a sound knowledge of the theory behind it. Ideally how you study in uni would follow on from your good study habits of VCE (notes, cue-cards, etc.). 

Some people also find it useful to study in groups (see above question on study groups), where people can pose questions to each other and discuss the subject material. Personally I find it best to study in groups of no more than 3.

Because of the difference between the learning styles required for VCE exams and uni exams, you may initially find it difficult to find a means of independent study. This can be frustrating at firs especially when each unit you have may require a different study method, but it's important not to be disheartened, as you'll eventually find a mode of study that works for you. It's just another part of the university learning experience.

What is SWOTVAC?
Answer
The exam period which occurs at the end of every semester and a period where most student learn the coursework of all their units. Usually accompanied by massive stress and sleep deprivation (well, you already get sleep deprivation throughout the semester...it's just a lot worse). You won't be attending regular classes during this period, although usually tutors and lecturers will be accessible during this time. You can see an example of SWOTVAC drama here.

Will there be revision lectures like in VCE?
Answer
Sometimes. Some tutors or student clubs may run revision lectures for their students Uusally they're free or they incur student club membership costs. However, this is not the norm and you'd be foolish to not take the opportunity and go if they exist for you!

How do I make a timetable and what is it?
Answer
This is one question you have to wait to be in uni before you find out how, as each uni has its own system for timetabling.

However, the timetable will give you your weekly guide to what you will be doing for the semester. For some units some things may be auto-allocated (you can't choose to have that activity at any other time+date) and others you may have a preference.

A few basic tips to keep in mind:
• No-one likes 8 am starts :P
• Pick tutes later in the week for classes that require you to submit tute work (assignments and so forth)
• Don't leave it until the last minute
• Check your unit handbook and use it when timetabling and planning your course, make sure you timetable units that will help you to get to where you want to go
• Days off are always good
• Don't be afraid to ask for help if you have no idea what's going on

What's all this talk about "Census Date"?
Answer
Basically, it's the last day where you can withdraw from a subject you chose (when timetabling) without incurring a financial liability. Can't stand a subject? GTFO before census date. It's that simple.

How will I be graded in uni, will I get a Uni-ATAR to show my proud mummy and daddy?
Answer
No there is no Uni-ATAR :P Basically each uni has it's own system, the system for Monash and UoM are as below (some units may get scaled up too!):
Monash grading system
CodeGradeMarkGPA Value
HDHigh Distinction80-1004
DDistinction70-793
CCredit60-692
PPass50-591
NPNear Pass (no longer valid at Monash)45-490.7
NFail0-490.3
WNWithdrawn Fail (where you have withdrawn from a unit after the cut-off date)0
SFRSatisfied Faculty Requirements
NENot Examinable
NASNot Assessed
UoM grading system
CodeGradeMarkExplanation
H1First-Class Honours80-100
H2ASecond Class Honours Division A75-79
H2BSecond Class Honours Division B70-74
H3Third Class Honours65-69
PPass50-64
NFail0-49No credit points are awarded.
CMPCompletedPass (no mark awarded). Only used for subjects marked on a pass/fail basis.
CNTContinuingUsed for subjects that run over more than one teaching period, and the subject has not been completed.
CTCContinuing – CompletedUsed for each teaching period (except for the final teaching period) where a student has been enrolled in and passed a continuing subject. The final mark and grade awarded for the subject will be entered against the final teaching period of enrolment in the continuing subject.
CNFContinuing -
Fail
Used for each teaching period (except for the final teaching period) where a student has been enrolled in and failed a continuing subject. The final mark and grade awarded for the subject will be entered against the final teaching period of enrolment in the continuing subject.
FLFailFail (no mark awarded) Only used for subjects marked on a pass/fail basis.
NHNot Completed/Fail0-49Used when a student fails as they have not satisfactorily completed all prescribed (hurdle) requirements and would otherwise have passed the subject. A mark of 0-49% will appear on the transcript.
WDWithdrawnWithdrawn from a subject after the time for making subject changes without penalty has passed (after census date).
NANot AssessedUsed for subjects that are non-assessable, such as Community Access Program audit studies.

These grades determine things like Honours, higher education and so forth, as well as being pretty important in employment.

What is a "GPA"?
Answer
GPA (Grade Point Average) represents your academic marks at university. It may be important for getting admission into post-graduate degrees, Honours programs, internships, etc. Different unis utilise different arbitrary GPA scales.

eg. http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/gpa.html

What is a "WAM"?
Answer
WAM (Weighted Average Mark) is the average mark you achieve across all completed units in a course. It may be important for getting admission into post-graduate degrees, Honours programs, internships, Faculty awards, etc.

http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/wam.html

What is "underloading" and "overloading"?
Answer
Underloading: to enroll in less than the standard number of units (eg. less than 4) in each semester.
Overloading: to enroll in more than the standard number of units (eg. more than 4) in each semester.

Each uni will have their own criteria regarding the specifics, for example http://www.monash.edu.au/enrolments/study-load.html


Social aspects of uni life
I don't think I'll know anyone coming into uni, how can I socialise and meet new people? What parties and camps are there?
Answer
There are heaps of ways to meet new people!

Each uni will have a multitude of student-run clubs, sports, volunteering and so-forth. Most have a free/cheap joining fee and are always keen on new members during O-week. Clubs range from faculty clubs (eg. med soc, engineering, law, etc.) to Quidditch clubs to anime clubs to ethnicity clubs (eg. Sri Lankan, Greek, etc.) to religious clubs (eg. Hindu, Jewish, etc.) to Debating to Amnesty International to LAN gamer clubs to... You get the idea :P A LOT of clubs and at least one for everyone.

Furthermore, there are a LOT of parties and a LOT of opportunites to get sloshed/wasted. Hopefully you've all got some mates who throw parties for birthdays and whatnot, but if you don't for whatever reason, there are plenty of AXPs (After eXam Parties) to get involved in. Some are run by individual clubs (as AXPs or more formal Balls), others by student unions. As aforementioned, O-week also provides the opportunity for a few parties too. Additionally, each major faculty club (and also some cultural clubs) also tends to have a student-run camp, those are lots of fun too and a great way to meet new people over a *lot* of alcohol, nudity, and banter. What happens on camp stays on camp... Except for STIs ;)

If the drunken rowdy social scene isn't for you, that's also fine! Most people end up meeting other people in tutes, labs, group projects/assignments, and lectures. Those are great ways to meet academically like-minded peers and to make new friendships.

With so many events and opportunities, most people tend to make lots of new friends. Get involved and you won't be left out.

Uni doesn't have a uniform, does it matter what I wear?
Answer
Not really, people wear whatever they want (from very formal clothes that law students think they have to wear to trackies/shorts for the whole year that eng students wear, wide range) and no one really cares. Be practical and don't wear anything offensive. Try and refrain from wearing your old school gear much (obviously don't wear the actual uniform, I'm talking more graduation hoodies and things), it gets quite tacky after the first semester of first year.

I have a part-time job, is uni manageable with a job?
Answer
Of course! Many people manage both to great success. The key is having a balance and knowing when things are becoming too much for you. Be realistic with your hours and when you work, you don't want to be missing tutes or lectures that aren't recorded, you don't want to be working every day of SWOTVAC, etc. If you be smart with it, you should be fine. Having a flexible boss helps though ;)

I don't work, where can I get discounts or freebies?
Answer
Lots of places! First of all, many freebies to be had at O-week (my personal supplies of 2013 below) :D

(http://i.imgur.com/8YMh3rv.jpg)

Furthermore, signing up to clubs, the student union and organisations such as Student Edge (free medium drink if you spend $3 or more at Maccas, get on it) give you more discounts, so much so that you could buy food only from discounts whilst at uni. To add to that, there are so many club barbecues and so many free snags to go around. Nothing like watching an Asian guy pretending he's Jewish for a free snag, absolutely classic.

It's great.

Just on money, do many people in uni have debit cards and the like?
Answer
Yes nearly everyone does. Uni's have plenty of ATMs so getting cash is easy, many uni's have special student deals so Google away to find your best deal.

What is this "stalkerspace" I hear about on Facebook from my cool uni friends?
Answer
Some unis have highly unofficial Facebook groups or pages called "[Uni name] StalkerSpace". As the name suggests, a place to stalk, but also to post up funny stuff, annoying stuff, stalkerish stuff, and everything in between. From my own experience, a good source of procrastination.
• Monash - https://www.facebook.com/groups/128644980491374/
• UoM - https://www.facebook.com/groups/125119954190647/
• Deakin - https://www.facebook.com/stalkerspace
• La Trobe - https://www.facebook.com/groups/134860949858570/
• RMIT - https://www.facebook.com/groups/122719817766048/
• UQ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/uqstalkerspace/
etc.


Miscellaneous aspects of uni life
I hear a lot about student union elections, any advice?
Answer
Yep, stay well away from them. Also don't bother applying if you're not an Arts/Law/Comm student, no chance of a win :P

I hear a lot about these "socialists", any advice?
Answer
Yep the Socialist Alternative groups/cults, stay well away from them.

Take them on in verbal jousting if you're crazy, join them if you're bat-shit insane :P

Finally, I've heard that Monash students are cooler and better than UoM students in every possible way. Any truth to this?
Answer
That is entirely true. #monashmasterrace

:P

Post a question for more to be added! Help us to help you :)

N.B. If you have specific questions about specific courses, transfers, clubs, or other opportunities, the best place to ask them are by posting in either Universities (and especially the "chat" threads) or Faculties depending on your query; this board and thread are for general enquiries only.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: eeps on June 29, 2013, 08:48:14 pm
(http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/922738_464995093579964_2054756454_n.jpg)

"How university REALLY works."

Strong amount of Apple Macs.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on June 29, 2013, 08:53:01 pm
^Where's the whole bunch of people sleeping in the backrow? :P

On the whole ATAR relevance thing, yeah, it really counts for jacksh*t when you come to university. Just because you got a high ATAR on Year 12 it doesn't mean you will get HD/H1s for all your subjects - university is a completely different ball game and the standards are very different.

Biology pracs (UoM perspective)
 
In first year Biology, they're actually fairly similar to your VCE practicals, with more time pressure. You actually do multiple "activities" in a single practical session, so you may be testing a few enzymes, and then you'll be dissecting something while you wait for the results from your enzyme test. You will be assessed during your practical. Pre-practical and post-practical tests are done online, and all count towards your practical mark. As you move up the uni ladder, you'll start doing subjects that focus more on specific fields, such as anatomy, microbiology, physiology. In subjects like anatomy, you'll be expecting cadaver dissections, whereas in microbiology you'll probably grow cultures of microorganisms.

Some pracs are individually done, some are done in pairs, some require your whole table.

Chemistry pracs (UoM perspective)

Some pracs are done individually, and some are done in pairs. Normally there are like 60 people in one practical session, but you'll all be split up into groups depending on what practical you're doing (people throughout the lab will be doing different pracs). Example of first year pracs include the use of galvanic cells, synthesis of paracetamol, creating buffer solutions, etc. It's not that much of a step up from Year 12 chemistry but you'll have to write up your practical reports during the prac itself.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lasercookie on June 29, 2013, 09:03:00 pm
There's probably some words that get thrown around without definition. This may differ from uni to uni.

Course - the individual subjects you study
Major - a collection of subjects in an area of study e.g. 'physics'. There may be compulsory subjects to complete, and also some minimum number of subjects you must complete in this area of study, usually around 8, across your entire degree to satisfy a major.
Minor - a smaller collection of subjects in some area of study, usually about 4 subjects worth.
Unit - Each subject is assigned some value of unit points (usually 6). Your degree will mandate that you complete some number of units.

It's probably more common to see individual subjects called 'units', and the "points" assigned to each subject to be called 'credits'. That's something that differs from uni to uni.

Usually you can find a handbook on each uni's website. e.g.

Monash - http://monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/
Melbourne - https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/faces/htdocs/user/search/SimpleSearch.jsp
ANU -  https://studyat.anu.edu.au/
and so on.

These will list each degree, and the requirements you have to satisfy to complete those degrees (e.g. how many credit points, what majors you can choose from, how many majors, minors, electives you can do). It'll also list all the subjects offered under some area of study. Each of these kind of handbooks will have a 'help' page somewhere, where it'll explain those kind of terms, plus more (prerequisite, corequisite etc.). I think they're all fairly easy to navigate.


I generally carry a lot less than what pi listed, usually just an umbrella, pen and paper. I'd probably also mention that the recordings aren't that exciting to watch (I find it easier to pay attention when actually attending the lecture), and that overhead slides can be recorded depending on the lecture theatre :3.

On tutorials, the people who run the tutorial might be the lecturer themselves, or older (usually PhD) students. You end up getting to know them somewhat well.

Physics 1
I guess this is talking about Physics 1 at ANU. This would differ beyond first year physics (and lecturer to lecturer too).

The physics tutorials were much larger and more structured. There were three different streams for tutorials, standard tutorials that would work through worksheets, exam-focused tutorials, where you'd look a bit more closely at exam technique, and 'ninja tutorials', where it would focus on pretty interesting questions to think about in small groups and then try and approximate an answer to. Regardless of stream, there would be some kind of skill that they'd be trying to teach you.

The labs were also pretty structured, you'd do the pre-lab worksheet online (generally a video and a couple of questions), which would cover the necessary theory or skills (e.g. how some particular instrument works, stuff to do with uncertainties/statistics, using python to plot stuff). During the lab you'd work through the sheet given, taking all the measurements/whatever needed and answering the questions. Sometimes you'd work in pairs for taking those measurements of stuff, but yeah you'd do your own writing up of stuff (since that's what you'd get marked on).

History
Again, something that's going to differ from history subject to history subject. It seems that Arts tutorials generally follow something more or less like this. The tutorials are small, I think it was limited to about 15 people in each. Each tute would really just be discussion focused around that weeks reading and lectures. The tutor would direct the conversation and interesting ideas would end up being discussed.


On timetabling and contact hours, this is something that'd differ from degree to degree. You'll probably find you have a lot more breaks and actually have to be in classes a lot less than in high school. Tutorials, labs etc. will generally have different streams to pick from, so depending on the subject (smaller subjects will probably be a bit more fixed), you might have a fair bit of flexibility when choosing your timetable


Quote
Each lecture has a set of objectives and all objectives should be able to be found in the handbook for that lecture on on the lecture slides itself.
I'd probably emphasise that there usually isn't a well-defined document like VCE study designs given in uni. This probably also relates to textbooks, in that the lecturer might not always follow the curriculum outlined in the book that closely.  For most subjects there's probably a fairly large selection of books in the library, and a single textbook isn't necessarily better than another.


About access to online resources, this is probably the resource that your school library didn't give access to. Depending on the subject, this might get used a lot on a weekly basis, and probably also expected to use them when researching for essays.

These databases don't only contain quite extensive archives of academic journals (regularly published collections of papers), but also entire ebooks. Stuff like archive copies of newspapers also make an appearance.

Public libraries will also give you some sort of access to these resources - though probably more limited access than what uni's give you, e.g. public library might not have the past 5 years or so of some journals. There's a lot of interesting stuff on there, it's worth taking a look. If you have a state library card (you can ask for one at the front desk there, takes less than 5 minutes to get one), then take a look at this link http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/explore/research-tools/access-eresources-home (If you don't know what you want to look for, maybe start off taking a look at EBSCOHOST and see if it has anything on a subject you're interested in).

Just like knowing how to use all the various search operators on Google, knowing how to search through those databases makes things a lot easier.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on June 29, 2013, 09:35:22 pm
SWOTVAC

The exam period which occurs at the end of every semester. Usually accompanied by massive stress and sleep deprivation (well, you already get sleep deprivation throughout the semester...it's just a lot worse). You won't be attending regular classes during this period but tutors and lecturers may be around to help. You can see our drama here.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: eeps on June 29, 2013, 09:38:36 pm
Business units (Monash-based perspective):

Typically business units at Monash are taught as one lecture and one tutorial per week (total of 3 contact hours per week for a single unit). Lectures will often cover the key concepts and principles for a particular topic and are generally 2 hours long. The use of lecture slides in business units is useful when it comes to exam revision as it cuts down a lot of the information in the prescribed textbook. Tutorials (normally 1 hour long) for business units are generally one week behind lectures, regardless if your tutorial is before or after your lecture. This is essentially where the previous week's content is discussed based on set tutorial questions or there is general discussion had about certain concepts. Tutorials provide students with the opportunity to ask questions, clarify their understanding, and are more of a classroom-size. You may also have to submit assignments to your tutors, such as reports or essays. With any BusEco unit at Monash, there are exam hurdle requirements. This means you need to pass the exam (i.e. 50% or more) to pass the unit. Failing the exam means failing the unit, and because of this, supplementary exams are rarely granted. The number of contact hours per week for business units may be significantly lower than other courses; but you still need to work hard to achieve the marks you want.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: vashappenin on June 29, 2013, 10:31:29 pm
Hey would someone able to give us a detailed insight on psychology as a degree at monash vs psych as a major in arts/science/etc??
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: yearningforsimplicity on June 29, 2013, 10:37:13 pm
Haha awesome post! :D

Psychology (UoM perspective)
Have 2 hours worth of lectures each week at about 30-35 lecture slides (depends on the lecturer). Lectures aren't just content and info the whole way through; depending on the lecturer, you might have psych videos and experiments weaved throughout the lecture too (mind you, these are usually youtube vids from the 80's haha). Attending lectures for psych imo is not essential if they're recorded - I usually just listen to them online where I can pause and quickly google a word or something before writing it in my notes :) But everyone's different so you might feel attending the real thing is better :) Or you might even do both (if you're keen :P). Also, listening to the lectures (rather than skimming through lecture notes) is really quite important as lecturers often clarify and elaborate upon certain points and even make asides or other statements that might even come up as a Q in the exam!

 Psychology practicals/labs/tutorials (they're usually referred to as labs/tutes) run for 2 hours and are usually just an overview of the previous week's content. Usually I think we have about 25 students in each psych tute (and there are about 27 separate psych tute classes running as well in 2nd year!). In first year, you'll have the lab every week and in 2nd year, it becomes every fortnight because you'll be juggling 2 psych subjects each semester in 2nd year. The labs are usually useful but sometimes 2 hours can feel too long - and we often get to leave early as a result haha. Usually in labs/tutes, we just go through group discussion of Qs, discuss the criteria for upcoming assignments and lab reports, watch relevant videos (DVDs from the library) relating to our topics (pretty helpful and we did get assessed on one of them in one MCQ in the exam) and learn how to use the SPSS data program for manipulating statistics in psych. It's also important to note that your tutor will be the one marking your assignment (NOT your lecturer, as I'd thought prior to uni haha). Psych "labs" don't require labcoats so don't feel it'll be super scientific like chem or bio! :P However, you do have to conduct little experiments or studies which may form part of your assessment (and help you to do your assessment by providing you with results) and this is usually done in labs or out of class hours. I think the writing of lab reports and statistical manipulation and interpretation is what makes psych (at least 2nd year psych) more 'science-y' than 'arts-y'. Though obviously in 1st year psych everyone will feel psych is more arts oriented what with the numerous essays (including the horrific sunset essay hahaha) :P

Uni Psych is a bit like VCE psych (you can apply the same study methods) but you cover a lot more per lecture in uni and you've also got to remember names of people who conducted the studies a lot more than you did in Year 12; so studying becomes a lot more frequent with uni psych. E.g. if you miss out on 2 weeks of lectures and you'll have quite a lot of content to catch up on. Luckily, there are discussion boards on the subject boards online so if you ever have Qs about the lecture content/assignment structure, you can just hop on those (they are literally a Godsend when you're making last minute adjustments to your assignment!). Also, statistics becomes far more than just mean and medians and p-values; so if you're anything like me and loathe maths, then be prepared! :D

Having done VCE Psych (either or all units 1,2,3,4) can be a little (only a little!) helpful when it comes to particular concepts (e.g. Ainsworth's attachment theory, Piaget's stages of Development, Freud, Nervous Systems, Neural communication, LTP, H.M., Aphasia, Amnesia, Structure of Brain, Alzheimers Disease, Depression etc) BUT a lot of what you learn in uni is more extended upon these concepts and you learn extra stuff in relation to these and so many other topics as well :)

English (UoM perspective)
Uni English more closely resembles VCE Literature rather than VCE English. You'll usually have a list of set texts/poems and in first year you'll have a two 1 hour lectures for each text throughout the semester. Longer texts might have 2-3 weeks dedicated to them. Basically the lectures just outline the historical, social, cultural background of the text and certain ways we might interpret the text as a reflection of the time in which it was written. Different lecturers would speak each week, dependent on what text was the focus (different lecturers specialised in different literature areas). Also, the amount of readings you do is just overwhelming! But I think, more often than not they are beneficial and do help you with your essays and give you backing for your arguments and analyses.

Tutorials run for 1 hour and are usually focused on discussion of the text and involve people sort of expressing their different interpretations of what a passage might signify, or how a particular event in the text could reflect the atmosphere of that historical period. Also, sometimes (depending on your tutor), your tutor might pick a student each week to go through the next week's reading at home and present a summary to the class in the next class. As I mentioned, there are usually 2-3 readings for EACH text in this subject. Assignments are typically essays, from 800 words to 2000 words (all with 10% leeway on word limits). You will get a list of essays (for the texts you've covered so far) and you choose a topic from there - iirc you couldn't write on the same text once (so save the text you like the most for the last essay if you think that'll help :) ). There are no exams in uni English, but your final essay can be worth 50% of your mark so it's pretty essential to do well in that! Close readings, critical analysis and comparative literature essays are the main ones you do in 1st year. The main areas for doing well seem to be how well you interpret literary techniques and analyse them (a bit like language analysis in VCE English), how clearly you express yourself, and how well you compare and contrast different themes of a text in relation to social, historical, and cultural influences. Not ever having done Literature (like me, I was sooo lost at the beginning hahah) makes this a bit difficult, but not really impossible :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on June 30, 2013, 12:07:26 am
Maths tutorials (UoM)

It's nothing like high school. Instead of sitting down and going through your textbook individually, you have to work in a group to get through the set of questions that are presented to you. Your group will need to show working out on one of the several whiteboards in the tute room. The tutor walks around the room and helps any group that requires assistance. It's expected that as a group you collaborate with other members while solving the problems.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: MJRomeo81 on June 30, 2013, 03:28:14 am
Timetabling
Every unit has different requirements. Check the student handbook to see what classes you need to attend for that unit. Most units have two hours worth of lectures per week, but depending on the specific unit, you will then have something like a 2 hour lab or a 1 hour tute.  Usually, tutorials and labs aren't available for selection until orientation (depending on your course), so don't stress if you're only seeing lectures. Lecture times are typically set in stone. However your tute/lab times is where flexibility comes in.

It's totally up to you whether you want to try and cram all of your classes within 3 days, or if you prefer to spread things out over 5 days.

PROTIP: Pick tutes later in the week for classes that require you to submit tute work.

What's all this talk about 'Census Date'?

Basically, it's the last day where you can withdraw from a subject without incurring a financial liability. Can't stand a subject? GTFO before census date.

Core Subject

A subject that is needed to complete your degree. A core subject usually needs to be taken at a specified time within your degree, as it is often a prerequisite for more advanced subjects. An "elective" is self explanatory.

Computer Science & IT (La Trobe)

Like all units, lectures present new material (expect to learn something brand new every week) and tutorials/labs/prac classes complement the material presented in lectures.

Typically you are given a problem sheet in your lab class and you work through it alone or in pairs (pair programming). The labs aren't designed to be finished within your two hour time slot. You should attempt the questions at home first and then use your allocated lab time to discuss things with your tutor. If you're taking an object oriented programming subject, expect to be working in a unix console environment. In a network engineering class, there will be a separate lab with dedicated server racks that contain switches, routers, cables, etc.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: availn on June 30, 2013, 10:40:40 am
SWOTCAV lol?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Stick on June 30, 2013, 11:58:51 am
Woah, I'm so glad that I raised my queries! Thank you all so much for taking the time to really put us at ease. :)

I've heard that textbooks aren't necessary, or something along those lines. What's up with that? :S Also, I think one huge change from VCE to university is that there aren't teachers that are there to tell you how to learn the content. Could we perhaps get a few students to describe how they study for their subjects? :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Planck's constant on June 30, 2013, 12:04:34 pm
Some very accurate facts in this thread :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Starlight on June 30, 2013, 12:31:51 pm
Woah, I'm so glad that I raised my queries! Thank you all so much for taking the time to really put us at ease. :)

I've heard that textbooks aren't necessary, or something along those lines. What's up with that? :S Also, I think one huge change from VCE to university is that there aren't teachers that are there to tell you how to learn the content. Could we perhaps get a few students to describe how they study for their subjects? :)

In most cases you would only consider reading the textbook if you need clarification/ extra information on a given topic, or for referencing in assignments. For most of the subjects, the lecture notes/ tutorials are the examinable components for the subjects.

Yes, the transition is markedly different with respect to no teachers. Hence the emphasis on the whole "independent learning" thing. Studying is different for every subject, for example in arts kind of subjects you may review your past assignments in prep for the exam whereas in science mainly it's just revising the lecture notes/ practicing tute/ exam questions. Also sometimes they do not give you the practice exam solutions. Sometimes there are exam tutorials for subjects to and often these are recorded (mainly held in swotvac).
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Russ on June 30, 2013, 12:37:28 pm
Also sometimes they do not give you the practice exam solutions.

Very commonly there might be a single, incomplete sample exam with no answers, so you can be given an idea of the exam assessment. Probably more common the further you go up the university tree though, I remember first year having a bunch of practice exams.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Stick on June 30, 2013, 12:39:19 pm
Thanks.

And one more very jaffy query. :P How do you take down adequate notes during a lecture?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on June 30, 2013, 12:54:13 pm
Some people bring their laptops/tablets and write notes during the lecture. I prefer to print off the lecture slides beforehand and annotate them during the lecture, and then summarise then later on.

If the lecture is recorded, you can go back and review it.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: b^3 on June 30, 2013, 01:11:59 pm
SWOTCAV lol?
Fixed now.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lasercookie on June 30, 2013, 01:56:58 pm
Thanks.

And one more very jaffy query. :P How do you take down adequate notes during a lecture?
I don't take notes in lectures, beyond maybe a couple of dotpoints on stuff I might want to look up later. All my lectures were recorded, so I could always go back and review them though. Not to give the wrong impression about how much detail a lecture will provide, but I generally thought of them to be providing a springboard for what you're then supposed to go and learn more about. After going to the lecture, it'd probably mean going to the library (or using the internet) to look things up further.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on June 30, 2013, 02:05:40 pm
Thanks.

And one more very jaffy query. :P How do you take down adequate notes during a lecture?

Sometimes I find its best not to take notes in lectures, particularly if the content is difficult and the lecture is recorded. This way, 1) you can focus better on what the lecturer is saying rather than trying to scribe down everything they say (I.e. me for the first week of semester :-\) and 2) you can always revisit the lectures online to make notes.

As far as I've heard, the majority of lectures are recorded at Monash.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: BigAl on June 30, 2013, 02:34:56 pm
Thanks.

And one more very jaffy query. :P How do you take down adequate notes during a lecture?

I'm sorry this never happens especially in engineering...there are pre lecture notes for some of the units..you download them into your laptop, tablet etc and follow the lecture..from third or fourth week, I decided not to take notes in phs1011 unless I heard that voice "highlight it, put it into a box" I will never ever forget that voice :) any phs1011 fellow will understand what I mean
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on June 30, 2013, 02:38:56 pm
Suggested addition:

How do I study for exams?

Exam at university are quite different from those in VCE, in that they are significantly more dependent on independent learning abilities. You're unlikely to be given many practice exams for a subject, and often the exams that you are given access to for practice do not contain solutions - though this depends on the course coordinator and subject to an extent.

Given that exams are based on lectures and readings, it's often useful to summarise the lectures and readings until the content is well understood. Usually (especially for sciences), the exam questions are very similar to those given in tutorials and other exercises throughout the semester. It's a good idea to be able to do these questions and questions like them independently, with a sound knowledge of the theory behind it.

Some people also find it useful to study in groups, where people can pose questions to each other and discuss the subject material.

Because of the difference between the learning styles required for VCE exams and uni exams, you may initially find it difficult to find a means of independent study. This can be frustrating at first, but it's important not to be disheartened, as you'll eventually find a mode of study that works for you. It's just another part of the university learning experience.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: simpak on June 30, 2013, 03:33:50 pm
I take a lot of notes during lectures...
Correct answer is: attend lecture, see what works for you.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: b^3 on June 30, 2013, 05:02:35 pm
I'm sorry this never happens especially in engineering...there are pre lecture notes for some of the units..you download them into your laptop, tablet etc and follow the lecture..from third or fourth week, I decided not to take notes in phs1011 unless I heard that voice "highlight it, put it into a box" I will never ever forget that voice :) any phs1011 fellow will understand what I mean
For engineering, I wouldn't call them notes :P, rather a couple of pages full of scribbles and diagrams with numbers and greek symbols all over the place, with arrows, vectors and forces hidden beneath and between all of that somewhere.

Some people can learn well without taking any notes down at all, and just take it all in, others will benefit from writing everything down neatly and nicely. As simpak has said, just find what works best for you. This isn't VC anymore, no one is there to babysit you into how to learn (or even exactly what to learn half the time). It's all up to you now.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Dejan on June 30, 2013, 06:39:34 pm
Could you explain the grades that can be achieved and or any other university terminology that people in uni  would be unfamiliar about?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: simpak on June 30, 2013, 06:56:20 pm
Not every university uses the same grading system though.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on June 30, 2013, 06:59:33 pm
Grading in university is, in my eyes, a lot simpler than in VCE. I've heard that in some units, there is standardisation to a bell-curve, but I don't know how frequent that is.

Basically, unit grades are made up of your assessed in-semester work and your exam (if applicable - some units, often Arts, have essays and the like instead).

At Monash (and I presume most Australian unis), grading works like this, possibly with some minor differences:
CodeGradeMarkGPA Value
HDHigh Distinction80-1004
DDistinction70-793
CCredit60-692
PPass50-591
NPNear Pass (no longer valid at Monash)45-490.7
NFail0-490.3
WNWithdrawn Fail (where you have withdrawn from a unit after the cut-off date)0
SFRSatisfied Faculty Requirements
NENot Examinable
NASNot Assessed

UoM has a different scheme, however:
CodeGradeMarkExplanation
H1First-Class Honours80-100
H2ASecond Class Honours Division A75-79
H2BSecond Class Honours Division B70-74
H3Third Class Honours65-69
PPass50-64
NFail0-49No credit points are awarded.
CMPCompletedPass (no mark awarded). Only used for subjects marked on a pass/fail basis.
CNTContinuingUsed for subjects that run over more than one teaching period, and the subject has not been completed.
CTCContinuing – CompletedUsed for each teaching period (except for the final teaching period) where a student has been enrolled in and passed a continuing subject. The final mark and grade awarded for the subject will be entered against the final teaching period of enrolment in the continuing subject.
CNFContinuing -
Fail
Used for each teaching period (except for the final teaching period) where a student has been enrolled in and failed a continuing subject. The final mark and grade awarded for the subject will be entered against the final teaching period of enrolment in the continuing subject.
FLFailFail (no mark awarded) Only used for subjects marked on a pass/fail basis.
NHNot Completed/Fail0-49Used when a student fails as they have not satisfactorily completed all prescribed (hurdle) requirements and would otherwise have passed the subject. A mark of 0-49% will appear on the transcript.
WDWithdrawnWithdrawn from a subject after the time for making subject changes without penalty has passed (after census date).
NANot AssessedUsed for subjects that are non-assessable, such as Community Access Program audit studies.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Dejan on June 30, 2013, 07:05:50 pm
Oh it all makes so much sense now, god this thread is amazing <3
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Starlight on June 30, 2013, 07:31:23 pm
Thought i'd describe chemistry tutorials.

I'd say they differ quite a bit from first year to second year. During first year they sort of give you like 5 minutes to go through a question before the tutor goes through it with the whole class. For second year it's more like the tutor pretty much goes through everything from the moment the class begins. They are definitely helpful and there are opportunities to ask questions during/ at the end of the tute or alternatively make an appointment with your tutor. The tutors usually change for different sections e.g. the tutor I had for inorganic chemistry was different from organic etc. In terms of class size there's about 20-25 students and they often give a few options for which time/ date suits you. If you have the chance it's worth going through the questions before the tutorial.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: DisaFear on June 30, 2013, 07:56:03 pm
Is it possible, pi, to make a short 'index' at the top of the post, with all the major headings/questions being clickable to go to that specific part of the post?

Math tutorials (Monash perspective):

You'll be in a room of about 8-14 other students, working on a problem set which will cover the topics that were discussed in the previous week of lectures. These tutorials generally last from 1.5-2 hours. The tutor will generally go through some of  the theory as a refresher, and may do a few problems to help you get the basics under your belt. You can talk with the people beside you, its not a test. The tutor is also available to answer any queries. Also, you will usually hand in assignments in the tute, and complete tests (if applicable) in the tute.

These tutorials aren't compulsory, but they helped a lot throughout the semester, because really, mathematics is a lot about doing problems, not memorising theory. Also, apparently, if you just failed the unit, your attendance in tutes can bump you up to a pass.

Chemistry tutorials (Monash perspective):

These usually contain more people (~70 people were enrolled in my session) but not many people show up (~maybe 15-20), as they aren't compulsory. These tutorials generally last an hour. There were two different styles of tutorials for chemistry: one involved the lecturer going through questions on a board, and the other involved tutors roaming the room, answering questions that people may have.

I found the lecturer solving problems more helpful, it shows you their thought process as they solve a problem, and what they expect. Tute questions are usually taken from past exams,so they can be a good indicator of what to expect on the exam.

Chemistry labs (Monash perspective):

These are usually 4 hours long and have anywhere between 20-50+ people, depending on the unit and the year level. These sessions usually require labcoats and safety goggles (some units just require the safety goggles). In first year chemistry, you will work in pairs. However, you may be required to do a presentation on a specific prac, which will consist of larger groups. In second year chemistry, there will be times you have to work alone, so don't always rely on your partner to do the hard work! You will need some basic lab skills.

You will usually conduct experiments as per the lab manual, with a demonstrator to explain all the steps at the start, and help you during the prac if necessary. Sometimes, you will synthesize compounds. Sometimes, you will analyse properties. Sometimes, you will separate stuff. (Check out this post for more details) Pracs will relate to topics covered in lectures - I noticed this more in second year than first year, where it was more 'vague'.

You will be required to complete a proforma (work-sheet type thing) or a lab report (depends on the unit) which is due on the day of your next lab session. Lab components are usually hurdles, meaning they need to be passed to pass the unit. There are usually pre-lab questions that must be completed before the lab session - they are signed by the demonstrator before the lab, and count for marks. In second year labs, you will need to fill in Safety & Hazard forms before the lab - these must be signed by the demonstrator as well.

First year Astronomy labs (Monash perspective):

These are usually 2 hours long and have between 8-12 people. These labs are really interesting because you do a variety of activities! Towards the start, you will learn the basics of reading star charts (forgive me Allan if I use wrong words :O ) and the terminology behind them - this can be a bit confusing if you're stupid like me, but it just takes practice. Then, other activities arise, such as constructing your own spectrometer, using telescopes to spy on the Menzies building (and burn stuff with the sun!), computer-related activities related to calculation of orbits/etc (forgotten, sorry) and lots of other cool stuff! There were also role playing activities, where you get to plan your crusade to a planet with a fixed budget with a group of people. There were a fair bunch of the 'calculation labs' but really, it ties in so well with the content in lectures that it is somewhat enjoyable (when it makes sense). I can say that first year astro labs were genuinely fun, it was something different every time.



Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on June 30, 2013, 07:59:54 pm
Is it possible, pi, to make a short 'index' at the top of the post, with all the major headings/questions being clickable to go to that specific part of the post?

I don't think so :/ But I'm thinking of putting all answers in spoilers so it's easy to navigate by just looking at the questions. Any thoughts on that? edit: did it any way, feel free to make suggestions!

Adding your stuff into the post :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Furbob on July 01, 2013, 04:14:23 pm
Languages (Monash perspective)

I can't speak for all language units but having done a bit of chinese and mostly Japanese I can give a brief overview.
Language tutorials are very much like school classes where you may have to read texts out loud and be given weekly/fortnightly quizzes on grammar, vocab etc.

Most of the tutes go through grammar, topics you're learning, vocabulary and guidelines on assessments

Sometimes there's group work (like oral presentations in partners) or class discussions where you may need to solve or discuss a topic  in a group. This is probably why I found it very easy to make friends in the classes as we would be stuck together for at least 2 semesters (unless its a one-off elective)

prepare for a fair bit of assessments but this balances out with exams only being worth 30-40% (not sure if this applies to every language)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: SenriAkane on July 01, 2013, 06:55:56 pm
Electrical Engineering  (Monash perspective)
Pre-req in 1st year: You must complete Electrical Systems (ENG1030), Maths for  Engineering (ENG1091) and Engineering Computing (ENG1060) to get into Electrical Engineering Branch in Monash.
Lectures: Most Electrical units (denoted by ECExxxx in the unit code) have 3 1-hour lectures per week.
Tutorials: First year and 2nd Year Units have different types of tutorials.
For ENG1030: Tutorials are taught by 3rd and 4th year students. The tutorials are run weekly and held run in a small tutorial room.  In each tutorial, the problem sets (which cover the previous week of content) are gone through by the tutors and there's generally time for students to complete part if not all of the problem sets. Answers are provided online but full solutions are only provided by attending tutorials. Attendance is not compulsory although advised.
For 2nd-Year or above : Tutorials are run by the lecturer him/herself in a lecture hall. He/she will go through a problem set which covers the content in the previous week.  It generally feels more like a revision lecture more than a Tutorial.
Attendance is not necessary but generally advised because 2nd-year units can be very tough.
Labs:
For ENG1030: Labs run every two weeks. The first week is an introductory lab where attendance is compulsory . Each lab allows you to see what you have learnt in action. You build circuit in a breadboard. Attendance is compulsory because each lab is worth 1.5% of the overall unit mark. If you get less than 45% in your lab component you fail the unit automatically. There's also a lab test which is worth 7.5% of unit mark.
For 2nd-year or above: Labs run every week.  The first week is an introductory lab where attendance is compulsory. For some units ( e.g. Signal Processing), you sit down in front of a computer where you finish a problem sheet and get marked on your work. For Analog Electronics you build circuits that was taught in the unit and observe their specific properties.   Attendance is compulsory and if you get less than 45% in your lab component you fail the unit automatically



Mod edit (pi): Cheers mate, mixed it with the existing sections! Need someone from Law, Bio tutes, Comm labs, or anyone else who wants to chip in to this resource! Any help would be amazing amd I'm sure those reading this will find it invaluable too :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: availn on July 03, 2013, 05:13:11 pm
Oh yeah, what is a GPA?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on July 03, 2013, 05:21:36 pm
Put it simply, your GPA (Grade Point Average) represents your academic marks at university. It's very important for getting admission into post-graduate degrees, Honours programs, internships, etc.

Different universities have different GPA scales. For example, Melbourne uses a GPA scale of 7, whereas Monash uses a GPA scale of 4.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Phy124 on July 03, 2013, 05:25:52 pm
Example: http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/gpa.html
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Russ on July 03, 2013, 05:28:05 pm
Just to be clear, since it's caused confusion before, Melbourne does not have a GPA scale of 7. They have a collection of arbitrary scales (every GPA scale is arbitrary, but they don't have a unified one) that different departments use. They also tend to refer to GPA and WAM as the same things, which clouds it further.

Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Stick on July 03, 2013, 06:37:39 pm
What's a WAM? :S I've never heard of that before, not until Russ just happened to introduce it here. XD

Also, is it true that you call your teachers by their first name at university?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Phy124 on July 03, 2013, 06:40:40 pm
Example: http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/wam.html
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Starlight on July 03, 2013, 06:42:41 pm
Also, is it true that you call your teachers by their first name at university?

Generally yes, but you don't really need to in person.
Just emails: Dear ___ (first name)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on July 03, 2013, 06:48:50 pm
Also, is it true that you call your teachers by their first name at university?

No, many doctors/professors prefer to be called Dr/Prof ____ or Sir, etc. For the younger staff, first name may be appropriate. This is faculty dependent of course.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Bad Student on July 03, 2013, 09:14:43 pm
Why are we supposed to avoid the socialists?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lasercookie on July 03, 2013, 09:20:31 pm
Why are we supposed to avoid the socialists?
Probably referring to Socialist Alternative, they tend to stick around on campus, hand out flyers, try to get you to buy their magazine etc.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on July 03, 2013, 09:23:49 pm
Because they're annoying, shouty and rude. They (groups like the Socialist Alternative) don't really represent Socialist ideals, they just spout anarchic crap. It gets really tiring after about 10 minutes into semester.

Take them on if you're crazy, join them if you're batshit insane :P

Couple of examples why I don't like the SA:
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Bad Student on July 03, 2013, 09:53:37 pm
o.O How is a Zionazi even possible?  A zionist seems like the polar opposite of a nazi.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: brenden on July 06, 2013, 01:51:10 pm
Would just like to contribute my $0.02 with regards to the Socialists at Uni.

My $0.02: RUN FOR THE FUCKING HILLS.

I actually made the mistake of seeing a "marriage equality petition" sign and thought "oh, sick!!" so went up and signed it. Now, I'm a huge social chameleon, so there are many situations in which I'll just do whatever is 'easiest' or will result in the most fluid conversation possible, so when they were telling me about how fascist the security guards are and how everyone is out to get them for some strange reason, I just nodded, and when they asked if I was interested in discussion groups (I certainly wasn't) I said yes anyway (yes, I have a fucking problem), subsequently writing down my name and number. DID receive so many texts, after asking to be removed from the list. I was finally removed from the list after I informed someone that I didn't give a fuck about the student strikes and didn't want to be on the list. Seriously, guys, I'm a very progressive/leftist person... these people are just fucking lunatics.

(Sorry felt the need to contribute and make sure no one else ever spoke to them ever. LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: brenden on July 06, 2013, 01:56:03 pm
Also, to answer Stick's question: Called all of my tutors/lecturers by the first name, or by nicknames I decided to call them.
Eg:
Human Rights tutor was Benji/Benny/The Benjamin.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Stick on July 12, 2013, 01:55:07 pm
Although I think I understand this, it might be a good idea to explain the concept of 'overloading' in this guide. :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on July 12, 2013, 02:06:36 pm
Added

What is underloading and overloading?
Answer
Underloading: to enroll in less than the standard number of units (eg. less than 4) in each semester.
Overloading: to enroll in more than the standard number of units (eg. more than 4) in each semester.

Each uni will have their own criteria regarding the specifics, for example http://www.monash.edu.au/enrolments/study-load.html

Still looking for people who have been in law or bio tutes, as well as comm labs :)

Cheers.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: vashappenin on July 12, 2013, 02:42:04 pm
Added

What is underloading and overloading?
Answer
Underloading: to enrol in more than the standard number of units (eg. less than 4) in each year.
Overloading: to enrol in more than the standard number of units (eg. more than 4) in each year.

Each uni will have their own criteria regarding the specifics, for example http://www.monash.edu.au/enrolments/study-load.html

Still looking for people who have been in law or bio tutes, as well as comm labs :)

Cheers.
Do you mean to enrol in less for underloading or am I reading it wrong? :\
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on July 12, 2013, 02:44:26 pm
Oops pretty bad typo :P
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: abcdqdxD on July 12, 2013, 02:46:50 pm
Why would you underload? Is this comparable to part-time study in some respects?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on July 12, 2013, 02:51:20 pm
Why would you underload? Is this comparable to part-time study in some respects?

Yeah. I know people who underload due to internships (comm kids) and personal reasons.

Cheers.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: ninwa on July 12, 2013, 02:58:27 pm
Why would you underload? Is this comparable to part-time study in some respects?

A lot of law students I know underload (do 3 law subjects a semester instead of 4) because

1) Centrelink still views it as full time study so you get the same amount of Youth Allowance
2) 4 law subjects is very heavy and is difficult to manage if you're also working / participating in co-curricular events
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Yeezus on July 12, 2013, 03:09:04 pm
A lot of law students I know underload (do 3 law subjects a semester instead of 4) because

1) Centrelink still views it as full time study so you get the same amount of Youth Allowance
2) 4 law subjects is very heavy and is difficult to manage if you're also working / participating in co-curricular events

Same deal with engineering. Not many people finish the degree in the designated time.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Fyrefly on July 13, 2013, 05:28:37 pm
A lot of law students I know underload (do 3 law subjects a semester instead of 4) because

1) Centrelink still views it as full time study so you get the same amount of Youth Allowance
2) 4 law subjects is very heavy and is difficult to manage if you're also working / participating in co-curricular events

Centrelink gets funny about it if it takes you more than one extra semester though.
They tell you that you've taken too long to finish your degree and cut you off.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: lala1911 on July 13, 2013, 06:26:07 pm
Is 16 contact hours at University still considered as full time work to Centrelink?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on July 13, 2013, 06:29:27 pm
Is 16 contact hours at University still considered as full time work to Centrelink?

My understanding is that a full-time load is based on the number of units you take per semester. 3-4 units per semester is considered to be full time by Centrelink, but this can obviously vary in contact hours between degrees. A full-time biomed student may have 22 contact hours per week, while a full-time arts student may have only 12.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: b^3 on July 13, 2013, 06:29:57 pm
It doesn't go by contact hours, it goes by how many units you're doing in that semester. 4 is a normal load, but 3 (75% of a full load) still makes you eligible for youth allowance.
http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/study-loads
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: brenden on July 13, 2013, 07:15:34 pm
If it helps, I think Monash usually recommends 12 hours of study (including contact hours) per unit you take. So if you underload and take 3 units, that's still 36 hours of recommended study per week.

For anyone wondering, you definitely do not need to study anywhere near 48 hours per week.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: ninwa on July 15, 2013, 05:53:06 pm
Law tutorials (Monash perspective)

Most of the earlier year units will have compulsory tutorials which make up 10% of your final mark. Later units may not have tutorials at all, or only have optional ones. Even though they don't count for marks I would still attend them because they provide valuable revision for the exam.

You will receive a tutorial book at the start of semester, which contains various problem questions in a similar style to what you will receive on the exam (often they are past exam questions), corresponding to the topics you will study each week. Basically, in class you learn the theory, and in tutorials you learn how to apply it. You are expected to attempt the question before coming to the tutorial, because 1) you won't get any marks unless you participate by volunteering your answers, and 2) some tutors have been known to throw out students who haven't prepared beforehand.

Here is an example of a property A tutorial question. In week 3 you study leases and licences, and the tutorial book for that week contains 4 questions relating to leases and licences. This is one of those questions:
Quote
Question Two

(From 2008 exam)

Frank is the registered proprietor of a caravan/residential park which he runs as a business.  He lives in a house in the park, which is on the same registered title as the park.  At the back of the house, but forming part of the house, is an apartment.  The apartment has its own exterior entrance and a door with a lock which separates it from the rest of the house.  To help with his finances, Frank entered into a written occupation agreement for 4 years with his friend Larry.  Larry was to live in the apartment for 4 years and pay Frank $100 per week plus the expenses of maintaining the garden.  Frank and Larry have an amicable relationship.  Larry often enters the apartment from the house to which he has a key and does not bother to lock the door that separates the apartment from the house.  He is also happy for Frank to use the computer in the apartment provided he checks first.  Frank often uses the refrigerator in Larry’s apartment to store his beer.

Larry would like to know whether:
 
(a)   he has the right to remain in the apartment if Frank sells the property to a new owner, and
(b)   he can maintain a trespass action against a third party if that person comes into the apartment without his consent?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Kuchiki on July 16, 2013, 04:03:58 pm
Commerce labs (Monash perspective)

For business statistics subjects, you will have computer labs that are typically 90 minutes long, though you may finish the work in as little as 30 minutes or less, at which point you can just leave. Basically, you walk into the room, sit down at a computer, open the Excel file with the week's questions, and get to work. Some of the weeks (around half, in my experience) will be "submission weeks," where you have to submit your finished work online by the end of the lab to get it graded. If it's not a submission week, you can just save your work when you're done and then leave, though nobody's going to check your work so you can basically leave whenever you want (a lot of people choose not to show up at all on non-submission weeks). There is a lab supervisor to help you if you have any problems/questions, but otherwise, they're not very involved. Don't expect to make many friends during this class; people generally just get in and out as soon as possible.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: lala1911 on July 16, 2013, 09:11:29 pm
I've heard about people doing a degree and a language diploma at the same time. Is it possible to do this with a different diploma? For example:
IT degree at RMIT + off-campus part-time diploma in Business or Design through a TAFE
I've had mixed responses so far.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: vashappenin on July 18, 2013, 10:55:05 pm
This is pretty random, but re: overloading, is it possible to be able to overload and finish your course a year early? Eg. 3yrs in 2yrs instead and is that really hard/uncommon to do? Im not cinsifrig doing this or anything lol just curious
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lasercookie on July 18, 2013, 11:08:41 pm
This is pretty random, but re: overloading, is it possible to be able to overload and finish your course a year early? Eg. 3yrs in 2yrs instead and is that really hard/uncommon to do? Im not cinsifrig doing this or anything lol just curious
It might be possible depending on the degree/uni (if they'll let you), it'd be really hard and it's uncommon. You'd probably have to do summer units and such too. There was a user on AN that did his BSc in 2 years if I recall correctly.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: HEADCAT on August 22, 2013, 02:32:01 pm
I wish i read this prior to my first day... now looking at it, it's such a cute guide about things uni students take for granted every day. ;D
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Stick on August 24, 2013, 10:12:19 am
Thought of another good question.

When you're in a lecture (or any other thing too I guess), will it only be people from your course there?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on August 24, 2013, 10:20:53 am
When I'm in a lecture/tute/prac, will it only be people from my course there?
Answer
Depends on the unit.

For example, there are some units that people from all sorts of degrees can take (don't require pre-reqs and the such), whilst there are others that only certain students can take (eg. any MBBS unit). Even in a specialised Law unit you may have people doing Law, or Comm/Law, or Arts/Law and so forth, so not exactly solely your one cohort.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: eeps on August 24, 2013, 01:06:34 pm
Just wanted to add something about deferred exams in regards to the BusEco faculty.

If on the actual exam day you are feeling sick or for whatever reason, you are able to sign a form that defers your exam. For example, if you choose to defer one of your semester 1 exams, you will sit that exam in week two or three of semester 2. Obviously the deferred exam is different from the one you would have sat on the actual day. The risk you run with deferred exams is that if you fail the exam, you fail the unit (some students do tend to take deferred exams to study longer, but it doesn't always work out). And because you won't find out your result til the middle/late in semester 2, it's unlikely that you will be able to re-take that unit in the same semester (if that makes sense).

Thought of another good question.

When you're in a lecture (or any other thing too I guess), will it only be people from your course there?

Unless you're in a course that has a set cohort (like MBBS or radiography at Monash), you can get students doing a variety of degrees in your lectures and tutorials - which is a good way to make new friends.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: werdna on August 24, 2013, 01:20:57 pm
Thought of another good question.

When you're in a lecture (or any other thing too I guess), will it only be people from your course there?

If you go to UoM in particular, a LOT of your subjects will have people from heaps of different courses and faculties. Especially the breadth subjects, where you will have a mix of people from commerce, arts, music, environments and science. And also from different year levels.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: zvezda on September 24, 2013, 08:58:53 am
Hey,
Are students graded relatively in uni like in VCE?
Thanks
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on September 24, 2013, 10:50:31 am
Hey,
Are students graded relatively in uni like in VCE?
Thanks

Some exams might have some scaling (upwards) if it's particularly hard and heaps of people fail, but other than that not really to my knowledge.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on December 18, 2013, 12:50:05 am
Bump, in case any 2013ers have any questions about university that might be covered here :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: BigAl on December 18, 2013, 02:00:53 am
This guide is great...my only advice-please take proper notes...they will come handy at some point. I had two books for the whole semester and they were like soup. I haven't ever been organised in my life and you'll be in a lot of pain if you don't keep things organised.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Stick on December 18, 2013, 10:00:20 am
Here's another question for you all. It's not related to the academic side of university, but I still think it's a really important question.

How did you find the transition from high school to university? This is obviously a really personal question, but I think a lot of us could learn and be better prepared for this next step in light of your own personal experiences. For example, what things do you recommend we do in order to meet people and make new friends? I'm probably the only one from my school who will select the degree that I have chosen, unlike other schools which may have entire contingents attending. How long did it take you to adjust to university life (academically, socially etc)? How do you find an appropriate balance between study, work and a social life? What advice do you have to make the transition easier?

These are just some secondary questions that come under the initial overarching query. If anyone feels comfortable to outline their own thoughts and feelings on this matter, I think it'd be really appreciated. Thanks. :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on December 18, 2013, 10:12:39 am
First thing, go to the camps. Some people do get wild but you don't have to get absolutely drunk and you'll meet a lot of people who are in the same position as you. And especially since you're doing Biomed, you'll bump into those people you meet at camp in almost every lecture you have.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on December 18, 2013, 12:02:02 pm
Here's another question for you all. It's not related to the academic side of university, but I still think it's a really important question.

How did you find the transition from high school to university? This is obviously a really personal question, but I think a lot of us could learn and be better prepared for this next step in light of your own personal experiences. For example, what things do you recommend we do in order to meet people and make new friends? I'm probably the only one from my school who will select the degree that I have chosen, unlike other schools which may have entire contingents attending. How long did it take you to adjust to university life (academically, socially etc)? How do you find an appropriate balance between study, work and a social life? What advice do you have to make the transition easier?

These are just some secondary questions that come under the initial overarching query. If anyone feels comfortable to outline their own thoughts and feelings on this matter, I think it'd be really appreciated. Thanks. :)

The transition from HS to uni was, for me, somewhat jarring - for about a week. After that, you just get caught up in the work and doing stuff with friends. I found it exponentially easier to make friends at uni that I did at school because everyone is in the same boat and the environment is generally a lot less competitive. As a first year in their first few weeks of uni, understand that most everyone is just as nervous as you are. This is a good thing, as it tends to get you to 'stick' (hehe) to people in your course. Most of my school friends (about 95%) took a gap year this year so I was pretty isolated from all of them this year. I guess this really helped meet new people, as it forced me out of my comfort zone, which is the best possible thing to happen in this situation.

A really great way of meeting people outside your course is by joining clubs and societies and going to events. If this really isn't your scene, just chill with your inevitable new uni friends and make friends with their friends! The whole environment is conducive to meeting new people, so you're pretty much set :)

As for a balance between study and life, it took me an entire year to get to (what I hope is) a balance. Use your first year to experiment somewhat, especially with timetable structures and study plans. First year university is above all an introduction to tertiary education, so seize upon that and find what works best for you.

The best way to make the transition easier for yourself is to go with the flow and just accept the massive change in environment.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lasercookie on December 18, 2013, 12:39:11 pm
Here's another question for you all. It's not related to the academic side of university, but I still think it's a really important question.

How did you find the transition from high school to university?
My advice will probably be more relevant for people who moved out of home and chose to live on campus, but that environment makes it pretty effortless to make friends and meet new people. The problem then is taking the effort to make friends with people who don't live with you :P

The biggest advice there would be to not stay holed up in your room, if you just want to chill just sit around in one of the common areas and talk to anyone who comes by. There'll likely be a lot of activities happening around the student residence and on campus too, so definitely get involved in some of them.

I'd skip all, if not the majority of the boring study skills sessions that come up during O-week, that's valuable time you could be using to eat free food or socialise. You don't need to learn how EBSCOHost or other journal search engines work in the first week, you can easily pick that up later in the semester. Those essay skills sessions will be pretty broad, and not immediately useful - you'll be told those kind of skills in first year classes anyway. And so on. Definitely go to something where they advertise the clubs and societies, and see if there's anything that interests you. Attending one of these, even if its irregularly, is a great way of meeting people or picking up new hobbies.

Perhaps more relevant to people moving out, but spend some time to explore the local area outside of the university too. Mark out where the cheap supermarkets and what else is within walking/quick travel distance. Learn to cook something basic... like pasta :D

http://lostoncampus.com.au/ <-- self-explanatory, this is probably the most convenient map. It helps in the first few weeks, a lot.

If you've rocked up to a lecture early, don't go inside and sit down. Unless it's a full lecture theatre, you'll probably find you'll end up sitting by yourself (or sitting next to people who are talking to their own friends). Instead, stand around outside and talk to people and then sit down next to them.

For the more academic things, your lecturers will have contact hours, it's good to go to them, even if its just to have a chat about the course. Most lecturers will be more than willing to help. Also go to the library, and look at the books relevant to the course. Books outside of the assigned textbook are pretty damn useful for different perspectives of explaining the same thing, or something your textbook missed out.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on December 18, 2013, 10:28:20 pm
My cohort at uni is so similar to the one at school in terms of the balances of race/ethnicity and so forth, the main difference being females :P In many regards I feel as if I haven't left school, which I think is awesome because I loved it.

Uni has way more parties too, so for me it's essentially been school with a massive fun and crazy side, something I found very easy to transition to.

The hardest part is finding new ways to study as I don't get questions (none in textbooks, no past exams etc.) to do and so forth.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: jeanweasley on December 19, 2013, 11:54:44 am
Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lasercookie on December 19, 2013, 11:59:15 am
Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.
Pen and paper, on looseleaf, was my preference. I don't take too many notes in the actual lectures, beyond just noting down a sort of 'table of contents' of the lecture.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on December 19, 2013, 12:11:30 pm
I started off with computer but for Sem 2 (my best sem so far) I went for a pen and paper approach :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Russ on December 19, 2013, 12:14:16 pm
The arts subjects I took didn't really require heavy note taking in lectures, you'll be fine with pen and paper and then looking things up on the computer later.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on December 19, 2013, 01:43:03 pm
Depends on the subject really. In lectures I would annotate the lecture slides by hand. All my Bio notes were then typed out in my own words and I tried to organise the information using more flowcharts, tables, diagrams, etc.

On the other hand, the topics I needed to write notes for in organic chemistry were handwritten (a lot easier to draw by hand lol)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on December 19, 2013, 03:33:21 pm
Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.

It really depends on your note-taking style (maybe use first-year to see what's comfortable for you?), but I find it's easiest to take in things in lectures if I take notes by hand. Other than lectures, I try to keep everything else digitised to save space.

Some people I know prefer an all-paper response and they keep things in binder folders. Generally they keep their folders at home and take whatever papers they need for the day to uni in a folio-type thing. I reckon this is also a good idea if you're not a fan of computerised notes.

As for stationery; always carry a pen and/or pencil with you, even if your an iPad/computer sort of person. You never know when you'll need to write something down :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: BigAl on December 19, 2013, 04:23:11 pm
Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.
Organised? Nope :)
I'm not a computer/tablet person...I bought a tablet in semester 1 and used it for my engineering unit...things were pretty squashed up in one slide in that unit so there was no way I could fit everything in my book. My tablet just sits at the corner of my room. I'm not using it until I come across a similar unit. Another thing I realised is that I never wrote anything down in my physics units. Maybe that was because the lecturers were going a bit fast. What I have learned from my mistakes:
-Take proper notes
-If you're in engineering/maths/physics, make sure you have another book for problem solving. This comes handy if you need to go back and look at particular solution/mistakes
-don't use all in one books, things get messy
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Starlight on December 20, 2013, 08:45:59 am
a) How did you find the transition from high school to university?
b) What things do you recommend we do in order to meet people and make new friends?
c) How long did it take you to adjust to university life (academically, socially etc)?
d) How do you find an appropriate balance between study, work and a social life?
e) What advice do you have to make the transition easier?

a) Everyone's different. I knew I was going to like Uni more than high school just based off the experiences of my brother and sister. I just like being more independent with my studies.

b) Join a couple of clubs and talk to some people in tutorials. E.g. clubs like the science students society at melbourne because they have a few functions during the year (and lots of barbeques which is pretty much why I joined). I've met some great people in tutorials and pracs who are doing similar subjects to me in my third year so it's always easy to catch up with them at uni. O week is also good to meet some new people.

c) See a RE academically. I don't want people to assume that their high school marks are going to translate into those they get in uni.  Some people get caught up with the newfound freedom- e.g. with the clubs offered- or they accept too many shifts at work or something. You just need to be able to organise your time well because it is possible to do all those things and still get good marks. I found that it was easier to adjust socially because people are taken out of their normal peer groups that they had in high school- in this way I find introducing yourself to people is a lot simpler.

d) Aim to get all your academic tasks done during the weekdays and then you have the weekend to do whatever- this rule may not apply when it comes to tests though. However, you're going to be a lot less stressed if you have only a mid semester to study for on the weekend with the rest of your 'homework' being done during the week. Also start/ continue to exercise and make that a priority as well as studying. Also try to get started on assignments straight away as soon as they are given. Normally if you have other commitments e.g. part-time work then it can be easier to plan your study around that, provided that the number of shifts at your work isn't interfering with your studies- It should just be a good stress outlet whilst you're at uni.

e) Pretty much outlined a few points about this.

Here's another question, how have you organised your notes? Did you access everything on the computer and kept all your notes there or were you the notebook kind?
Do we need folders or any other stationery?
I know it may not be that much of a big deal but I just want to prepare myself.

Depends on the subject. For ones that are just rote learning then I will type up my notes, for those with heaps of diagrams and based on understanding then i'll write them. Sometimes subjects can comprise of both so it might be good to alternate between the two. I have 4 huge binder folders for each subject and 4 big notebooks to write/ stick in my typed notes for each subject. It's good to keep everything where it should be, often when you typed notes it's easier to have papers flying around everywhere.

Note-taking style during lectures is typing. The lecturers just speak too fast for me to handwrite it all, and I know using this method that I am more likely to miss out on some things that they say. I will organise and write up my notes so they are more coherent when I get home from uni each day. It's also to get behind in lectures by trying to make your notes too perfect (or that might just be me), but just try to get each set done ASAP (i.e a set of lecture notes for lecture 1 done before lecture 2 begins).

Title: Re: How university works
Post by: jeanweasley on December 20, 2013, 10:55:29 am
Thank you so much for your replies, I appreciate. I think I'll just stick to typing notes and see what works from there.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: lala1911 on December 20, 2013, 02:56:53 pm
I'm curious, from your experiences were there a lot of friendless people during the first year, as in they didn't know anyone in their course? I'll probably be the only person from my school in my course so I'm not going to know anyone.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lasercookie on December 20, 2013, 03:36:21 pm
I'm curious, from your experiences were there a lot of friendless people during the first year, as in they didn't know anyone in their course? I'll probably be the only person from my school in my course so I'm not going to know anyone.
Do you mean during the year or before the start of the year? I'm assuming the latter because the former doesn't really make any sense. There's plenty of people who end up at unis where they don't know anyone else. I was really only aware of other AN users heading off to ANU before the start of the year.

Otherwise you can get to know people inside or outside your course pretty quickly. Whilst making friends to hang out with outside of class will require yourself taking the time to do that, I think trying to remain completely friendless for the entire year would also require a bit of concious effort, you'd naturally start talking to other people in your classes.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: MagicGecko on December 30, 2013, 01:00:53 am
I'm curious, from your experiences were there a lot of friendless people during the first year, as in they didn't know anyone in their course?

I don't know about other courses, but for me, uni felt just like high school  :-\
I guess it was because my course is a new course (started in 2012), I had a fixed timetable (everyone had the exact same subject's at the exact same time) so everyone saw each other every single time, not to mention that there were only around 21 of us in the course so it felt like a homeroom.
Anyway everyone quickly got to know each other and whatnot and in about the 2nd week everyone had formed 'groups'. You had the hard smart worker group, the Indian group, the loud group that just wont shut up, the TALL WHITE GIANTS and 'the rest'.
Answering your question....no there were absolutely no friendless people.
Also surprisingly it seemed that the adults already knew each other (its a small world).

I'll probably be the only person from my school in my course so I'm not going to know anyone.
I was too, just make an effort to talk to some people because you will have to talk to them eventually (horrid group projects).
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: scribble on January 19, 2014, 04:23:08 pm
insights on bio tutes at unimelb: .just.don't.go.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: nerdgasm on January 19, 2014, 05:03:47 pm
Hey pi, sorry to provide a lack of information but in Monash Biology (from the Science faculty), we don't really get a tutorial each week that is separate to our lectures and labs. The closest things I can possibly think of are in physiology, where we would occasionally have a one-hour session to go through the theory and questions behind a lab we had just done, and in DEV2022 (anatomy/developmental biology), where half an hour to one hour is set aside at the end of each week's lab to have a discussion and talk about some features of the anatomy we learnt that week, through image-based slides.

I'm doing Biochem this semester, so will let you know if we get any tutorials there, but that's about all I can say for now.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: vox nihili on January 19, 2014, 08:04:08 pm
I second what scribble said, but in the interests of being a little bit more detailed.

Biology labs are quite similar to VCE classes. The tutor has a specific agenda and covers specific topics. Normally this is usually just a review of the lecture content, going over tricky concepts and seeing whether or not the students can recall the information presented to them in lectures. Particularly in the genetics component of biology, tutorials will be more focused on skills. The tutors will run through methods of setting up and completing questions. They will sometimes do this in other ares, but mainly that's for genetics. In essence though, the tutes at UniMelb were just sitting around doing worksheets with 5 minutes of the tutor hastily running through answers.

Scribble's right, don't bother.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on February 02, 2015, 08:10:22 pm
As the start of semester gets ever closer, now is as good a time as any to revive this fantastic thread! Incoming jaffies, feel free to ask any burning questions about university life here and someone will answer.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Rod on February 02, 2015, 08:10:54 pm
As the start of semester gets ever closer, now is as good a time as any to revive this fantastic thread! Incoming jaffies, feel free to ask any burning questions about university life here and someone will answer.
Thank you!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Teagan_18 on February 26, 2015, 05:06:29 am
I am currently taking a gap year so I am not going to uni (RMIT to study biotechnology) until 2016. I am just wondering what a typical week is like at uni though. I know this will vary depending on courses, uni's, etc. and I know it will be quite different from VCE where you go to school five days a week and have maybe five lessons a day and a study period every day for each class you take. How is uni different to this? I understand there are lectures, tutes and pracs but how often and for how long? Does someone have an example of their timetable they could post?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on February 26, 2015, 09:21:19 am
I am currently taking a gap year so I am not going to uni (RMIT to study biotechnology) until 2016. I am just wondering what a typical week is like at uni though. I know this will vary depending on courses, uni's, etc. and I know it will be quite different from VCE where you go to school five days a week and have maybe five lessons a day and a study period every day for each class you take. How is uni different to this? I understand there are lectures, tutes and pracs but how often and for how long? Does someone have an example of their timetable they could post?

I've included a picture of my timetable, however it is very important to note that this stuff is very, VERY different based on not only the course you're doing, but the units you choose to take.

This is actually one of the most empty timetables I've ever had - hell, I basically have Friday off. In my first semester, I was needing to go in every day, and three of the days were 8/9-5/6, and the other two were still 9-3 days. The next semester was a similar story, but more of the days were only 9-3. The reason this timetable is so good ISN'T because of my course, but because this semester I am taking a core science unit which has very small contact hours (SCI2015)

Hell, this isn't even indicative of the "average" student - most of my friends in the same degree have similar spreads, but I have friends who can squeeze their timetable into two days (which are normally fairly full, in fairness), or even three/four half days, and they're still running full time loads.

Another thing to note - there's no general trend of tutes/labs. Most units will have between 1 and 3 lectures a week, but not all units have labs, and not all units have tutes. This semester, I have 1 lab, but 3 tutorials - next semester, I'll have at least 3 labs, but only 1 tutorial. (also, SCI2015 and MTH2025 workshop - no workshops next semester)

There really is no definitive answer to your question, so just worry about it when you get there.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on August 19, 2015, 02:15:55 pm
Hey guys! Can someone please explain the GPA system? The course I'm looking at needs a 6.7+ GPA (MD at UoM) and I'm probably going to do BSci & BEng (at Monash) for my undergrad. What actually is a HD (Highest grade? Is it like 80%?) and how hard is to achieve it? Thanks!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on August 19, 2015, 04:40:15 pm
Hey guys! Can someone please explain the GPA system? The course I'm looking at needs a 6.7+ GPA (MD at UoM) and I'm probably going to do BSci & BEng (at Monash) for my undergrad. What actually is a HD (Highest grade? Is it like 80%?) and how hard is to achieve it? Thanks!

Explained in the main post.

Relevant questions:
"How will I be graded in uni, will I get a Uni-ATAR to show my proud mummy?"
"What is a "GPA"?"

Also relevant: GPA for PostGraduate Medicine Explained

Cheers.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on August 19, 2015, 05:14:55 pm
Oh thanks Pi! Just a few more questions. 80% in a subject really seems doable, but is it really as head as people say it is? Is it like doing one VCE subject in a semester? Also, are subjects more streamlined and clear cut? Syllabus wise? Is there a clear outline of what you need to know, unlike VCE Accounting where it's really a mish-mash of stuff. Lastly, if you request more practise questions/exams, will you be supplied with them?

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all that you've helped me with!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: extremeftw on August 19, 2015, 07:26:17 pm
Oh thanks Pi! Just a few more questions. 80% in a subject really seems doable, but is it really as head as people say it is? Is it like doing one VCE subject in a semester? Also, are subjects more streamlined and clear cut? Syllabus wise? Is there a clear outline of what you need to know, unlike VCE Accounting where it's really a mish-mash of stuff. Lastly, if you request more practise questions/exams, will you be supplied with them?

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all that you've helped me with!

 It is very much doable to get an 80% average.

  You do need to keep in mind that for some areas of study (like Arts, for example) it is easy to get a decent mark of say 60+ but it can be extremely difficult to churn out assignments at a high distinction (80+) level every single time due to the subjective nature of marking the assignments. It really isn't very difficult to get an ~80 average if you invest enough time, particularly for first year subjects which are generally marked pretty forgivingly.

 As for how streamlined units are, I would probably say that they are not quite as streamlined as VCE units (varies from unit to unit) but you can pretty much get a good overview of everything you need to know by reading the unit guides that they upload for every subject.

 For requesting practice exams, generally you won't be given anything that isn't publicly available through the library service or Moodle. I mean, you could always ask the lecturer/tutor for more exam materials but it's pretty unlikely they will give you anything. Each subject varies in the availability of past/practice exams, for example one of the statistics classes has like 20 past exams uploaded on the library website whereas one of my science subjects last semester had zero avaliable past exams and zero practice exams.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on August 20, 2015, 08:02:29 am
It is very much doable to get an 80% average.

Thanks! I'm mainly (if not completely) going to be going Science and Mathematics subjects (BSc & BEng). The reason I ask is because the criteria to apply for the Gippsland MBBS is around a 70+ WAM for Biomed students (Thus like a 90+ for Science students to be competitive (apparently, as Biomed kids are given the upmost preference)), and GPA for UoM MD is like 6.7 . Also, what's with people not buying textbooks for subjects, and saying that they are a waste of money? And, where would you get more questions if you needed them?

Thanks heaps!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Stevensmay on August 20, 2015, 10:24:29 am
Also, what's with people not buying textbooks for subjects, and saying that they are a waste of money? And, where would you get more questions if you needed them?

Textbooks are expensive and most of the time the course notes provided by a lecturer will be more than sufficient. In the case, for the earlier year subjects you can often find many free resources on the internet. Essentially wait a week or two into the course and see how you are going without a textbook, don't just buy them all at the start of the semester.

If you do decide to buy, try and obtain a used copy as these are normally 50-60% the price of new, and normally equally as useful. Might also be able to find practice questions online.

In later year subjects when things become much more specialized the amount of free content available may drop, simply because there isn't as much demand for it.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on August 21, 2015, 09:29:38 am
Hey guys...I'm back with more subjective questions.

Difficulty:

As you probably saw in my previous post, I'm looking at graduate medicine, and obviously it needs an extremely high GPA [MU: ~4, UoM: ~6.7]. I was wondering how hard is it to pull off such a feat. I mean, does it require raw talent of the likes of all you guys, or hard work. I'm willing to put in the effort, but is it something only those will pure skill can pull off? At the moment I think I currently sit in the 85 - 95 bracket in terms of ATAR (who knows). I can see that you guys that got 99.00+ are managing to pull HD after HD, but will this be possible for someone who achieves significantly lower?

Time Constriants:

How do people that do 5+ subjects a semester manage time? Are you in any groups? Do you have a part-time job? How many hours do you put in a day?

Resources:

Are the lecture notes provided by the lecturer sufficient to do well with? Or do they have holes in them. Do you take notes during the lecture, or just soak it in and rewatch/go through the slideshow again in your own time?

The people:

Are people more friendly and outgoing in uni that high school? Could you ask your lecturer questions and stuff?

That's it for now. Thanks for putting up with my weird questions that you are all probably sick of by now. Lastly, I really enjoyed going through your guide to uni! Thanks pi!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Shenz0r on August 21, 2015, 10:17:04 am
Hey guys...I'm back with more subjective questions.

Difficulty:

As you probably saw in my previous post, I'm looking at graduate medicine, and obviously it needs an extremely high GPA [MU: ~4, UoM: ~6.7]. I was wondering how hard is it to pull off such a feat. I mean, does it require raw talent of the likes of all you guys, or hard work. I'm willing to put in the effort, but is it something only those will pure skill can pull off? At the moment I think I currently sit in the 85 - 95 bracket in terms of ATAR (who knows). I can see that you guys that got 99.00+ are managing to pull HD after HD, but will this be possible for someone who achieves significantly lower?

Yes. Sometimes you'll hear people who got ATARs in the 80s or low 90s smashing every subject they do in university. You'll hear stories of some chancellor's scholars sometimes scraping with a pass or credit. University is a completely different ballgame from VCE. For the most part, hard work seems to the most important factor. But bear in mind that you not only need to put in the effort, but you need to study smart too (just like in VCE).


Time Constriants:

How do people that do 5+ subjects a semester manage time? Are you in any groups? Do you have a part-time job? How many hours do you put in a day?

No idea how people manage overloading but I think they're masochists. lol

The workload is going to differ for everybody. Some days I can get by with only watching 3 hours worth of lectures a day, other times I need to do that and cram for 3 hours...although bear in mind it's not how many hours you put in, but rather what you do in that time, that matters.

Resources:

Are the lecture notes provided by the lecturer sufficient to do well with? Or do they have holes in them. Do you take notes during the lecture, or just soak it in and rewatch/go through the slideshow again in your own time?

For most (if not, all) of the undergrad subjects I've had, the lecture notes are sufficient and are usually the only things you'll be examined on. Since the end of 1st year I've only ever briefly opened a textbook maybe 3-4 times.

You'll experiment and find out which works for you, some people like to listen and absorb whereas I'm a person who annotates everything on the lecture slides and then looks over them a billion times.

The people:

Are people more friendly and outgoing in uni that high school? Could you ask your lecturer questions and stuff?

Of course, lecturers/tutors/demonstrators encourage you to ask questions. You can email them whenever you need something clarified. And more people tend to be more friendly and outgoing (maturity factor) I think.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Alps on November 04, 2015, 04:05:49 pm
A lot of questions  ;D :o

1) Is university like a scaled system? Whereas if everyone does well, it does not mean everyone will get HD?

2) Is it possible to get HD if i work really hard?

3) Is it worth getting a job + uni?

4) what is credit transfer?

5) What does this mean? Context: I want to switch from Bachelor of Arts to Commerce at UoM. I didnt do methods *_*

This quote is some high level thing for me  :o
Do as many commerce subjects as you can in your arts first year, as well as introduction to maths, as it covers the methods prerequisite to commerce - note that it's not a credited subject in commerce though.

Commerce takes a max of 37.5 points of level 1 breadth, so no more than 3 non-commerce subjects will be credited (assuming you only do level 1 subjects in 1st yr). You can circumvent this by doing level 2 subjects in second semester - you can't do level 2 subjects in first semester though.

Midyear transfer into commerce is quite competitive. I think midyear needs 75-80%+ average.

6) I cant wait to go to uni.. whats the best thing about it?



Title: Re: How university works
Post by: extremeftw on November 04, 2015, 04:43:28 pm
A lot of questions  ;D :o

1) Is university like a scaled system? Whereas if everyone does well, it does not mean everyone will get HD?

 It varies from university to university and even from unit to unit. Some faculties/unit coordinators 'mark to a curve' (i.e. there might be a quota of say the top 20% of students get a HD) whereas others do not do this. In my expierence, it seems that marking an entire unit to a curve is quite rare in Australia (at least in the faculties I have been involved with), but that it isn't too uncommon to have some individual assignments marked in this way; for example in some of my units the graders have tried to fit everyone's marks for an essay to a normal distribution.

2) Is it possible to get HD if i work really hard?

 Of course.

3) Is it worth getting a job + uni?

 Depends on your circumstances. I think it's much better just to work over the summer holidays and not to work during university if you can avoid it.

4) what is credit transfer?

 Credit transfer means you are getting 'credit' for doing previous study that you have done when you are transferring degrees. For example, I was enrolled in an Arts/Science double degree and transferred to Arts/Economics so I received credit for my previously done Arts units and had my science units credited as electives as part of my economics degree.

5) What does this mean? Context: I want to switch from Bachelor of Arts to Commerce at UoM. I didnt do methods *_*

 So if you enroll in some commerce units as electives when you begin your Bachelor of Arts degree you could potentially receive credit for these units after you transfer which means you won't have to start from scratch in your new degree.


6) I cant wait to go to uni.. whats the best thing about it?

 The independence.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Alps on November 04, 2015, 04:52:21 pm
It varies from university to university and even from unit to unit. Some faculties/unit coordinators 'mark to a curve' (i.e. there might be a quota of say the top 20% of students get a HD) whereas others do not do this. In my expierence, it seems that marking an entire unit to a curve is quite rare in Australia (at least in the faculties I have been involved with), but that it isn't too uncommon to have some individual assignments marked in this way; for example in some of my units the graders have tried to fit everyone's marks for an essay to a normal distribution.

 Of course.

 Depends on your circumstances. I think it's much better just to work over the summer holidays and not to work during university if you can avoid it.

 Credit transfer means you are getting 'credit' for doing previous study that you have done when you are transferring degrees. For example, I was enrolled in an Arts/Science double degree and transferred to Arts/Economics so I received credit for my previously done Arts units and had my science units credited as electives as part of my economics degree.

 So if you enroll in some commerce units as electives when you begin your Bachelor of Arts degree you could potentially receive credit for these units after you transfer which means you won't have to start from scratch in your new degree.


 The independence.

Cheers mate, and how does one go from one degree to another that requires say Methods 3/4 if i havent done it?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: extremeftw on November 04, 2015, 05:15:31 pm
Cheers mate, and how does one go from one degree to another that requires say Methods 3/4 if i havent done it?

 You could do the Methods equivalent at university as an elective unit (I think it might be MTH1010 at Monash, here is the link http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2014handbooks/units/MTH1010.html, University of Melbourne will have a similar unit) and then use that to satisfy the prerequisite.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Alps on November 04, 2015, 05:24:53 pm
You could do the Methods equivalent at university as an elective unit (I think it might be MTH1010 at Monash, here is the link http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2014handbooks/units/MTH1010.html, University of Melbourne will have a similar unit) and then use that to satisfy the prerequisite.

Awesome beauty mate
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Alps on November 05, 2015, 03:49:41 pm
Hi, i heard there is a 7 point GPA scale in Monash? What marks do you need for say 4 out of 7, or 6 out of 7? is there a table or something i can follow it by? Thanks
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on November 05, 2015, 03:54:48 pm
Hi, i heard there is a 7 point GPA scale in Monash? What marks do you need for say 4 out of 7, or 6 out of 7? is there a table or something i can follow it by? Thanks

Nope, 7 point is UoM.

http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/gpa.html
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: heart on November 05, 2015, 04:18:44 pm
Nope, 7 point is UoM.

http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/gpa.html

This is incorrect. The 7 point system is pretty much used for grad med courses, grad dent courses and also physiotherapy at Melbourne. Otherwise all the other graduate Melbourne courses requirements are based off WAM. 
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Alps on November 05, 2015, 04:52:26 pm
Nope, 7 point is UoM.

http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/gpa.html

I was checking out the JD at monash and they use 7 point scale  :o
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: SlothPlays on December 23, 2015, 11:42:51 am
Work + university? I need the money seriously. I dont know how work really operates. If my timetable changes can i ask for a change in shift times?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on December 23, 2015, 11:51:17 am
Work + university? I need the money seriously. I dont know how work really operates. If my timetable changes can i ask for a change in shift times?

Assuming you get a casual job, you can let them know your uni timetable in some manner so that your work doesn't give you a shift during that time. If all else fails and they give it to you, you have two options:

1. Swap the shift with someone else who's a casual.
2. Skip the uni stuff. Unless it's a tute or lab, you don't really have to go (unless you're assessed on lecture attendance, but that doesn't happen a hell of a lot and they'll let you know if it is the case). (hell, even for tutes and labs you don't have to go, although it's highly recommended)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: SlothPlays on December 23, 2015, 11:55:05 am
Assuming you get a casual job, you can let them know your uni timetable in some manner so that your work doesn't give you a shift during that time. If all else fails and they give it to you, you have two options:

1. Swap the shift with someone else who's a casual.
2. Skip the uni stuff. Unless it's a tute or lab, you don't really have to go (unless you're assessed on lecture attendance, but that doesn't happen a hell of a lot and they'll let you know if it is the case). (hell, even for tutes and labs you don't have to go, although it's highly recommended)

I never really understood this. WHy dont i have to go to tutes and labs? Is there not some benefit of doing them?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on December 23, 2015, 11:57:48 am
I never really understood this. WHy dont i have to go to tutes and labs? Is there not some benefit of doing them?
There is benefit in going, but when you get to uni you're an adult. Nobody cares if you do or don't go to things, because you make your own life decisions.

When we say you don't have to go, we don't mean that you're better or worse for not going. Just, quite literally, it's your choice if you go or not.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: SlothPlays on December 23, 2015, 12:01:08 pm
There is benefit in going, but when you get to uni you're an adult. Nobody cares if you do or don't go to things, because you make your own life decisions.

When we say you don't have to go, we don't mean that you're better or worse for not going. Just, quite literally, it's your choice if you go or not.

Okay yup. Just another question.

In University how does it work.
So is it you go to a lecture, then you go to a tutorial? Which is like class discussions? And then you study for exams or tests?

Is there like a study design for units you chose so that you know you can cover the whole test?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on December 23, 2015, 12:21:17 pm
Okay yup. Just another question.

In University how does it work.
So is it you go to a lecture, then you go to a tutorial? Which is like class discussions? And then you study for exams or tests?

Is there like a study design for units you chose so that you know you can cover the whole test?

I'm going to work off the assumption you'll be at Monash because of your sig, hahah. Each uni works differently. Also, each faculty works differently, so I can't comment too much on the tutes and such, but I'll give a bit of what I think they're like based on conversations with friends.

Basically, each week you go to lectures, after the first week you then attend tutorials based on the work you did in the week before (not all units have tutes, though. Not all units have lectures, although I think nearly all arts units do). In this tutorial, you examine the lecture content in different lights so that you can answer any questions that might have been set for that tute (for example, "how did xx affect yy during the zz"). This gives you the practice you need to write essays, reports, etc. which are your "internal" assessment. Then, at the end of the semester, you might have an exam. Arts units are notorious for having no exam (and one reason why people have the mistaken idea that they're easier), however a few of them have "end of semester tests" which are basically exams.

The difference between uni and high school is one puts an emphasis on tests and exams, the other places emphasis on learning. (*pew pew*) At uni, you don't just do tests and exams (although some degrees do quite a few of them), but a lot of what you do at uni will be writing tasks, presentations, etc.


As for "study designs", you need to go to the university handbook (google "Monash handbook") and look through that. They're nowhere near as informative as the unit guide, however, but you can't access that until you get to uni. The uni will go through all of this in detail during your orientation sessions, though, so don't stress too much about this now.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on December 24, 2015, 11:18:26 am
Bump! Changed the format of the main post a little to hopefully make it a bit more user-friendly, and also added a few q&a's based on recent discussion. Let me know what you think and keep those questions coming!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Mc47 on December 24, 2015, 11:28:53 am
What happens during orientation week exactly?

And your picture of freebies from O-week isn't showing up for me  :-\
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Peanut Butter on December 24, 2015, 11:33:05 am
Love the new format! :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on December 24, 2015, 11:41:29 am
What happens during orientation week exactly?

And your picture of freebies from O-week isn't showing up for me  :-\

Ah yes, some images are down, I'll try and get them back up! And I'll add more info about O-week Done :)

Love the new format! :)

Thanks!



If anyone in uni at the moment wishes to contribute something they wish they knew before starting, that'd be awesome too! :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orb on December 24, 2015, 02:00:26 pm
There's this UoM Science Society O-camp going on, i've heard mixed reviews about it:

Is it true that the majority of kids going there are going with the intention of getting laid/getting smashed? :/
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on December 24, 2015, 02:05:35 pm
There's this UoM Science Society O-camp going on, i've heard mixed reviews about it:

Is it true that the majority of kids going there are going with the intention of getting laid/getting smashed? :/
Yes.

You get quite a few who aren't expecting it and it happens to, and then a couple of people who don't want to partake but enjoy laughing about others doing it, and then even less who did not expect it all and refuse to partake.

If this isn't your scene, don't worry - making friends in tutes/labs is a lot easier than you might think (particularly when you have to partner with people!), and a lot of smaller society camps aren't as full on as the main societies camps are.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on December 24, 2015, 02:08:45 pm
Briefly covered that stuff in the question "I don't think I'll know anyone coming into uni, how can I socialise and meet new people? What parties and camps are there?", still trying to find a way to make it more user-friendly and easy to navigate :/

But yeah, camps are basically alcohol, nudity and good times. Having said that, that's just what happens and not what is expected or forced upon you. If you want to chill with a few new mates and play cards over a bottle of Fanta, that's completely fine too. There will be people going completely rowdy and there will be those who are just not into it. As above, most people find it easy to make friends without going to camps anyway (and most people don't go to camps!).
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: spectroscopy on December 24, 2015, 03:02:19 pm
Is it true that the majority of kids going there are going with the intention of getting laid/getting smashed? :/
ay i literally went to this, it was AWESOME and you should go. i personally didnt want to drink or anything so i was in the u 18s group for activities where we had water in a goon sack so we could still play all the games. it was absolutely awesome and they had rave caves and stuff and it was where i made alot of friends. id say like 20% of people dont get too rekt on any of the nights, and most just have 1 night where they go hard and chill on the others. its still rly fun though and you should go
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orb on December 24, 2015, 05:30:20 pm
alright thanks guys :3

Glad i asked before ^_^
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: slothpomba on December 25, 2015, 02:21:14 am
What happens during orientation week exactly?

Basically it's just a week of stalls on the lawn and various tours. It's a big lawn so theres a lot of them. It's mostly stalls of the clubs and sports clubs. Stuff like amensty international society, catholics on campus, boardgames society, kendo club, wushu club, etc. I deliberately chose diverse clubs to give you an idea of the spread.

It's probably only worth going one day to be honest. Now that i'm older i may but jaded but it just isn't that great. Get your fill in one day and you should be good. It's not amazing but its generally worth having a poke around.

Also the university itself (not student clubs generally) organise things like tours of the library, etc (which you generally don't really need but can go if you want).

Is it true that the majority of kids going there are going with the intention of getting laid/getting smashed? :/

Haven't been myself so i guess that automatically rules me out but there is a lot of that around i hear.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: cosine on December 25, 2015, 08:14:08 am
I have heard from various people that making friends in University is extremely hard because you hardly see the people, due to high numbers of people on campus. Is this true? Is it possible to go through University with no friends at all?

Also this may be a lame question, but how does one make friends at Uni?

Thank you
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: heids on December 25, 2015, 08:22:12 am
Also this may be a lame question, but how does one make friends at Uni?

Under 'Social life' the top question is basically this.

Apart from camps and clubs and getting more deeply involved in social life, I guess you just... like... shock horror... talk to people.  Walk up to people you've seen a bit or people near you in lectures, say hi and introduce yourself, and chat for a bit (you know, the weather, the current state of the economy, the cute girl in the corner, and so on ;)).  Then like say hi next time you meet them, and so on.  ... and try and remember their names LOL.

(at least that's what I'm planning on doing)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: strawberries on December 25, 2015, 12:23:35 pm
Adding on to that question...is there always that one person or a few people who just don't seem to make friends?
I feel that's gonna be me haha :(

Also, this is probably a stupid question...but do people judge you based on the course you're doing?

Lastly, how hard is uni compared to VCE? Personally, I didn't find VCE that hard but I'm scared because I hear all these uni kids who seem all stressed out. And how hard is it to get HDs? Especially if you got a low ATAR...
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: SlothPlays on December 25, 2015, 12:37:47 pm
Adding on to that question...is there always that one person or a few people who just don't seem to make friends?
I feel that's gonna be me haha :(

Also, this is probably a stupid question...but do people judge you based on the course you're doing?

Lastly, how hard is uni compared to VCE? Personally, I didn't find VCE that hard but I'm scared because I hear all these uni kids who seem all stressed out. And how hard is it to get HDs? Especially if you got a low ATAR...

Its a fresh start. You got a low ATAR you move on. I got one that im not pleased about but it got me into my course.

In VCE its about rankings and being better than your competition. To get HDs you just need to work hard. You get what you put in.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on December 25, 2015, 12:59:04 pm
Adding on to that question...is there always that one person or a few people who just don't seem to make friends?
I feel that's gonna be me haha :(

Also, this is probably a stupid question...but do people judge you based on the course you're doing?

Lastly, how hard is uni compared to VCE? Personally, I didn't find VCE that hard but I'm scared because I hear all these uni kids who seem all stressed out. And how hard is it to get HDs? Especially if you got a low ATAR...

Same here. I'll just be that one guy who sits on his own. If someone 'judges' me on my course, I wouldn't care because that's not the kind of person I wanna be friends with anyway, if you know what I mean.

Apart from camps and clubs and getting more deeply involved in social life, I guess you just... like... shock horror... talk to people.  Walk up to people you've seen a bit or people near you in lectures, say hi and introduce yourself, and chat for a bit (you know, the weather, the current state of the economy, the cute girl in the corner, and so on ;)).  Then like say hi next time you meet them, and so on.  ... and try and remember their names LOL.

That's gonna be pretty hard for me...
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on December 25, 2015, 03:00:56 pm
Also, this is probably a stupid question...but do people judge you based on the course you're doing?

Kinda touched upon this in the question "I actually didn't get the ATAR I wanted and am not where I wanted to be. Are people going to judge me? Can I transfer to my #1 preference?", so check that out too!

Ideally I'd like to say no, but the truth is that some people do judge and those people suck. For example, difficult to get through a week on StalkerSpace without someone making a "all Arts students end up working at Maccas" joke. Ignore those people, just do your own thing, you'll be right.

Lastly, how hard is uni compared to VCE? Personally, I didn't find VCE that hard but I'm scared because I hear all these uni kids who seem all stressed out. And how hard is it to get HDs? Especially if you got a low ATAR...

Really depends. I found uni to be much more challenging, mainly because the shear amount of content just dumped on VCE from day 1 (we covered the unit 3 bio course in like 1 week?). Having said that, it was endlessly more interesting than VCE (which was for the most part, just a means to get my ATAR) and that made up for the challenge.

That's gonna be pretty hard for me...

Uni is the perfect time to turn that around!

It's very commonplace for jaffys to intro themselves to randoms in the first couple of weeks, especially during O-week tours and stuff! Intro yourself, say you're new, grab their name, chat about random crap (what course, where they're from, how the cricket has been going, why stormtroppers are white when black would obviously make for better camouflage, etc etc.), maybe check out a few clubs together, maybe get a cheeky fb add. Too easy ;) worst comes to worst, hit up tinder LOL

If you come to the AN meet hopefully when you're on campus there should be a couple of friendly familiar faces too! :D I've made some awesome mates over AN, kept in touch for over 4 years now, wouldrecommend/10.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: 99.90 pls on December 25, 2015, 09:58:17 pm
There's this UoM Science Society O-camp going on, i've heard mixed reviews about it:

Is it true that the majority of kids going there are going with the intention of getting laid/getting smashed? :/

Using the :\ face to mask your unbridled euphoria, classic ;)

For example, difficult to get through a week on StalkerSpace without someone making a "all Arts students end up working at Maccas" joke.

Yeah fuck's sake, people need to realise that Arts students actually have heaps of pathways, if not more than other degrees. Maccas, KFC, Spearmint Rhino...
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: heids on December 26, 2015, 11:53:05 am
That's gonna be pretty hard for me...

*late reply, and wow, sorry, I really don't know what happened here, I started to type and ended up with an entire novel's worth of waffle...

I totally get where you’re coming from, because I come from the most antisocial family on earth.  I'm the most 'sociable' of the bunch, but I've still grown up with the hugest fear of talking to people.  But I’ve been focusing on breaking away from that family stereotype and belief that 'I'm just not a normal person and I just don't make friends well' in the last year, so I can now pretty naturally walk up to anyone.  You can totally change with effort and practice, I promise!  Starting fresh at uni is the awesomest opportunity to change :D

I find it easier if you ‘plan beforehand’ with a bunch of conversation starters.  Make a list of ways you could start, what you could talk about, and questions you could ask.  Literally write them down, practise saying them casually in the mirror :P

so now when I come up to you at the meet and start with 'Hey Orson, I'm bangali...' you'll know that I said it fourteen times in the mirror before coming, jks jks ;)

You could start conversations with a plain intro (‘Hi, I’m ___, I’ve seen you round lately a bit’) or asking for something (‘is this seat free’, ‘excuse me, can you just move a bit so I can plug my cord in that powerpoint’), or just casually mentioning something you’re both facing (‘man, this bus is a bit late!’) or striking up something random (‘these coffees are the best ever’, ‘I like your necklace’, ‘wow, Marsh seriously deserves to be dropped dontcha think?’, 'I saw you with a stethoscope and wondered what course you were doing').  Following up with a casual ‘Btw, I’m ___, nice to meet you’ helps the conversation go on.

Remember to ask open-ended (not yes/no) questions about them and being interested in what they are doing.  But be ready to do your own talking if they’re the sort that just mumbles ‘Yeah, uni is… um… okay.’

Even if you don’t feel confident, really work on the body language, fake it till you make it.  An awkward shuffle-low-down-panther-slink-with-three-awkward-skips as you walk up looks a bit… well, awkward.

So before starting, remember to look ‘em in the eyes andsmile.  Then pull your shoulders back, head up, chest forward a bit, hand out or at least away from your chest.  Just walking ‘openly’ and confidently and with a big smile makes you look and feel more confident.

The other important thing: if you’re not sure whether to walk up or not, just do it.  Don’t even debate.  If you haven’t made eye contact and started to walk up or talk within five seconds, you’re never going to do it.  Just START in a snap decision, then it gets easier from there.

Oh, and, think it through.  What’s the worst-case scenario?  That someone looks awkward and wants to get away from you.  In reality, they’re probably just shy and scared too – or sometimes someone just doesn’t want to talk right now; it’s no big deal.  Seriously, believe me.  You’re the only one that cares about yourself and how you look - everyone else is focused on themselves and how they look ;)

Tell me how you’re going to look stupid.  Think about times when people have come up and talked to you.  Were you like ‘What a stupid guy!?!’?  Or were you actually quite happy to have someone come and start it off for you?  If you strike up conversation, the other person will probably be quite relieved or happy!

I reckon about 10% of the world are natural extroverts, but for the rest of us, it's super awkward.  Don't feel like everyone else can do it easy and you're clueless.

Conclusion :P : Going to a new setting, you have the perfect opportunity to break out of your old box.   No one knows you – you can set yourself up as a totally casual and friendly person, which is way easier than changing your perceived persona in an already established setting (like school).  That's exactly what I've found for myself this year!
...

That was Bangali, your top social adviser and life coach.  For more equally lengthy life-transforming social wisdom, tune in next Wednesday at 9.00am for the next episode.

whoops
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: 99.90 pls on December 26, 2015, 01:29:05 pm
*late reply, and wow, sorry, I really don't know what happened here, I started to type and ended up with an entire novel's worth of waffle...

I totally get where you’re coming from, because I come from the most antisocial family on earth.  I'm the most 'sociable' of the bunch, but I've still grown up with the hugest fear of talking to people.  But I’ve been focusing on breaking away from that family stereotype and belief that 'I'm just not a normal person and I just don't make friends well' in the last year, so I can now pretty naturally walk up to anyone.  You can totally change with effort and practice, I promise!  Starting fresh at uni is the awesomest opportunity to change :D

I find it easier if you ‘plan beforehand’ with a bunch of conversation starters.  Make a list of ways you could start, what you could talk about, and questions you could ask.  Literally write them down, practise saying them casually in the mirror :P

so now when I come up to you at the meet and start with 'Hey Orson, I'm bangali...' you'll know that I said it fourteen times in the mirror before coming, jks jks ;)

You could start conversations with a plain intro (‘Hi, I’m ___, I’ve seen you round lately a bit’) or asking for something (‘is this seat free’, ‘excuse me, can you just move a bit so I can plug my cord in that powerpoint’), or just casually mentioning something you’re both facing (‘man, this bus is a bit late!’) or striking up something random (‘these coffees are the best ever’, ‘I like your necklace’, ‘wow, Marsh seriously deserves to be dropped dontcha think?’, 'I saw you with a stethoscope and wondered what course you were doing').  Following up with a casual ‘Btw, I’m ___, nice to meet you’ helps the conversation go on.

Remember to ask open-ended (not yes/no) questions about them and being interested in what they are doing.  But be ready to do your own talking if they’re the sort that just mumbles ‘Yeah, uni is… um… okay.’

Even if you don’t feel confident, really work on the body language, fake it till you make it.  An awkward shuffle-low-down-panther-slink-with-three-awkward-skips as you walk up looks a bit… well, awkward.

So before starting, remember to look ‘em in the eyes andsmile.  Then pull your shoulders back, head up, chest forward a bit, hand out or at least away from your chest.  Just walking ‘openly’ and confidently and with a big smile makes you look and feel more confident.

The other important thing: if you’re not sure whether to walk up or not, just do it.  Don’t even debate.  If you haven’t made eye contact and started to walk up or talk within five seconds, you’re never going to do it.  Just START in a snap decision, then it gets easier from there.

This. This so much. Just adding in my two cents...

This stuff is like weight-training; you can't do it all at once. It's a skillset you have to learn, which means you have to practice constantly and consistently. Set yourself goals which increment in small steps. For instance, you could say to yourself:

Week 1 - Whenever you're walking down the street you're going to look every single person you pass in the eyes. Just try to catch their gaze. This isn't weird if you do it right. If they don't look at you at all or they look at you but then avert their eyes quickly, then you look away as well. However, if you exchange a meaningful glance with someone (i.e. neither of you look away for a few seconds), just give them a friendly smile and keep walking.
Week 2 - Same as Week 1, but smile AND say 'Morning', 'Hi' or 'How are ya' if you exchange a meaningful glance with someone.
Week 3 - When you're at the bus stop or train station, if you exchange a meaningful glance with someone who just looks like they're idling, smile, say 'Hey'. Then just ask them for the time. Then just say thanks. Simple as that. Doesn't sound too bad, right?
Week 4 - This time, when you're waiting for the bus or train, if you exchange a meaningful glance, instead of asking for the time, make a comment on the surroundings, what they're wearing, time of day, weather (only if the weather is extreme, otherwise this can sound a bit forced) etc, and then use that comment as a springboard to launch into a conversation.
Week 5 - Same as Week 4, but you don't necessarily have to exchange a meaningful glance to start a convo. As long as they're idling, go for it.
Week 6 - Same as Week 5, but do it to a girl who you fancy. If you end up having a really awesome convo, ask for her Facebook at the end. Yes, this works ;)
Week 7 and beyond - You get the gist. Keep setting harder goals every week.

Final tip, always walk like you have a superhero cape on. Even at home. Srs. Might feel stupid at the start but eventually it'll become a habit you don't think about. They did a psychology study on this, and it turns out that not only do you look confident, but you'll also feel a lot more confident.

Best of luck :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on December 26, 2015, 02:58:47 pm
*late reply, and wow, sorry, I really don't know what happened here, I started to type and ended up with an entire novel's worth of waffle...

Thanks! I'll test this stuff out at the AN meetup haha...The thing is, I feel like I'm kinda forcing stuff when I talk to new people...
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on December 26, 2015, 03:10:34 pm
That's gonna be pretty hard for me...

Don't worry, I understand completely.

When I was younger, I was diagnosed with Aspergers' Syndrome. Here's the kicker - anyone from the forums who has met me irl and reads this probably does not believe me. Hell - when I had to start seeing a neurologist, he asked me about prior conditions and looked at me like I had two heads when I mentioned it.

Here's the thing, though - I was diagnosed for a reason, and at the time my paediatrician actually apologized to my mum, saying, "I'm so sorry, it's so obvious, I should have known." Even now, I'll occasionally say something to my mum, and get a funny look with a "my GOD you're so aspie" in return.

If nothing else, let this be a case study - you can get to socializing!!! Yes, it will be hard and you will probably have days of anxiety over it, but you CAN get there.

bangali_lok and 99.90plz has given plenty of tips, but have one more:

As a university student, I know that the uni tries to help with your social life as much as possible. My advice is to go with the flow - if you start to feel really uncomfortable, yes, stop so that you don't hurt yourself (physically or mentally). However, the more against the grain you move, the rougher your experience will be. So, jump in, relax, and have fun! Join a club, attend a camp, munt on someone's free snag. You'll surprise yourself when it comes to making friends. (on joining a club, if you find one you like, join the committee as a first year rep. Then they HAVE to put up with and engage with you. ;) Legit tho, it's a great way to make friends!)

Final tip, always walk like you have a superhero cape on. Even at home. Srs. Might feel stupid at the start but eventually it'll become a habit you don't think about. They did a psychology study on this, and it turns out that not only do you look confident, but you'll also feel a lot more confident.

Best of luck. :)

THIS. The one thing I learned in year 10 psych is that your brain is stupid. If you pretend to be happy, it will think you're happy and release endorphins. If you /think/ you're confident, your brain will follow suit.

As they say - fake it 'til you make it.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: heids on December 26, 2015, 03:37:05 pm
This stuff is like weight-training; you can't do it all at once. It's a skillset you have to learn, which means you have to practice constantly and consistently. Set yourself goals which increment in small steps.

AMEN BROTHER

Thanks! I'll test this stuff out at the AN meetup haha...The thing is, I feel like I'm kinda forcing stuff when I talk to new people...

Yeah, but that's okay.  I normally feel like that too.  That's where practice comes in, and that's why I'd recommend sitting practising small talk in front  of the mirror (LOL, no matter how stupid that sounds).  Imagine you're meeting someone at the AN meet or uni and talk like two different people:

You: *smile, make eye contact and hold out hand* Hi, I'm Orson, nice to meet you!
Switch to 'other' person: Hey Orson!  I'm Bangali.
You: Wow cool, you're my idol, I dream about you at nights!!! Hi Bangali, nice to meet you!  So what course are you doing?
Other: I'm doing Nursing.  How about you?
You: I'm doing Arts at Monash, majoring in Swag, but nursing sounds cool, how are you finding it?
Other: ...

And so on; practise leading the conversation in a whole bunch of different ways, and have fun in the process too :P  Because you're on your own you can spend longer thinking about how you'd answer or what's the best thing to say.  Believe me, once you combine it with a little real-life practise as 99.90 pls suggested, it'll soon feel natural and won't sound forced to yourself or the person you're talking to :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: heids on January 18, 2016, 08:00:31 pm
With a timetable that appears to have the only aim of blocking as many available morning/afternoon work shifts as humanly possible (even if it fitted perfectly to my prefs which I guess isn't likely), my first jaffy questions are:

a) how many lectures/tutes can I possibly get away with skipping? (looking for general guidelines as to when you can/can't skip)
b) what 'guided self-directed learning', and can I just skip that?

:P
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Joseph41 on January 18, 2016, 08:08:54 pm
Somebody with a better understanding of Nursing should be able to answer this one more suitably.

a) how many lectures/tutes can I possibly get away with skipping? (looking for general guidelines as to when you can/can't skip)

Depends on the uni, the course, and even the unit. From my experience, lectures are basically optional; however, I have had a few that required (at least 80% or something) attendance. I'm not entirely sure how Nursing works, but I think it should be made apparent in the unit guide or course guide or whatever you're provided with.

There is usually an attendance requirement for tutes. I think it's 75% or 80%, but again this will probably be variable. So you can skip as many as you want on the assumption that you fulfil the actual attendance requirements.

tl;dr: lectures are usually optional, and tutes require attendance (to a degree).

EDIT: I just had a look at this unit, and that requires 100% tute/lab attendance. So it may be more stringent for nursing. (If you're sick, you don't need to attend on the assumption that you can provide a medical certificate.)

Quote
b) what 'guided self-directed learning', and can I just skip that?

Just general study. That will just be a guideline as to how long you 'should' be spending on your work outside of actual contact hours.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Syndicate on January 19, 2016, 01:13:14 am
Hey guys,

So, I have been curious for a long time (I actually mean it XD), and wanted to know a little about uni


-So how do classes actaully work? Do you go in at a random time, or specific time (compulsory? Like school)
- are they actually classes (you know, like in schools) ? Or lectures?
- how many students are there in a class/ lecture (looking at biomed or MBBS)
- Lastly, are there any assessments? (Like, small Sacs or something)


Thanks
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on January 19, 2016, 01:22:02 am
Hey guys,

So, I have been curious for a long time (I actually mean it XD), and wanted to know a little about uni


-So how do classes actaully work? Do you go in at a random time, or specific time (compulsory? Like school)
- are they actually classes (you know, like in schools) ? Or lectures?
- how many students are there in a class/ lecture (looking at biomed or MBBS)
- Lastly, are there any assessments? (Like, small Sacs or something)


Thanks

1. No such thing as class ("toto we're not in kansas anymore"), there are tutes, lectures, labs, etc. Depending on your unit, there may or may not be an attendance requirement. eg. for med, there is an 80% hurdle attendance requirement for tutes, but not for lectures. These are not at a random time, they are at the time on your timetable.

2. In med, most preclin tutes have ~15-20 people. In clinical years they can have as few as 4-6 people. This is explained in more detail in the main post.

3. There are indeed assessments: essays, reports, group assignments, tests, etc. Really depends on the units. Some assessments may be worth heaps, some may be worth nothing at all. Some may be hurdle, others not. There's one assignment in med where you can literally do whatever you want (I made a costume with a few mates!), so there's quite a variety!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: qazser on January 19, 2016, 09:40:59 am
Hey Pi,

Could you please explain under grad, post grad? Ty in advance

Qazser
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Darth_Pepe on January 19, 2016, 09:51:32 am
Hey Pi,

Could you please explain under grad, post grad? Ty in advance

Qazser

Undergrad: your first university degree (bachelors degree)

postgrad: its a course for those who already have a degree (masters)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Darth_Pepe on January 20, 2016, 05:25:15 pm
I speak a couple of languages apart from english very fluently and i was wondering if i could take a language unit like vce for easy marks?

edit. this would be at monash uni
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on January 20, 2016, 05:40:40 pm
I've heard that if you do units that are below your skill level they find out pretty quickly and make you do the appropriate ones. Unlikely to be "easy marks".
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Darth_Pepe on January 20, 2016, 06:10:23 pm
I've heard that if you do units that are below your skill level they find out pretty quickly and make you do the appropriate ones. Unlikely to be "easy marks".

Okey dokey, ill stray away from those then.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: vox nihili on January 20, 2016, 08:01:12 pm
I speak a couple of languages apart from english very fluently and i was wondering if i could take a language unit like vce for easy marks?

edit. this would be at monash uni

Second what pi said. They've become a lot more stringent at Melbourne and Monash.

Also, what a hopeless waste of money. Easy marks sounds nice, but dropping a grand to learn things you already know just seems silly.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: slothpomba on January 21, 2016, 12:09:29 am
Uni is a great opportunity, unlike VCE, unless you really *need* (fucked up your GPA) the easy marks, you will regret wasting one of the 24 (ish) units you get because you'll never get that chance again.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: doyoueven on January 21, 2016, 12:19:10 am
good read
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: One Superstar on January 25, 2016, 08:09:21 am
Any advice to a first year biomed student at Monash?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alondouek on February 13, 2016, 07:31:11 pm
Any advice to a first year biomed student at Monash?

Attend your lectures, no matter how boring they seem or how inconveniently placed they are. This will save you a lot of trouble during SWOTVAC and exams.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: (Daniel) on March 07, 2016, 11:39:06 pm
What would be the equivalent of an 80 wam (HD in monash) in terms to say vce? Im trying to find out roughly what i need to get an 80 in a unit.

Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on March 08, 2016, 10:41:13 am
Why do you say its tacky to wear your year 12 jersey? I understand that some may think of it as 'living in the past', but what if your just wearing it for kicks? I haven't done it yet...but I'd be lying if I said it hasn't crossed my mind.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on March 08, 2016, 10:55:49 am
What would be the equivalent of an 80 wam (HD in monash) in terms to say vce? Im trying to find out roughly what i need to get an 80 in a unit.

I don't think its that simple. I asked this question, and people said it was just 'different'. I'm also going for an 80 something WAM this semester, but I'm going to change my ways of learning entirely. In VCE, all I did was read the textbook, and go through past papers, but in uni, I'm going to actually try and 'deeply' understand everything I'm doing. Why does this reaction happen? Why does that piece of code do that?

I guess out first semester marks will be our gauge.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on March 08, 2016, 01:38:08 pm
What would be the equivalent of an 80 wam (HD in monash) in terms to say vce? Im trying to find out roughly what i need to get an 80 in a unit.

I got a 99+ ATAR and I've worked much much harder in uni and don't quite have an 80 WAM.

Could be my course, could be me, could be the strength of my peers (affecting downward scaling), likely a combination. It really depends.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: (Daniel) on March 08, 2016, 07:32:10 pm
I don't think its that simple. I asked this question, and people said it was just 'different'. I'm also going for an 80 something WAM this semester, but I'm going to change my ways of learning entirely. In VCE, all I did was read the textbook, and go through past papers, but in uni, I'm going to actually try and 'deeply' understand everything I'm doing. Why does this reaction happen? Why does that piece of code do that?

I guess out first semester marks will be our gauge.

Im doing some arts units this semester and i still feel likes its kinda like vce. I got some quizzes that i nail which is a free 10%, then for my major essays i only need like 75% and 80% on the exam. Is it that hard to get 80%? I guess we will find out how hard it is to get an 80 soon.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on March 09, 2016, 12:13:22 am
Im doing some arts units this semester and i still feel likes its kinda like vce. I got some quizzes that i nail which is a free 10%, then for my major essays i only need like 75% and 80% on the exam. Is it that hard to get 80%? I guess we will find out how hard it is to get an 80 soon.

Are you in your first year? Usually when students enter an undergrad degree, its assumed that you know nothing (or the bare minimum). This would explain the easiness. Rest assured, it doesn't get any easier.

You cannot compare VCE and uni in terms of marks, because your performance at school is not a justifiable indicator of performance at uni. You might get an ATAR higher than 90, but does that mean you'll get 80+ in every subject? Definitely not.

Is it hard to get 80%+? In most cases, it is. Any mark of 80 or above should be commended at uni level, regardless of what subject it is.

It helps being in a degree you're genuinely passionate about. Just getting through 3+ years of a degree is a hurdle in itself for a lot of people.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: (Daniel) on March 09, 2016, 08:26:19 am
Are you in your first year? Usually when students enter an undergrad degree, its assumed that you know nothing (or the bare minimum). This would explain the easiness. Rest assured, it doesn't get any easier.

You cannot compare VCE and uni in terms of marks, because your performance at school is not a justifiable indicator of performance at uni. You might get an ATAR higher than 90, but does that mean you'll get 80+ in every subject? Definitely not.

Is it hard to get 80%+? In most cases, it is. Any mark of 80 or above should be commended at uni level, regardless of what subject it is.

It helps being in a degree you're genuinely passionate about. Just getting through 3+ years of a degree is a hurdle in itself for a lot of people.

Yeah im first year. I dont know, i dont want to come off as a pompous smartass but im used to getting good marks in anything, do u know what i mean? My maths teacher told me to prepare for somewhat of a 'disappointment' because uni marks are different to that of vce.

In uni exams.. is 100% of the content covered in lectures? or is it like 80% lectures and 20% 'extra reading'?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Joseph41 on March 09, 2016, 06:20:56 pm
An Arts perspective:

Im doing some arts units this semester and i still feel likes its kinda like vce. I got some quizzes that i nail which is a free 10%, then for my major essays i only need like 75% and 80% on the exam. Is it that hard to get 80%? I guess we will find out how hard it is to get an 80 soon.

Like VCE in terms of content or structure? As mentioned above, there does tend to be a bit of an overlap in content between some first-year units and their VCE comparisons (for example, Bio 3/4 and first-year uni Bio).

Something I guess I'd suggest is not seeing 75% as "only 75%". 75% for a major essay isn't a walk in the park, particularly for a lot of Arts units, which don't have clear-cut answers. Same thing with the exam, although this is a bit subject-dependent.

Is it hard to get an 80? If nothing else, I don't think it's easy.

But if you do find that you can breeze through uni and smash out the HDs, and you're feeling a little bored by it all, why not aim higher? I can guarantee that you won't have a WAM of 100 in an Arts degree, so there will always be room for improvement. If you're bored by it, why not aim for 85? Or 90?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: odeaa on March 09, 2016, 09:27:17 pm
Is it actually possible (in practise) to get a 100 for a subject? What is the highest unit mark you guys have seen?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on March 09, 2016, 09:33:43 pm
Is it actually possible (in practise) to get a 100 for a subject? What is the highest unit mark you guys have seen?

There are multiple people on this forum who have got 100 for units (TrueTears comes to mind as someone who got one from Monash). Having said that, AN is a very weird place full of some of the best, it's very rare to get 100s.

In terms of my course, I'm fairly sure getting a 100 in a med unit has never been achieved, and probably will never be done either.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on March 09, 2016, 09:38:31 pm
In uni exams.. is 100% of the content covered in lectures? or is it like 80% lectures and 20% 'extra reading'?

Lectures and other activities (e.g. workshops, tutorials, computer lab classes) are also included. Basically anything that you've been taught or anything that is publically available on your LMS/Moodle (in terms of subject content...) is assessable (even the tiniest detail in the lecture notes is assessable unless explicitly mentioned by the lecturer).
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: odeaa on March 09, 2016, 09:41:14 pm
There are multiple people on this forum who have got 100 for units (TrueTears comes to mind as someone who got one from Monash). Having said that, AN is a very weird place full of some of the best, it's very rare to get 100s.

In terms of my course, I'm fairly sure getting a 100 in a med unit has never been achieved, and probably will never be done either.
I guess if anyone is gonna get 100 there is a good chance theyd be on here ahah, that's crazy
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: (Daniel) on March 09, 2016, 10:15:48 pm
There are multiple people on this forum who have got 100 for units (TrueTears comes to mind as someone who got one from Monash). Having said that, AN is a very weird place full of some of the best, it's very rare to get 100s.

In terms of my course, I'm fairly sure getting a 100 in a med unit has never been achieved, and probably will never be done either.

U know how like theres those guides to 'getting a 50 in further' on the atarnotes front page.. it would be hella interesting to see one like that from this truetears fella.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on March 09, 2016, 10:45:02 pm
U know how like theres those guides to 'getting a 50 in further' on the atarnotes front page.. it would be hella interesting to see one like that from this truetears fella.

Well if you want to be like TrueTears you literally have to reverse your sleeping cycle. He used to sleep during the day and work through the night and morning, even during semester. He's a one of a kind type of genius hahahaha
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on March 09, 2016, 11:34:02 pm
Is it actually possible (in practise) to get a 100 for a subject? What is the highest unit mark you guys have seen?

I know 1 or 2 people that have received 100 in a unit. It's extremely difficult. Basically means flawless performance on every single weighted assessment for the unit (inc. exams)

The thing I'd like to know though is simply this - have they really learnt anything? How does one receive constructive feedback (on assignments/tests) without getting anything wrong?

The highest score i've received is 95 (was a first year Java programming subject), and that itself took a massive amount of work and understanding every single concept back to front. I think as well interest has a lot to do with it - if you really are engaged with what the subject content involves, you're more likely to do well in it. For me, programming is my strongest area.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on March 09, 2016, 11:41:52 pm
The thing I'd like to know though is simply this - have they really learnt anything? How does one receive constructive feedback (on assignments/tests) without getting anything wrong?

I'd say they no doubt have learnt something. They might just not know what they don't know :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Señor on April 03, 2016, 04:22:10 pm
Should i be making my notes of primarily: the readings/textbook or the lectures?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on April 03, 2016, 04:29:01 pm
Should i be making my notes of primarily: the readings/textbook or the lectures?

If the subject requires you to write essays (especially during the exam), you'd want to use the readings to support your arguments. If it's an applied subject (e.g. mathematics, computer science), you'd want to learn the concepts taught through the tutorials/workshops. Anything that is presented in the workshops/tutorials/labs/lectures is examinable. Use the readings as support.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Señor on April 04, 2016, 04:10:08 pm
Whats the consensus with watching lectures at a faster speed? Im currently watching mine at a 1.2 speed. Pros and cons of this?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Mieow on April 04, 2016, 04:32:09 pm
Whats the consensus with watching lectures at a faster speed? Im currently watching mine at a 1.2 speed. Pros and cons of this?

I have literally always watched lectures on faster speed. Normally x1.2 - 1.4 is best for me because it's fast enough to be done in ~40 minutes but slow enough for me to process + take down notes. If i'm feeling dangerous i'll go at x1.5 but at that point thelecturertalkslikethisandIcanttakeanynotes
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on April 04, 2016, 04:39:12 pm
Whats the consensus with watching lectures at a faster speed? Im currently watching mine at a 1.2 speed. Pros and cons of this?

I find that it depends on what you're using the recorded lecture for. If you're watching it due to you not being there for whatever reason, then you may miss some important concept having the speed faster. If it's just for revision purposes (this means you've already watched it or been to the lecture), then the faster is probably okay.

You might also find that the lecturer talks verrrrrryyyyyyyy sssllloooowwwwwlllyyyyy and as a result, the faster speed would probably be suited in this instance.

I miss things even when its on the regular speed sometimes.  :-\
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: anna.xo on April 04, 2016, 08:29:54 pm
I have literally always watched lectures on faster speed. Normally x1.2 - 1.4 is best for me because it's fast enough to be done in ~40 minutes but slow enough for me to process + take down notes. If i'm feeling dangerous i'll go at x1.5 but at that point thelecturertalkslikethisandIcanttakeanynotes
Wow, really ?! I watch all of mine at 1.7 usually, 1.8 if I'm feeling fancy HAHA
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on April 04, 2016, 08:41:47 pm
Wow, really ?! I watch all of mine at 1.7 usually, 1.8 if I'm feeling fancy HAHA

That's impressive hahaha!

But yeah, I will also join the train of people advocating watching lectures at faster speeds. It just saves time, I feel more alert because I'm more wary of missing something, and also keeps me sane when listening to those slow lecturers :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alchemy on April 05, 2016, 08:50:05 am
Whats the consensus with watching lectures at a faster speed? Im currently watching mine at a 1.2 speed. Pros and cons of this?

I guess it depends on the lecturer. Some speak slower/faster than others so speeding up the lecture recording may/may not be necessary.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: heart on April 07, 2016, 03:25:55 pm
I watch between 2-3 speed. Just makes you think faster and of course saves time.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Señor on April 13, 2016, 02:40:02 pm
Whats the difference between a D and a HD essay?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Orson on April 13, 2016, 02:55:50 pm
Whats the difference between a D and a HD essay?

D denotes a 'Distinction' grade (70 - 79), while HD denotes a 'high distinction' (80 - 100).
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: appleandbee on April 13, 2016, 03:01:02 pm
D denotes a 'Distinction' grade (70 - 79), while HD denotes a 'high distinction' (80 - 100).

I think Senor meant the difference in standards-the qualities that distinguishes a D grade essay from a HD one
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Señor on April 13, 2016, 03:01:48 pm
I think Senor meant the difference in standards-the qualities that distinguishes a D grade essay from a HD one

Yeah this.. i cant seem to get above 80  :'(
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Joseph41 on April 13, 2016, 06:16:30 pm
Whats the difference between a D and a HD essay?

Difficult question, but I think it could be any number of things (or, more likely, a combination of things):

- Referencing
- Grammar/spelling
- Flow of argument(s)
- Quality of argument(s)
- Actually answering the question
- Staying on topic
- Word count
- Originality
- Link to readings/other coursework
- Presentation

I think it's going to be something pretty individual, because why Person A might not have scored a HD might be entirely different to why Person B did not.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: rosemaria20 on May 24, 2016, 01:46:55 pm
Hello  :) :)
I'm currently in Year 12 and i really want to do Medicine at either Melbourne or Queesland. I have talked to a few past and current students doing medicine and they all have done some sort of volunteering work, i have a part time job at a pharmacy. Unfortunately I don't think i have done something as significant that can be mentioned, of course i have gone to great lengths in helping others (family, friends, classmates, anyone in general) and genuinely enjoy doing so too but none of these are really relevant to the society. My question is that is it important to have any awards or certificates in volunteering to get into the course?

Thank you :) :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: pi on May 24, 2016, 01:56:34 pm
Hello  :) :)
I'm currently in Year 12 and i really want to do Medicine at either Melbourne or Queesland. I have talked to a few past and current students doing medicine and they all have done some sort of volunteering work, i have a part time job at a pharmacy. Unfortunately I don't think i have done something as significant that can be mentioned, of course i have gone to great lengths in helping others (family, friends, classmates, anyone in general) and genuinely enjoy doing so too but none of these are really relevant to the society. My question is that is it important to have any awards or certificates in volunteering to get into the course?

Thank you :) :)

Not super important. In an interview they may question (directly or indirectly) about volunteering, but it's usually not hard to think of something, even if that means making a big deal out of something small.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: rosemaria20 on May 24, 2016, 07:08:33 pm
Thank you
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Ashjames on July 03, 2017, 08:23:47 pm
HOLD YOUR HORSES_ are you saying its COMPULSORY to do English in UNI :o :o :o :o. I thought I was never going to hold another Shakespeare/tragedy/dramatic/romantic novel after I finish school!!!?!?!?!?! You officially just ruined my life
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: RuiAce on July 03, 2017, 08:31:33 pm
HOLD YOUR HORSES_ are you saying its COMPULSORY to do English in UNI :o :o :o :o. I thought I was never going to hold another Shakespeare/tragedy/dramatic/romantic novel after I finish school!!!?!?!?!?! You officially just ruined my life
Who said that?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Ashjames on July 03, 2017, 08:35:11 pm
Who said that?

Oh someone on this thread, I just can't seem to find it
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: RuiAce on July 03, 2017, 08:36:21 pm
Oh someone on this thread, I just can't seem to find it
Either they were referring to someone else's posts about what they want to study prior to that post (the more likely scenario), or they're wrong or something
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Ashjames on July 03, 2017, 08:42:44 pm
Either they were referring to someone else's posts about what they want to study prior to that post (the more likely scenario), or they're wrong or something

Yeah- it was something bout reading loads of boring books and then analyzing the poetry and verses etc. and then there was this shocker of a sentence that said something about you only have 2 lectures per book???? So wait- I don't HAVE to do English?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: jamonwindeyer on July 03, 2017, 08:46:50 pm

Yeah- it was something bout reading loads of boring books and then analyzing the poetry and verses etc. and then there was this shocker of a sentence that said something about you only have 2 lectures per book???? So wait- I don't HAVE to do English?

Absolutely not - I haven't touched anything English related since my HSC. If you do an English related degree, then yes of course, but otherwise definitely not!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: J.B on August 27, 2017, 11:39:02 am
Hi,
I was just wondering in Scholarship applications Eg. for University of Sydney.
You have to attach a
 CV, school report, and Supporting documentation for your Leadership Statement (This must be relevant to what you have stated in your above responses.)
I was just wondering how long should the CV be, and what things should you write in it. And also if anyone knows what the leadership statement is?
Thanks
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: jamonwindeyer on August 27, 2017, 03:29:06 pm
Hi,
I was just wondering in Scholarship applications Eg. for University of Sydney.
You have to attach a
 CV, school report, and Supporting documentation for your Leadership Statement (This must be relevant to what you have stated in your above responses.)
I was just wondering how long should the CV be, and what things should you write in it. And also if anyone knows what the leadership statement is?
Thanks

Hey! The CV should be as long as you need it to be to show off your best qualities. Be selective about what goes in there - Like, no one cares if you did the Premier's Reading Challenge in Year 5. However, if you've got three full pages of accolades from high school, work experience and skills - Include it all! At minimum include your subjects at school, your work experience (if any), and any co-curricular involvements ;D

I've never done a leadership statement, I wager it would be a description of how you exhibit leadership qualities, perhaps referencing some experiences in your CV? :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: J.B on August 28, 2017, 05:22:29 pm
Hey! The CV should be as long as you need it to be to show off your best qualities. Be selective about what goes in there - Like, no one cares if you did the Premier's Reading Challenge in Year 5. However, if you've got three full pages of accolades from high school, work experience and skills - Include it all! At minimum include your subjects at school, your work experience (if any), and any co-curricular involvements ;D

I've never done a leadership statement, I wager it would be a description of how you exhibit leadership qualities, perhaps referencing some experiences in your CV? :)

Thank you so much! :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: feba_98 on October 11, 2017, 06:01:45 pm
um...from what I read so far, most of my questions have been answered. But can somebody tell me anything about what happen in education tutorials since you covered law, med etc.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on October 11, 2017, 11:47:25 pm
um...from what I read so far, most of my questions have been answered. But can somebody tell me anything about what happen in education tutorials since you covered law, med etc.

Given that education is essentially a vocation/a social profession, the emphasis on 'social' is definitely there for education tutorials. At Monash, the tutorials usually consist of discussions between peers & the tutor related to the topic and the pre-readings. Monash Ed runs on a flipped classroom model, where you essentially do the pre-readings yourself before attending (it is an expectation and necessary to fully participate in the tutorial). In addition to that, there are discussions which relate to both personal experiences/observations (both as a former highschool student and as a student teacher when you go out on placement).

If you're doing secondary ed, your method-specific tutorials will consist of ways to apply teaching strategies to your method (so no actual content is taught). There were some really interesting activities I did during the method-specific tutorials (e.g. making a 3d printed die for maths, and playing with robots in IT).

Any more q's, feel free to ask. As far as i'm aware, it is just www and myself who have/are doing ed degrees. I am currently in my first sem as a graduate teacher (already graduated + currently working ), www is still at Monash.

Ed is a very social experience so if you're a shy person, that will disappear very quickly. You can't hide :P (ESPECIALLY on placement!)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Syndicate on November 22, 2017, 02:17:28 pm
Hi guys,

I didn't know where to put this, so feel free to move my post.

So basically the first round offers will be released mid January, and unfortunately by that time I'll be overseas. I just want to confirm whether there are any processes that I'll have to do in Australia?

Thanks,
Syndicate  :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on November 22, 2017, 02:20:20 pm
Hi guys,

I didn't know where to put this, so feel free to move my post.

So basically the first round offers will be released mid January, and unfortunately by that time I'll be overseas. I just want to confirm whether there are any processes that I'll have to do in Australia?

Thanks,
Syndicate  :)


Depends on the place - but typically, there's some online bit you have to do, and then you'll be told you have to go in, but you can actually get away with not going (sentiments that reflect most things at university). The online enrolment is the important part, because that makes it so you're in the system.

Having said that, if anyone is reading this who will be able to go to these events and doesn't want to, it's still recommended you go to them.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: bananna on November 22, 2017, 09:36:35 pm
Hi! So I got accepted into university of otago and am thinking of accepting the offer. Not sure, because I'm still waiting for other unis in Sydney and qld.  Can I accept the offer now and then cancel it if I get into another later on? Is it different in NZ? Thanks :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: keltingmeith on November 22, 2017, 10:09:53 pm
Hi! So I got accepted into university of otago and am thinking of accepting the offer. Not sure, because I'm still waiting for other unis in Sydney and qld.  Can I accept the offer now and then cancel it if I get into another later on? Is it different in NZ? Thanks :)


Yeah, accept, you can duck out later if you want. You can also indefinitely defer the course - I have a mate who was deferring a course from UQ while at Monash.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Juliesokha on November 24, 2017, 10:56:12 pm
I know this is kinda silly but what is a tutorial? based on my research it says it's a period of tuition given by a uni tutor and if so..are they free?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: jamonwindeyer on November 24, 2017, 11:08:11 pm
I know this is kinda silly but what is a tutorial? based on my research it says it's a period of tuition given by a uni tutor and if so..are they free?

Tutorial is very similar to a high school class, where its usually a smaller group and usually focused on solving problems or discussing concepts in greater depth - As opposed to lectures that introduce the material ;D

Tutorials (along with lectures and labs and stuff) are covered in the cost of studying that course at that institution! :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Juliesokha on November 24, 2017, 11:12:19 pm
Tutorial is very similar to a high school class, where its usually a smaller group and usually focused on solving problems or discussing concepts in greater depth - As opposed to lectures that introduce the material ;D

Tutorials (along with lectures and labs and stuff) are covered in the cost of studying that course at that institution! :)

so um you both go to lectures and tutorials - which are compulsory? And also what are the things that will be covered in the cost of studying a particular course or it varies differently?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: K888 on November 24, 2017, 11:17:02 pm
I know this is kinda silly but what is a tutorial? based on my research it says it's a period of tuition given by a uni tutor and if so..are they free?
Hi there! You can actually read about tutorials (aka tutes) in the opening post here - you just have to scroll down a bit :)

There's a difference between a uni tutor and what you'd usually call a tutor who'd give you extra tuition outside of school. Tutes are run by tutors, who are essentially the uni version of teachers, if you like :) Tutes are a part of your uni timetable - they're not extra sessions that you have to pay for, they're incorporated into your course.

It's probably the closest thing you'll get to what a high school classroom is like in uni! What you do in a tute varies depending on what subjects you're taking and what faculty they're in (eg: health sciences, maths, chemistry, etc.). Generally, you have to do readings in your own time, and then you might either have to prepare answers to questions based on the readings and bring them to the tute (and you'll discuss them as a group), or you answer questions in the tute. If you're doing something like maths, you'll probably work through problems that you're given in groups. Or, you might just do discussions in your tutes.

Overall, they generally involve discussion and maybe answering some questions or doing some activities. Tutors don't stand up there teaching like you'd see in a high school classroom - you generally cover the material in lectures, and the tutes also provide a chance to ask questions about content and stuff.

That probably wasn't a great explanation haha, but you'll understand more once you've been to one!

so um you both go to lectures and tutorials - which are compulsory? And also what are the things that will be covered in the cost of studying a particular course or it varies differently?
Yep, you go to lectures and tutes. Whether they're compulsory or not depends on the course you're doing! Some courses have absolutely no attendance requirement, but others require you to have 80% attendance at tutes (lectures are generally non-compulsory, they're only compulsory for a select few courses, and I think at some unis they might be compulsory - potentially ACU?) - obviously absences where you have a medical certificate or whatever aren't counted. I think the 80% attendance requirement is a common one for a lot of courses. :)

Just about everything is covered in your fees, but if you have placements (say you're doing a health-related course), your fees don't tend to cover placement uniforms or equipment (eg: stethoscopes). You also have to pay for textbooks and such (but generally you don't even need to buy them). 
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Juliesokha on November 24, 2017, 11:23:26 pm
Quote from: K888
Just about everything is covered in your fees, but if you have placements (say you're doing a health-related course), your fees don't tend to cover placement uniforms or equipment (eg: stethoscopes). You also have to pay for textbooks and such (but generally you don't even need to buy them).

Yea I'm planning to do Nursing next year but I don't really have an idea of how does this whole thing work at all! :( and what do you mean generally you don't even need to buy them? they aren't that essential? sorry that i asked a lot tho  :'(


Mod edit - fixed formatting
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: K888 on November 24, 2017, 11:31:51 pm
Yea I'm planning to do Nursing next year but I don't really have an idea of how does this whole thing work at all! :( and what do you mean generally you don't even need to buy them? they aren't that essential? sorry that i asked a lot tho  :'(
No stress! You'll be able to find out more when you get into your course - they'll generally bombard you with info in your first week (most courses run sessions in O-week with important info for the year), and they'll also tell you stuff during the year. You'll also be given a unit guide and such which will fill you in with more info about requirements.

And re: textbooks, it depends on the course and what textbooks are on the booklist. I'd generally recommend waiting till you're a few weeks in to see what textbooks you actually need. Most tend to not be vital (honestly, there's only one textbook on my booklist that I used weekly this year!), so you can just borrow them from the library at uni, which will have a lot of copies of textbooks (and depending which uni you're at, you could end up being able to have the textbook on loan for months and months). Saves a lot of cash for you!

But yeah, lecturers might usually tell you whether you need the textbook or not in the first few lectures you have, and you can also ask students in older year levels about which textbooks they think are important to have. :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Juliesokha on November 24, 2017, 11:43:03 pm
No stress! You'll be able to find out more when you get into your course - they'll generally bombard you with info in your first week (most courses run sessions in O-week with important info for the year), and they'll also tell you stuff during the year. You'll also be given a unit guide and such which will fill you in with more info about requirements.

And re: textbooks, it depends on the course and what textbooks are on the booklist. I'd generally recommend waiting till you're a few weeks in to see what textbooks you actually need. Most tend to not be vital (honestly, there's only one textbook on my booklist that I used weekly this year!), so you can just borrow them from the library at uni, which will have a lot of copies of textbooks (and depending which uni you're at, you could end up being able to have the textbook on loan for months and months). Saves a lot of cash for you!

But yeah, lecturers might usually tell you whether you need the textbook or not in the first few lectures you have, and you can also ask students in older year levels about which textbooks they think are important to have. :)

beautiful! thankkk youuu so much :) hopefully it'll be a good year next year!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Syndicate on December 30, 2017, 12:00:07 am
Hi,

Are breadth subjects (UoM) counted towards your GPA?

Thanks ,
Syndicate
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Sine on December 30, 2017, 12:06:55 am
Hi,

Are breadth subjects (UoM) counted towards your GPA?

Thanks ,
Syndicate
yep (this also applies for "electives"@ monash)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Syndicate on January 23, 2018, 04:39:02 pm
Hi,

I did UMEP maths last year, and recently I got told that I could accept the credit from it, which means I won't have to do EDDA and maths for biomedicine. If I accept the credit, would that affect my WAM this year?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: vcestressed on August 18, 2018, 07:08:39 am
Hi Guys,
I may have to move interstate for the course I would like to do and I'm wondering how often uni has holidays? In other words, in a typical year, for how long can I come home? I know this will depend with each course but please give me a general overview about this.
Thanks so much!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Bri MT on August 18, 2018, 08:22:23 am
Hi Guys,
I may have to move interstate for the course I would like to do and I'm wondering how often uni has holidays? In other words, in a typical year, for how long can I come home? I know this will depend with each course but please give me a general overview about this.
Thanks so much!

At monash a semester goes for 12 weeks and we have 1 week-long break in each. Between the semesters there is a longer break, and the summer holidays are longer than in highschool
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: theONEandONLY1 on August 28, 2018, 08:24:10 pm
Hello everyone,
How would those with experience describe a 1.5 hour commute to and from university? Is it very arduous and tiring? Does it take away from the whole 'university' experience in terms of the clubs and social interactions?
Thank you in advance for your input.
(To put into perspective, I live in Frankston and will need to take the train to the University of Melbourne)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: jamonwindeyer on August 28, 2018, 08:50:16 pm
Hello everyone,
How would those with experience describe a 1.5 hour commute to and from university? Is it very arduous and tiring? Does it take away from the whole 'university' experience in terms of the clubs and social interactions?
Thank you in advance for your input.
(To put into perspective, I live in Frankston and will need to take the train to the University of Melbourne)

Hey! I did it a few times a week back when I was studying, and I'm on a placement at the moment where I've been doing two hours, each way, every single day :P

It is a tiring thing, but I found that I was able to use the time on the train in useful ways - Catching up on sleep, watching downloaded lectures, all that sort of stuff. It does suck for the social aspect though, going to society events and stuff becomes a lot tougher (can't exactly travel 2 hours to go to a half an hour meeting, aha).

I think it is worth it if it is the place you want to be at! The travel is an adjustment, for sure, but I personally find it okay :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: sweetiepi on August 28, 2018, 08:57:17 pm
Hello everyone,
How would those with experience describe a 1.5 hour commute to and from university? Is it very arduous and tiring? Does it take away from the whole 'university' experience in terms of the clubs and social interactions?
Thank you in advance for your input.
(To put into perspective, I live in Frankston and will need to take the train to the University of Melbourne)
Hey there!
I currently take between anywhere between an hour and an hour 45 to get from home (in the outer south-west suburbs) to uni (also in Parkville). It can be a bit of a handful at times if there's delays or works (looking at you, Newport station, you always have problems that cause me to be delayed >.> ), however I don't mind it all that much, to be completely honest- I often use it to either relax/nap/listen to music, research stuff on my phone, or to do some of my uni work. I do note a lot of people napping on my morning trains though, when I'm usually energetic af :D

From my experiences so far, in terms of clubs events, it doesn't seem to take away from it at all, as a) I find that there's plenty of people to travel home with from uni if the event is after-hours, and b) that most uni club events (at least at my uni campus) happen during the day when I'm likely to be around campus, so that travelling at night with reduced train frequency becomes a non-issue. Socially/friend-wise, it doesn't seem to stop me either, as I previously mentioned that a fair few people I know from uni live out my way, so we frequently travel in/out together and we always seem to be able to meet up at uni when our timetables line up :)

Hope this helps a little :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Bri MT on August 28, 2018, 09:07:13 pm
Hello everyone,
How would those with experience describe a 1.5 hour commute to and from university? Is it very arduous and tiring? Does it take away from the whole 'university' experience in terms of the clubs and social interactions?
Thank you in advance for your input.
(To put into perspective, I live in Frankston and will need to take the train to the University of Melbourne)

Last sem I was around 3 hours each way,  (and at uni 5 days a week w/ 3 8ams) which I found fairly draining, but now that I'm a bit under 2 hours I find it much more manageable. You get used to it and learn to make the most of the journey.

Either way, I felt no regrets about choosing the uni further from me (I live in the west)

If unimelb is the uni for you,  I wouldn't let the distance stop you.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Joseph41 on August 29, 2018, 09:23:01 am
Hello everyone,
How would those with experience describe a 1.5 hour commute to and from university? Is it very arduous and tiring? Does it take away from the whole 'university' experience in terms of the clubs and social interactions?
Thank you in advance for your input.
(To put into perspective, I live in Frankston and will need to take the train to the University of Melbourne)

How often would you be at uni, do you think?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: bichngoc94 on September 13, 2018, 02:26:13 pm
if you are at the beginning of your university journey then this is the post for you.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: MissSmiley on December 19, 2018, 10:33:19 pm
Hi everyone!

I'm just wondering what to do until first round offers come out, and I don't really know how to prepare for Uni!
Or even should one be preparing for uni? as in for a potential course?

Because each day feels a bit guilty just relaxing if you know what I mean?

What did past people do to until offers came out?

Thanks so much guys! :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on December 19, 2018, 10:59:19 pm
CHILL OUT. Honestly, you deserve your summer off after your long journey this year. Don't feel guilty - I know it feels strange not spending hours and hours striving towards something... everyone feels like it after they finish Year 12.

If you really have to - although this would be somewhat pointless, but something to do:
- Go onto the uni website and look at the new students section. Plan how you're going to get there - are you a bus rider? can you walk/ride a bicycle? Public transport? What can you do on campus? What support is available? What clubs etc might I like to join? These questions you could answer in the meantime.
- Have a look at the handbook for your course.. what units would you be doing in your first semester? if you have elective options, it may be a good chance to have a look and think about what you might choose.
- Check if you have to attend any additional days apart from the main orientation (some courses you have to, such as an enrolment day where you physically have to attend)

Without your offer/acceptance, this is quite redundant but can kill time and save you further hassle later on.

I personally didn't do any preparation whatsoever lol - If I were you, i'd just kick back and enjoy what freedom you have left as a semi-adult ("adult": referring to somebody with self-responsibility). i think I was returning home from my late schoolies when offers came out lol
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AngelWings on December 19, 2018, 11:40:04 pm
Hi everyone!

I'm just wondering what to do until first round offers come out, and I don't really know how to prepare for Uni!
Or even should one be preparing for uni? as in for a potential course?

Because each day feels a bit guilty just relaxing if you know what I mean?

What did past people do to until offers came out?

Thanks so much guys! :)
Definitely agree with Aaron's response. Going to add a couple of points.

I went and found this helpful post as to what you can do right now. I guess it can help you prepare mentally for uni, although rather indirectly.
If you need something to do to prepare for uni, try applying for your TFN (and Youth Allowance*), if you haven't already. You'll need a TFN for HECS, so I guess that counts as uni prep. The holiday season might mean that things get hampered for a bit, but it should kill some time.

*Not really for uni.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: cool dawg on December 20, 2018, 12:11:50 pm
this thread is great :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Joseph41 on December 20, 2018, 12:51:28 pm
this thread is great :)

Have you just finished Year 12? Let us know if you have any questions at all. :)

P.S. Congrats on your scores!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Sine on December 20, 2018, 09:35:55 pm
Hi everyone!

I'm just wondering what to do until first round offers come out, and I don't really know how to prepare for Uni!
Or even should one be preparing for uni? as in for a potential course?

Because each day feels a bit guilty just relaxing if you know what I mean?

What did past people do to until offers came out?

Thanks so much guys! :)
I don't think it's that necessary to be studying for university during the holidays unlike a lot of people would do for highschool. A main concern is that you can't be 100% sure about the content that will be important and assessed (unlike vce where there is a study design) as units can change a lot in a year and also within a year they can change the course by taking other factors into account. Also you don't know how long to spend on certain topics/concepts -  so effectively you could just be "wasting" your time. Although imo you can't really say that the time is wasted wasted if you are learning something new and enjoy it - so regardless of whether content is assessed or not it may be valuable to someone individually.

In addition to this your weeks in university have a much more concentrated workload (from my experience - may be different for different courses)so it's really important to go back feeling relaxed and refreshed from your holidays.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: informationenthusiast on December 29, 2018, 11:38:23 am
compared to vce, is uni generally harder or easier??
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lear on December 29, 2018, 01:08:29 pm
compared to vce, is uni generally harder or easier??

Not in uni just yet but here's a discussion where the exam taking side of uni in comparison to school was discussed.
https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=182359.msg1083768#msg1083768
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Bri MT on December 30, 2018, 10:15:32 am
compared to vce, is uni generally harder or easier??

This is really, really, really dependent on the  person.
 

It's generally harder to get a x% mark, but expectations are different too. One of the big differences is that you have significantly more flexibility to decide how hard you want to work and what you want to focus on.

There's also variation between courses - for example,  some require you to maintain a high average mark and others don't
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lear on December 30, 2018, 10:19:55 am
I understand that this is very subjective and year 12 is very different to university. But in terms of difficulty, what’s an equivalent ATAR to a university WAM of 75%? Again I know this won’t be very meaningful but i’m just trying to grasp how hard a 75% WAM is
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: EEEEEEP on December 30, 2018, 10:53:29 am
I understand that this is very subjective and year 12 is very different to university. But in terms of difficulty, what’s an equivalent ATAR to a university WAM of 75%? Again I know this won’t be very meaningful but i’m just trying to grasp how hard a 75% WAM is

Hi there :)

Different courses, subjects and electives have different difficulties.

You cannot make an equivalent of 75 WAM to any level of difficulty!

To add to that point ... some lecturers follow a bell curve, while some don’t.

Don’t think about difficulty.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Aaron on December 30, 2018, 02:41:21 pm
I understand that this is very subjective and year 12 is very different to university. But in terms of difficulty, what’s an equivalent ATAR to a university WAM of 75%? Again I know this won’t be very meaningful but i’m just trying to grasp how hard a 75% WAM is

I have to agree EEEEEEP's comment above.

I achieved WAM's of 77 and 74 for my Bachelor of IT & MTeach respectively so my WAMs float around your query.

Put it this way: back when I did my VCE, my ATAR was only 65. If you take what you know about me out of the equation, you'd think that would be a bizarre number to compare to a WAM of 75+.

The point i'm trying to make is that a) the ATAR isn't really merit-based when we think about it, and b) university is an adult environment, a lot of things can change (e.g. environment with like minded people, personal circumstances etc). I know from my personal perspective that all it took was for me to be separated from my friendship group and to enter university alone basically to get my act together (in combination with a passion and love for the degree discipline I chose).

75 is not out of reach for anybody but it requires at least perseverance and effort. The interest & passion for your discipline is an added bonus and will make things easier. It's not going to just come to you by default and honestly it's not as easy as some would say - don't view 75 as "75%" because its an average which requires a significant chunk of your overall scores to be decent.

You just can't compare ATAR and university scores in the slightest. It's honestly one of the worst comparisons to make because there are so many factors at play. You can get a 90 ATAR and perform terribly. You can get a 65 ATAR (like I did) and achieve most of your uni scores above this. You'd be surprised what an environment where you are accountable both academically and financially, does to you. Hope this helps :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AiramPevensie on July 23, 2019, 07:32:47 pm
Hey, to those who are at uni and working part-time, how do you balance work and uni? Also, any tips on preparing to find work for next year in the midst of Year 12 and before you have access to a uni course timetable? And any suggestions for finding work during the holidays, when all the newly-finished HSC students rush to find part-time jobs?! Thanks  :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: fantasticbeasts3 on July 23, 2019, 07:55:18 pm
Hey, to those who are at uni and working part-time, how do you balance work and uni? Also, any tips on preparing to find work for next year in the midst of Year 12 and before you have access to a uni course timetable? And any suggestions for finding work during the holidays, when all the newly-finished HSC students rush to find part-time jobs?! Thanks  :)

Hi, welcome to the forums!!

1. How do you balance work and uni?
Have a day off for you to catch up on uni work and/or chill! So so so important - I can't stress this enough because my uni marks suffered last term as I didn't allow myself time to breathe and catch up!

2. Finding work in the middle of year 12 before uni timetables
Look for Christmas Casual jobs because they're easy to find when you do a quick Google search. Applications start to open around August so if you've finished your trials or need a study break you can use that time to apply for jobs :-) I suppose this answer fits into your last question but try and get in early, and apply for as many jobs as possible to increase your chances of finding a job :-)

Best of luck!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AiramPevensie on July 25, 2019, 08:35:33 pm
Hi, welcome to the forums!!

1. How do you balance work and uni?
Have a day off for you to catch up on uni work and/or chill! So so so important - I can't stress this enough because my uni marks suffered last term as I didn't allow myself time to breathe and catch up!

2. Finding work in the middle of year 12 before uni timetables
Look for Christmas Casual jobs because they're easy to find when you do a quick Google search. Applications start to open around August so if you've finished your trials or need a study break you can use that time to apply for jobs :-) I suppose this answer fits into your last question but try and get in early, and apply for as many jobs as possible to increase your chances of finding a job :-)

Best of luck!

Thank you so much! It's great having the chance to hear from people who've gone through it already. All the best with your uni course.  :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: yourfriendlyneighbourhoodghost on August 01, 2019, 12:24:44 pm
With practice exams, if you ask your lecturer or the main teacher (I don't know how that works  :)) will they help you get one or create one for you?

Are you allowed to visit lecturers and ask them for feedback in work and extension tasks if needed?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Joseph41 on August 01, 2019, 12:29:09 pm
With practice exams, if you ask your lecturer or the main teacher (I don't know how that works  :)) will they help you get one or create one for you?

Are you allowed to visit lecturers and ask them for feedback in work and extension tasks if needed?

Practice exams - if they're not already available, I very much doubt you'd have luck getting them to create a new one. Some units will have past exams available from previous years etc., others won't.

Visiting lecturers - more likely to visit a tutor (sort of like your classroom teacher I guess), but they may only be available at certain times, and you may have to book an appointment. Some will be more willing to chat outside of class than others.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Sine on August 01, 2019, 12:38:24 pm
With practice exams, if you ask your lecturer or the main teacher (I don't know how that works  :)) will they help you get one or create one for you?

Are you allowed to visit lecturers and ask them for feedback in work and extension tasks if needed?
For practice exams it depends on the units. For my core units, I have only gotten a practice exam for 1 subject out of the equivalent of 16 units since it is the policy for my faculty/course I think. However, many other units will give a lot of practice material e.g. previous years exams.

So, I believe the lecturer/unit convenor will already have an idea whether they have chosen to give out practice exams well before the semester has started - so I don't think asking will necessarily change their mind but may accelerated the process of you getting some available since they release them quite late.

Yes, you can approach lecturers for feedback but it is actually somewhat rare for them specifically to be marking your work - usually it will be tutors for that unit or just PhD students. Extensions are available but you need an actual reason e.g. your physical/mental is being impacted during that time. It is unlikely you will get an extension for something like - too many assignments due at the same time or you have extracurriculars (some exceptions apply through - jury/emergency/military or a pro athlete)  around that time.



Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Bri MT on August 01, 2019, 02:13:16 pm
With practice exams, if you ask your lecturer or the main teacher (I don't know how that works  :)) will they help you get one or create one for you?

Are you allowed to visit lecturers and ask them for feedback in work and extension tasks if needed?

As J41 said, usually you would go to a tutor for this, but I've also emailed unit co-ordinators about feedback and this has been fine too. Worst case scenario they judge you slightly.  I wouldn't recommend asking them to make stuff for you & practice exams are generally released close to swotvac; however, asking for how to get more practice in or for feedback on an assessed task should both be fine :)

Remember you're asking them a favour so make sure to be polite, check that this information isn't already available to you etc. As a general rule, if you show that you have put in your own research and/or efforts you're more likely to get a favourable response.  For example, you can probably guess which of the below "imperfect emails" would likely get a) a faster response b) a more useful response (even though neither of them are especially compliment-y).


imperfect email 1
Subject: UNITCODE practice questions query

Dear [name],

I was wondering if there are any additional practice materials or extension work available for [unit name]? I've searched on [online platform (e.g. Moodle, blackboard)] and have already completed the work available on there and in the textbook.


Kind Regards,

[your name]

imperfect email 2
Subject: HELP PLEASE

Do you have a practice exam you can give or make for me?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: ChanChan on January 05, 2020, 09:19:32 pm
I completed my VCE back in 2016 and went straight out to work instead of studying at uni. However, I have decided that I should finally settle down and stabilise myself. Due to that, I would just like some tips on universities, scholarships and application procedures. I plan to study education (considering only primary) and languages. A friend of mine advised me to look into the universities that are more practical and offer regular, good placement programs. That being said, the top universities do not necessarily offer those, which is why I would like some insight into some lesser known universities that I might be overlooking. I appreciate any advice!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AngelWings on January 09, 2020, 07:48:39 am
I completed my VCE back in 2016 and went straight out to work instead of studying at uni. However, I have decided that I should finally settle down and stabilise myself. Due to that, I would just like some tips on universities, scholarships and application procedures. I plan to study education (considering only primary) and languages. A friend of mine advised me to look into the universities that are more practical and offer regular, good placement programs. That being said, the top universities do not necessarily offer those, which is why I would like some insight into some lesser known universities that I might be overlooking. I appreciate any advice!

Welcome back to the academic life; it seems like you’ve had quite the life journey!

Just some questions for you:
1. Are you after an undergraduate (Bachelor of Education, Diploma, etc.) or postgraduate (Masters of Teaching) primary teaching course? The postgraduate route typically is longer as they usually require you to have done an undergraduate course already, but it is a good route for those who want to discover other areas first or not quite sure of their career paths yet (such as languages in your case).
2, Did you want to study languages, teaching or both as your main area(s) e.g. a major/ minor in a Bachelor degree? Or would you like languages to be taught separately to primary education e.g. Bachelor + Diploma of Languages? Or are you hoping to do both e.g. become a primary LOTE teacher?
3. What languages are you interested in? Some unis and tertiary institutes get a bit limited sometimes on the languages, so some places may or may not teach the language you’re after.
4. When would you ideally like to start studying?
5. Are you hoping to study in Victoria? Some people like going interstate for their tertiary education.

If you’re hoping to study in Victoria, I’d probably recommend that you search up the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC for short), which does admissions to a lot of Victorian tertiary institutes already (you can also apply direct to your eventual uni of choice, but that would mean an individual application per uni you’re trying to get into), including big ones like Melbourne University to lesser known institutes like Victoria Uni. You’d be making an account (it costs a bit of money depending on when you apply) and applying as a non-Year 12 (non-Y12)/ non-school leaver applicant. I’d also recommend having a look at VTAC Course Search, which lists some degrees (not all, but a good number to begin with). This might give you an idea to start off with before getting into finer details. It might be best to get an idea of what sort of course you think is best for yourself and then we can get into which placement is better for you soon.

Deakin, Swinburne, La Trobe and Victoria Uni all have primary teaching courses that are pretty sweet and all four of those are “smaller, lesser known” unis, so those might be a starting point too.

Really up to what suits you best and what you want to do. :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: kauac on January 19, 2020, 02:36:24 pm
Hi!

Currently submitting my timetable preferences for  a B Science at USYD, and simultaneously wrapping my head around uni "attendance rates". For the science faculty resolutions, it states that I must attend at least 80% of scheduled activities.

Say I was doing a unit which had a total of 82 hours of "scheduled activities". If I were to skip one of my 3 weekly 1hr lectures each week (equating to 69 out of 82 hrs attended, 84%), would that be perfectly fine? This is assuming I would be able to access lecture recordings.

I'm also doing a minor in the health & medicine faculty (which has a different compulsory attendance rate). Would the attendance rates apply for the health & medicine faculty or the science faculty (since that's the faculty my degree is from) for these units?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AngelWings on January 19, 2020, 04:54:36 pm
Say I was doing a unit which had a total of 82 hours of "scheduled activities". If I were to skip one of my 3 weekly 1hr lectures each week (equating to 69 out of 82 hrs attended, 84%), would that be perfectly fine? This is assuming I would be able to access lecture recordings.
If it’s from the science faculty, generally yes, but I’d be careful in case you ever fall sick. (Some places may count sickness, even with medical certificate, as not attending class.)

I'm also doing a minor in the health & medicine faculty (which has a different compulsory attendance rate). Would the attendance rates apply for the health & medicine faculty or the science faculty (since that's the faculty my degree is from) for these units?
Attendance rates are unit-specific usually. Whoever manages the unit = whoever’s attendance rate you have to follow. In this specific unit, you’d have to follow the health and medicine faculty’s attendance rate.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AlannahBottino on November 13, 2020, 09:34:03 am
What is ACU Melbourne like as a uni? Is it good? Tell me all about it.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: s110820 on November 13, 2020, 10:48:24 am
Hey everyone,

This is a bit of a stupid question so please bear with me - if I study primary school education in a different state, such as NSW for example, would that mean that I would only be eligible to work in NSW? Or is it not as specfic as secondary school education? I'm just a little bit confused about how the whole interstate process works for education because I'm from QLD and I got early acceptance into UNE for both of the primary education courses that I applied for.

Thanks so much if you can help - I would really appreciate it :)

Have a great week and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: angewina_naguen on November 13, 2020, 11:09:17 am
Hey everyone,

This is a bit of a stupid question so please bear with me - if I study primary school education in a different state, such as NSW for example, would that mean that I would only be eligible to work in NSW? Or is it not as specfic as secondary school education? I'm just a little bit confused about how the whole interstate process works for education because I'm from QLD and I got early acceptance into UNE for both of the primary education courses that I applied for.

Thanks so much if you can help - I would really appreciate it :)

Have a great week and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.

Hey, Darcy!

Congratulations for your early acceptance offers! It's always exciting to see more and more teachers coming out of the forums  :D

I do an education degree and my current understanding is that you can teach in any state in Australia but you will need to go through accreditation processes with the relevant state's department if you decide to go to a different state from the one you got the degree in. Your education degree will prepare you to teach more broadly in your area (primary, secondary, specialist education etc.) and you will look at the Australian standards and curriculum requirements in the degree. However, in your methods-based subjects, you will learn how to teach using the state-based syllabus. In my degree, I do units that look at what NESA expects NSW teachers to cover and the assessment guidelines that I will need to follow as part of my requirements as a teacher in this state. This means that if I wanted to teach in the VCE or QCE, I wouldn't need another education degree all over again because I'm already qualified to teach but I will need to make sure I understand how the syllabus works in VIC and QLD and will need to be accredited and approved by the VCAA or QCAA first. If you do decide to go to UNE, for example, and you get your degree in primary education but decide you want to teach back in QLD, you will need to contact the department and ensure you go through all the necessary procedures to be approved.

Also just as a general thing, I'm a big believer that no questions are stupid; the only unwise move is leaving a question that you need answered unasked :) Hopefully this all helps but feel free to follow up with more questions if need be!

Angelina  ;D
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: s110820 on November 13, 2020, 11:58:27 am
Hey, Darcy!

Congratulations for your early acceptance offers! It's always exciting to see more and more teachers coming out of the forums  :D

I do an education degree and my current understanding is that you can teach in any state in Australia but you will need to go through accreditation processes with the relevant state's department if you decide to go to a different state from the one you got the degree in. Your education degree will prepare you to teach more broadly in your area (primary, secondary, specialist education etc.) and you will look at the Australian standards and curriculum requirements in the degree. However, in your methods-based subjects, you will learn how to teach using the state-based syllabus. In my degree, I do units that look at what NESA expects NSW teachers to cover and the assessment guidelines that I will need to follow as part of my requirements as a teacher in this state. This means that if I wanted to teach in the VCE or QCE, I wouldn't need another education degree all over again because I'm already qualified to teach but I will need to make sure I understand how the syllabus works in VIC and QLD and will need to be accredited and approved by the VCAA or QCAA first. If you do decide to go to UNE, for example, and you get your degree in primary education but decide you want to teach back in QLD, you will need to contact the department and ensure you go through all the necessary procedures to be approved.

Also just as a general thing, I'm a big believer that no questions are stupid; the only unwise move is leaving a question that you need answered unasked :) Hopefully this all helps but feel free to follow up with more questions if need be!

Angelina  ;D

Hey Angelina!

Thank you so much for explaining the process to me! I really appreciate it - this isn't exactly "how university works" related but how should I research the universities I have applied to - is there anything in particular that I should consider? I've mostly applied to universities in QLD - QUT, ACU and Griffith but I've also been accepted into UNE. Also, just a side note, I know it's a little bit early but should I also start a "university journey journal"?

Thanks so much and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: K888 on November 13, 2020, 06:37:22 pm
What is ACU Melbourne like as a uni? Is it good? Tell me all about it.
Can't speak from personal experience, but have had friends go to ACU Melbourne and been very happy, they really enjoyed their courses and liked the campus.
Ultimately every uni has good sides and bad sides!


just a side note, I know it's a little bit early but should I also start a "university journey journal"?
Never too early to start a uni journey journal ;)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: angewina_naguen on November 13, 2020, 07:19:18 pm
Hey Angelina!

Thank you so much for explaining the process to me! I really appreciate it - this isn't exactly "how university works" related but how should I research the universities I have applied to - is there anything in particular that I should consider? I've mostly applied to universities in QLD - QUT, ACU and Griffith but I've also been accepted into UNE. Also, just a side note, I know it's a little bit early but should I also start a "university journey journal"?

Thanks so much and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.

Hey Darcy!

In answer to what to look for, I would recommend considering the range of opportunities that your degree can grant you as a student. In my music education degree, I've been able to do and experience so many things that I didn't expect I'd get to. For example, I'm currently taking a unit on teaching jazz music which I was initially afraid of doing because jazz has for long been something totally out of my comfort zone but it is now my favourite subject of the semester and I feel a lot more confident now about my own future when I do have to teach it! As a student, you want to be able to make the most out of the learning experiences in your degree as possible so if the degree offers lots of practical experience, exciting opportunities for transfer etc. it'd be worth pursuing it! If you can find out what sort of units each of the degrees you're looking into offer, you can also gain a greater sense of what studying there might be like   ;D

I would also recommend reading student reviews for those courses if you can. Education degrees can vary from being super helpful to, as much as I don't like to say this, a complete waste of time so see if you can read more into how other people have found it. That was what differentiated my eventual choice to go for the Con over some of the other universities I was looking into. I don't know those universities in QLD myself but maybe someone else on the forums might  :) Hope that helps a little more!

Angelina  :D
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: s110820 on November 13, 2020, 07:32:06 pm
Hey Darcy!

In answer to what to look for, I would recommend considering the range of opportunities that your degree can grant you as a student. In my music education degree, I've been able to do and experience so many things that I didn't expect I'd get to. For example, I'm currently taking a unit on teaching jazz music which I was initially afraid of doing because jazz has for long been something totally out of my comfort zone but it is now my favourite subject of the semester and I feel a lot more confident now about my own future when I do have to teach it! As a student, you want to be able to make the most out of the learning experiences in your degree as possible so if the degree offers lots of practical experience, exciting opportunities for transfer etc. it'd be worth pursuing it! If you can find out what sort of units each of the degrees you're looking into offer, you can also gain a greater sense of what studying there might be like   ;D

I would also recommend reading student reviews for those courses if you can. Education degrees can vary from being super helpful to, as much as I don't like to say this, a complete waste of time so see if you can read more into how other people have found it. That was what differentiated my eventual choice to go for the Con over some of the other universities I was looking into. I don't know those universities in QLD myself but maybe someone else on the forums might  :) Hope that helps a little more!

Angelina  :D

Hey Angelina,

Thank you so much for your amazing advice (again)! I'm so glad that I can reach out to people on ATAR Notes about university because as much as I'm so excited for this amazing experience, I still have no idea what to expect. I'll definitely research the range of units each type of degree offers as I have a few days off now from my last week of high school. And I'll definitely read some student reviews as well! Except for one teeny tiny problem: there doesn't seem to be anything on the ATAR Notes UNE page so I might have to do a bit more research and look elsewhere. 

But thank you again - I really appreciated your help!

Have a great weekend and kind regards,

Darcy Dillon.

P.S. I'm also going to post the first part of my University Journey Journal soon and I'm so excited to share it!
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: colline on November 13, 2020, 08:17:28 pm
What is ACU Melbourne like as a uni? Is it good? Tell me all about it.

Hello Alannah! I'm not an ACU student but a lot of my friends study at ACU. How good it is depends on what you study. ACU is most known for its nursing courses and it's one of the top universities in Australia in that field. There's also compulsory placement units from first year - for instance, my friend is doing her placement at St Vincents and she can be offered a place as a grad nurse once she finishes her course. I have another friend doing arts at ACU and from what I hear the course is not as good as say, UniMelb or Monash.

Anyway it all comes down to what specific course you want to study. Also, do take everything I said with a grain of salt as I have no personal experience with ACU.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AlannahBottino on November 23, 2020, 02:12:33 pm
How is ACU for primary school teaching?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Lani Sweerts on November 23, 2020, 02:20:16 pm
I'm thinking about doing a double degree of forensics and criminology at Deakin University. Does anyone know what Deakin is like or know anyone/or does the course itself?
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: AngelWings on November 23, 2020, 05:35:15 pm
How is ACU for primary school teaching?
I’ve heard good and bad news about that course from across the grapevine, but this occurs for most courses in general. If you like the uni and the course itself then that’s what matters.

I'm thinking about doing a double degree of forensics and criminology at Deakin University. Does anyone know what Deakin is like or know anyone/or does the course itself?
I have quite a few friends who study at Deakin (Burwood campus mostly but have also had friends at the other campuses). I knew a person who did the forensic science course at Deakin, but it’s been a long time since I was in touch with them. Unfortunately I can’t remember anyone who did the criminology course at Deakin, and likewise don’t know anyone who did the double degree of forensic science/ criminology.

Deakin is a smaller uni compared to the two Go8 Victorian unis, Melbourne and Monash, so you’ll find the class sizes are smaller and making friends will be easier (as you’ll encounter the same people over and over again). In terms of the forensic science course itself, I’ve heard that it’s a relatively good course but you’ll need to be quite proactive in regards to getting work experience, placements, etc. in order to be able to get a related job in the area, if that’s your intention. From memory, the forensic science course is actually only available at the Waurn Ponds campus, so remember to consider accommodation if you don’t live close by/ have your own means of getting there on time.   
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: K.Smithy on January 03, 2021, 10:54:27 pm
Hello friends :)
I just have a few questions about timetables and course activities and stuff. I would ask a family member about it but I'm the first in my family to go to uni, so I apologise for the fact that I will have to annoy you all when I have uni questions ;D ;D ;D

I was just having a look at UQ's public timetable for semester 1 of 2021 to try and figure out how my courses would work together. For the most part it has gone smoothly, except I do have two compulsory courses which have activities that clash on the timetable.
The activities that are clashing are: SCIE1000's CON1 (no clue what that is) and PHYS1001's workshop WKS1.
CON1 is only offered on Mondays from 10am to 11am, and WKS1 is only offered on Mondays from 10am to 12pm - so, as you can see, they clash...
Now, one thing that really confuses me is the weeks for the activities. I don't know what it is talking about when it presents me with a bunch of numbers and forward slashes and dashes ;D I just don't know what's going on... :P
So for CON1 it says weeks: 1/3-29/3, 12/4-24/5
For WKS1 it says weeks: 22/2-29/3, 12/4-24/5

I guess my questions are:
1. what does all that weeks stuff mean? I don't quite understand what it is trying to tell me.

2. what is CON1 (all it says is "contact" but I don't know what that means)?

3. what am I meant to do about the course activities clashing? Both are compulsory for my major, so I have no clue what to do  :o :o :o

Any help or guidance would be super appreciated :) I hope everyone is off to a wonderful start in 2021!
Thanks,
A severely confused Katelyn  8)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Sine on January 04, 2021, 12:13:48 am
I guess my questions are:
1. what does all that weeks stuff mean? I don't quite understand what it is trying to tell me.

2. what is CON1 (all it says is "contact" but I don't know what that means)?

3. what am I meant to do about the course activities clashing? Both are compulsory for my major, so I have no clue what to do  :o :o :o
So for CON1 it says weeks: 1/3-29/3, 12/4-24/5
For WKS1 it says weeks: 22/2-29/3, 12/4-24/5
1. Basically the weeks your classes are running. I would assume you have a mid-semester break from 29/3 to the 12/4? Although you should check whether this lines up.

2. not too sure about that - do you have any more context for it?

3. Check to see if that same class is run elsewhere in the week. Normally workshops/tutorials will have many different times avaliable.
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: K.Smithy on January 04, 2021, 12:52:28 am
1. Basically the weeks your classes are running. I would assume you have a mid-semester break from 29/3 to the 12/4? Although you should check whether this lines up.

Lol that makes so much sense ahahaha ;D I don't know how I didn't recognise that those were like... dates... not just random numbers and dashes  :P

2. not too sure about that - do you have any more context for it?

I found this. If you scroll to section 1.4 Timetable, it says: "There is also an optional contact lecture (on Zoom) for Python programming, called "Contact" in MyTimetable, which you are strongly encouraged to attend if you are new to computer programming or would like more computer programming support."
I know that this is the course profile for the summer semester, but would it be safe to assume that the "contact" activities would remain optional in semester 1? This does make me a little nervous though, as I know nothing about computer programming so it would be beneficial to go to this. However, I do know that the workshop for physics is definitely compulsory so I'll have to go to that.

Would I be able to get in touch with the tutors outside of that "contact" class time? Because I do think some additional support with the programming stuff would be helpful. I've been reading a lot of review of SCIE1000 and the general consensus is that it is really hard and a lot of people fail ( :'( :'( :'( )

3. Check to see if that same class is run elsewhere in the week. Normally workshops/tutorials will have many different times avaliable.

Unfortunately, this is the only time these classes run. There are 3 mandatory workshops that I have to go to for PHYS1001, and that is one of them, and that is the only time available for CON1 for SCIE1000.... Oh well, I'm sure it'll all be fine in the end.


Thank you so much for the response though!! :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Bri MT on January 04, 2021, 01:00:01 pm
@K.Smithy

I've been unable to replicate your clashing issue on Allocate. (https://timetable.my.uq.edu.au/even/timetable/#subjects)
Can you double check which version of the units you are selecting?

Also - definitely don't panic about this since;
- if it's necessary for the same major A LOT of people would be impacted which means it's more likely to be or become a non-issue
- timetable preference entry isn't even open yet so there's lots of time to address this
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: K.Smithy on January 04, 2021, 01:13:48 pm
I've been unable to replicate your clashing issue on Allocate. (https://timetable.my.uq.edu.au/even/timetable/#subjects)
Can you double check which version of the units you are selecting?

That's interesting! I think they've updated the timetable. Because last night when I was typing in my course codes it would give me an option to do it externally or flexible delivery,  but now they are all internal. A lot of the lecture times have moved around too... ahahah looks like I'm going to have to re-figure out what class times I want

Also - definitely don't panic about this since;
- if it's necessary for the same major A LOT of people would be impacted which means it's more likely to be or become a non-issue
- timetable preference entry isn't even open yet so there's lots of time to address this

Yeah definitely! I've met a bunch of people who are doing the same major as me, so we're all in the same boat. I was talking to them about this clash last night and we're planning on just collaborating and doing study sessions together 'cause none of us have any experience with programming :)
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: alexandra.vo on January 04, 2021, 07:03:12 pm
What are some things you can do/study to prepare for a biomedical science course? Thankyou!  :D
Title: Re: How university works
Post by: Sine on January 04, 2021, 07:08:58 pm
What are some things you can do/study to prepare for a biomedical science course? Thankyou!  :D
I know most people would hate this response but just relax. You will have plenty of time to study during the semester.

If you really need to do something: if you did biology have a look over some of that. Or touch on some biochemistry and physics.