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President’s Welcome Acknowledgement of Country 1 Welcome Week checklist 2 Clubs, societies, food and bars 3 Centrelink 4 Academic appeals 6 Faculty information Law 9 Business 10 Engineering and Information Technology 12 Science 14 Architecture and Design 16 Nursing 17 Pharmacy 18 Health Sciences 19 Thank you hit list 19 Map 20
President’s Welcome My name is Jacky He, the 91st President of the University of Students’ Representatives Council (SRC) - the largest governing body of all undergraduate students at the University of Sydney. SRC will be your greatest helper during your time at the University of Sydney, helping you overcome almost all different kinds of difficulties along the way, to ensure that you are mentally healthy, overcoming challenges and will successfully graduate by the end of your study duration. To all the undergraduate students, we are your guardians to success at this University. At this university, we provide you with the opportunity to learn and unlearn everything: that is, paying good money to learn things for two years and then unlearn things for two years - exciting! I wish you a very pleasant journey undertaking your degree at the University of Sydney. Studying here will be challenging, but don’t forget: carpe diem.
Acknowledgement Of Country The University of Sydney’s Students’ Representative Council acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and study, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The Gadigal people are the traditional custodians and caretakers of this land but to fully express the complex and spiritual relationship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island nations share with their sacred lands is nearly impossible. Every piece of the land upon which we live,work and celebrate on has a story. Just below our feet is 60 000 years of history, knowledge and wisdom. We acknowledge that the Gadigal people and those of the greater Eora nation were the first to suffer, resist and survive the brutalities of White Supremacy in Australia. The centuries-long resistance of Australia’s Indigenous community endures as non-Indigenous Australians continue to benefit from the colonisation of sovereign Indigenous land. We acknowledge the Indigenous people who work within the SRC and the Indigenous students of the University of Sydney. We turn to Indigenous people within our community to guide our understanding of Indigenous issues and ensure that their voices are prioritised. We also acknowledge the continuing suffering of Indigenous people as racism and violations of human rights are still a reality for Indigenous people. This land always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.
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Welcome Week Checklist NIAMH CALLINAN takes first-years through the Welcome Week essentials
• REVIEW 2019 COURSE HANDBOOK • ENROL • LOG INTO SYDNEY STUDENT • SELECT YOUR UNITS OF STUDY • VISIT THE STUDENT CENTRE • APPLY FOR A CONCESSION OPAL CARD (DOMESTIC STUDENTS ONLY, SADLY) • WORK OUT YOUR TIMETABLE • GET YOUR PHOTO ID APPROVED AND PICKED UP • BUY YOUR TEXTBOOKS AND READERS • CHECK OUT THE CO-OP BOOKSHOP • CHECK WHERE THE COPY CENTRE IS • SECOND HAND TEXTBOOKS ARE ALSO ONLINE SO CHECK STUDENTVIP • LOG INTO CANVAS • ENSURE ALL YOUR SUBJECTS ARE LISTED • GET ACCESS TO YOUR UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINES FOR IMPORTANT DATES • ENSURE YOUR ACCOMMODATION NEEDS ARE SORTED • LEARN THE MAJOR BUILDINGS AND LANDMARKS ON CAMPUS • LOG INTO THE WIFI ON ALL DEVICES TO ENSURE IT WORKS • LOG INTO YOUR UNIVERSITY EMAIL • BEST OF LUCK SURVIVING UNI! REMEMBER THE SRC CAN HELP WITH LOTS OF ISSUES IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY AT UNI
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Join Clubs & Societies
HEKTOR VINEBURG bestows a second-year’s advice on the importance of getting involved in C&S in first year The scrapping of membership fees for joining the USU have drastically increased access to the services the USU provides. There has never been a better time to engage with the culture of The University of Sydney. Clubs and societies are core to our campus, providing activities, spaces and events to meet like-minded people and connect to the broader university across faculties. Since the switch from mandatory to voluntary signups in 2006, USU membership has decreased and in turn, clubs, societies, and campus culture has been severely diminished over the last decade. Events have become less frequent and clubs and societies less plentiful. The accessibility of these societies has always been low due to the $75 membership fee for students and the added cost of joining a society on top of this.
There are hundreds of clubs which provide some essential experiences of university life which the university itself does not provide. The SRC and the USU provide inroads into student activism on campus which uni management does not. The importance of a culture and system of student engagement with a degree of independence from university management is important for any new student to consider when engaging with clubs and societies. Access to these clubs is crucial for students looking to make new like-minded friends and staying in touch with the wider university community, political activism and the cultural heart of student life on campus.
For new students, the USU’s removal of this fee could see new levels of accessibility to a previously pay-walled element of campus culture. Clubs and societies like SASS (Sydney Arts Students Society) or SULS (Sydney University Law Society) put students more in touch with their faculty. They also let you pursue hobbies like music, art or drama be it in SURG (Sydney University Radio Group), the Dramatic Society or BarberSoc. There is also a multitude of politically focused clubs and societies which are crucial for engaging with student activism on campus.
Food & Bars
NIAMH CALLINAN gives hungry students the run-down on the campus foody lifestyle
Breakfast What better way to start off a day of lectures and tutorials than a great breakfast (or for those later starters- brunch), the most important meal of the day. The area surrounding the Darlington/ Camperdown Campus has a variety of breakfast options, whether you are an Instagram story teller, caffeine addict or procrastinator. Along the way from Redfern Station (or ‘Redfern Run’), you will find some great deals to suit your dash up to class. Pride of Redfern is the first café along the route that has a conveniently placed open window for quick take away orders. After surviving the long walk down Lawson Street, there are three more options for coffee deals and delectable breakfasts; the Shortlist Espresso Bar, the Tripod Café and Café Ella. No matter what your preference or dietary requirements all of these places are a must. Lunch In between classes there are a number of places to move to for lunch. At the Wentworth Building you can grab a classic HSP and a bubble Tea. Taste Baguette is for if you are looking to get a bit fancy. Manning bar for some waffle fries and a jug. The place to catch any BNOC is over at Courtyard (Courty), where you will quickly be swept up in the business of the place. If you are looking for good places off campus, the best place to go is onto Glebe Point Road. Here you will find Spanish Tapas, Thai, Indian, places like the Thirsty Wolf, and my personal favourite (particularly in winter): Sappo Books, Bar and Café.
Happy Hour and Dinner Pub food is in short supply around the Camperdown/Darlington Campus, with options including the Royal or the Rose conveniently located right next to campus. Not too much further down City Road, the Lansdowne or the Two Wolves are other options which have particularly good student deals and happy hours. Closer to Newtown, there is the Courthouse or the Newtown Hotel. For anything specialised, Newtown or again Glebe have some great places to have dinner including Lentil as Anything, the Italian Bowl, Hikaru Japanese Courtyard Restaurant or the Flying Fajita Sistas. Bars There are a few main bars that are an absolute must within the area, including (but definitely not limited to) Kuleto’s, Webster’s Whiskey Bar, Corridor and Blacksheep. If you are willing to venture a little further into the city (Surry Hills), Aurora Rooftop Hotel, the Wild Rover and Ding Dong Dang are definitely places to visit.
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How To Centrelink
The SRC’s head caseworker JAMES CAMPBELL takes students through Centrelink If you are a local (HECS paying) student and would benefit from financial support for your study then you should consider applying for a fortnightly Centrelink payment such as Youth Allowance, Abstudy, or Austudy ( for those over 25). To get any payment you first need to ‘Qualify’, but also then see if you are ‘Payable’ after the various relevant income test has been applied. To Qualify you need to be: a citizen or Australian ‘Resident’ for 2 years or more, and, studying an approved course (such as an undergraduate courses at the University of Sydney), and, generally be full time (at least 18 credit points each semester), and, not have studied for more than the allowable time for the degree (generally the degrees’ minimum time for the degree plus one semester). There are some exceptions to these rules so check with an SRC caseworker if these are a problem.
TO BE PAYABLE MAY DEPEND ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE ‘DEPENDENT’ OR ‘INDEPENDENT’ UNDER THE LEGISLATION.
than $437.00 in a fortnight then you can credit the amount under $437.00 towards future income tests. E.g. If you have no earnings in your first fortnight of Centrelink in the next fortnight the test starts at $874.00 ($437 plus $437). Always report any changes to your income each fortnight to Centrelink. If you are ‘Independent’ with a ‘Partner’ they look both at your own fortnightly income and your partner’s fortnightly income using the Partner Income Test and the Personal Income Test. Talk to an SRC caseworker if you are unsure about that. If you are ‘Dependent’ Centrelink will assess your combined parental taxable income in the last financial year under the Parent Income Test. Some exceptions apply. If your parents are separated you are only considered ‘dependent’ on the parent you live (or last lived) with, and sometimes any new partner they may have.
Being ‘dependent’ (even if you are not getting any actual support from your parents) is the main reason full time students don’t get any payment, as you are subject to a Parental Income Test. If you are ‘independent’ Centrelink will look only at your own income and assets – using the Personal Income Test - when determining whether you can receive a payment. You are only considered ‘Independent’ if: you are 22 years of age or over, or, you have worked full-time (in a 2 year period), or, you are a regional student who has worked part-time (in specified limited circumstances), you are married or in a de facto relationship, or, it is ‘Unreasonable’ to live in the parental home due to extreme circumstances. Check with an SRC caseworker for the full details on Independence.
IN MOST CASES IF YOU LIVE AT YOUR PARENTS’ HOME THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT PAYABLE IS $293.60 PER FORTNIGHT. If you live away from your parent’s home you might be eligible for the higher away from home rate. If you are ‘dependent’ you need to show you have to leave the family home to study because it is more than 90 minutes away by public transport, and some other limited circumstances. If you are ‘independent’ and away from home you automatically get this higher away rate. If you are eligible for the ‘away from home’ rate the maximum base rate you will receive is $445.80 per fortnight. You may also be eligible for an additional Rent Assistance payment of another $90.53 (if you share rent) or $135.80 (if you rent alone). Adding this means getting $536.33 (if sharing), or $581.60 per fortnight (if alone). The maximum amount payable can be reduced by income tests. If you are ‘Independent’ Centrelink look at your own fortnightly income using the Personal Income Test. Your payment is reduced by $0.50 for every dollar that your pre-tax income exceeds $437.00 in that fortnight, plus a further reduction of $0.60 for every dollar above $524.00 per fortnight. Your fortnightly payment stops when your income reaches almost $1000 per fortnight, or a few hundred higher if you get the away rate and rent assistance. Always apply to check and confirm this.
If combined parental income is less than $52 706 a year, you can receive the full payment. If parental income is higher you will receive a reduced rate of payment until your parental income hits the ‘cut out’ point where it is too high to receive any student payment from Centrelink. This ‘cut out’ point varies according to whether you have any ‘dependent siblings’ and where you and they live. This point can be as low as $90 874 per year, or as high or higher than $168 614. When in doubt always apply and have this tested by Centrelink. To apply or claim go online – google ‘claim youth allowance’ (or Austudy, Abstudy) ‘as a student’. You can only get paid from the date you apply so do not delay. It could be later if you do not yet qualify - ie the start of semester - but apply before then. It may take some weeks before Centrelink assess you application but they will pay you a lump sum back to the date you applied assuming you qualify and are payable then. They often seek further information – respond promptly to those requests (generally within 14 days) to be backpaid.
Important Notice and Disclaimer: This information does not constitute Legal advice. Seek qualified professional advice before making decisions about educational, financial, migration or legal matters. This information can change from time to time. Check for the most up to date information.
A thing called the ‘Student Income Bank’ is also used to average out your income for the Personal Income Test. If you earn less PAGE 4
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Back On The Dole Again Vice-President DANE LUO explores even more Centrelink options for students In addition to Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY, you might also be eligible for these payments as a student: The Student Start-up Loan is a voluntary loan of $1077 paid twice a year. You will be eligible if you are eligible for and receive Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY Living Allowance. The loans are tax-free and are similar to your HECS-HELP loan. You will need to repay the loan once you reach the HELP repayment threshold. You can usually apply or opt into receiving the Student Start-up Loan when you submit a claim for Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2n1zTdz. The Education Entry Payment is yearly lump sum payment of $208 if you receive Newstart Allowance, the partnered Parenting Payment, Partner Allowance or Widow Allowance. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2S2BMbH. The Pensioner Education Supplement is a fortnightly additional payment of $62.40 (full-time) or $31.20 (part-time) if you receive Youth Allowance as a single main carer or other payments from Centrelink or the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2FzpjGl. If you moved to study, you may be eligible for: •
Fares Allowance if you receive Youth Allowance, Austudy or the Pensioner Education Supplement and meet additional criteria. The allowance covers the least expensive and most available form of public transport for trips during your study. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2HtQArE.
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A Relocation Scholarship if you receive Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY and relocate from a family home in regional or remote area to study at the University of Sydney. The payment is $4,553 in your first year. For more information go to https://bit.ly/2EP7U9k.
The Rent Assistance payment can be made if you receive certain payments from the Department of Human Services and your fortnightly rent exceeds a specific amount. The amount varies based on your circumstances and is up to $180.18 per fortnight. If you are already receiving a payment, you can apply by logging into your myGov account. For more information, go to https://bit. ly/2AXBgUx. The Youth Disability Supplement is made if you receive the Disability Support Pension or you’re under 22. Or if you receive Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY as a full time student and go through an assessment. Usually, you do not need to apply for this payment as it is automatically applied to you if you are eligible. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/2RSKTeW. If you receive Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY Living Allowance or Austudy, you are eligible for the Low Income Health Care Card. This allows you to receive cheaper medicine under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, bulk billed doctor visits and larger refunds for medical costs when you reach the Medicare Safety Net. Usually, you do not need to apply as it is automatically sent to you if you are eligible. For more information, go to https://bit. ly/2IinwGG.
Opal Card Dilemna “Can I get a concession opal card just like other local students?” is one of the most frequent questions for international students when they first arrive in Australia. The response from the New South Wales government is “NO!” As early as July 1989, the NSW Government stopped issuing concession cards to international students, after which the halffare concession became a privilege exclusively reserved for local students. In 2006, the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) and a group of international students took the matter to the courts. The NSW Government’s response was to pass the Transport Administration Amendment (Travel Concession) Bill 2006, making it legally justified to continue the discrimination. This move has saved the Government at least $13 million every year but is in breach of international students’ equal rights. The former NSW Deputy Premier insists that the government must ‘target its concession resources to those it considers most in need’, and that international students who pay $40,000 per year for their degrees must be deemed ineligible because ‘they have already indicated to the Federal Government, in obtaining a student visa, that they are fully self-sufficient and able to meet their own living expenses while in Australia’ (NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard, 6 June 2006). Mr Watkins’ statement is not backed by common sense or logic. International students paying full university fees does not translate into ‘they are never short of money.’ We all come from
different backgrounds and starting a life in a strange country is by no means an easy task – especially when facing rampant exploitation in the workplace, poor living conditions and an outrageously expensive rental market. More importantly, a student’s right to travel concession derives not from whether they could afford their living, but from their status as a full-time university student who is not yet financially independent. Try to think of universal suffrage - one has the right to vote not because they are rich or noble, but by virtue of their citizenship of a state. It’s not just about fighting for some extra money to spend. It’s about fighting for a right that’s always should have been rightfully ours.
While the government justifies discrimination by saying we can afford the full fare of everything, domestic students are offered concession regardless of their family income. Legally, the current policy is in direct violation of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), as ruled by the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal in 2006. This means what the government has been doing could be illegal. International students, a community that has been constantly contributing to the diversity and prosperity of this great State, stand for equality and fair treatment for all. We demand the NSW Government extend transport concessions to all full-time international students.
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Academic Appeals Vice-President DANE LUO guides you through USYD’s academic appeals system The SRC believes that every study deserves fair academic decision-making. If you feel that an academic decision was not made fairly, you can appeal that decision. Appeals are about protecting your rights and giving you a chance to make your case if you believe the University has not acted fairly in one of its decisions. When deciding whether you want to appeal, you should be aware that: •
There is a common formal policy and framework across the University (this is the University of Sydney (Student Appeals against Academic Decisions) Rule 2006, what a name!) but each faculty may have different processes for the first and second levels.
•
Deadlines are generally very strict and extensions to appeals may not be given.
•
If you are successful, your mark may be changed and it can be higher or lower than your original mark.
Third Level – Appeals to the Student Appeal Body
If you disagree with the decision at the second level, you can appeal to the final university-level body – the Student Appeals Body (SAB). You have 15 working days to appeal after the decision in the second level. This can only be done on the sole ground that due academic process has not been followed – the Registrar will check that this ground exists before passing your case to the SAB. It is important that you identify that policy or other issues relating to ‘due academic process’ have not been followed. The SRC Caseworkers can help you with this! To make an appeal to the SAB, you need to complete an online application form (https://bit.ly/2W94TJy) with all your documentation.
First Level – Informal Appeal
The first level is to make an informal appeal to your teacher or unit of study coordinator within 15 working days of being advised of that decision. If you are appealing an outcome for Special Consideration, Special Arrangements, Credit or Reduced Volume of Learning, you should submit an Informal Resolution Request online (https://bit. ly/2sGItBE). For appeals from your Faculty: •
For Business School subjects, complete an online File Note form at https://bit.ly/2CA2COt.
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For School of Nursing and Midwifery, you need to submit an Application for Re-marking at https://bit.ly/2TerG4s.
•
For all other faculties, you need to email your teacher or unit of study coordinator.
The SAB will contact you to arrange a hearing date. The Faculty will send you their documentation before the hearing. On the hearing day, three panelists will hear your appeal. The decision of the SAB is final and no further appeals can be heard. Here are some tips for an application to the SAB: •
You must submit all relevant documentation before the hearing date because new evidence (oral or written) cannot be given at the hearing. The hearing is only for the purpose of asking questions from the panelists.
If you disagree with the decision at the first level, you can appeal to the next level. You have 20 working days to appeal after receiving the decision in the first level.
•
You should utilise free caseworker advice from the SRC. We can help you make the strongest submissions and advise you on what to do. You are permitted to bring a representative from the SRC or own support person (such as a parent of friend) to the hearing.
If you are appealing a decision solely about Special Consideration, Special Arrangements or Credit, your appeal is heard in the Academic Panel. Otherwise, it is determined by the Faculty, usually by a representative of the Dean.
•
At the hearing, speak clearly and remember that your role is to assist the SAB to make a decision.
Second Level – Faculty or Academic Panel Appeal
For more details and how to appeal from this level, you should go to https://bit.ly/2W8iSPw.
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HOW TO: ACADEMIC APPEALS Are you appealing an academic decision? No
(An academic decision is a decision by the University that affects the academic assessment or progress of a person within their course)
There is no appeal
Yes, for other faculties
Yes for Special Consideration, Special Arrangements, Credit or Reduced Volume of Learning
Business: submit a File Note
Submit an Informal Resolution Request online
Nursing and Midwifery: submit an
https://bit.ly/2sGItBE
Application for Re-marking
https://bit.ly/2CA2COt
https://bit.ly/2TerG4s Other: email your Unit of Study Coordinator
First Level: Informal Appeals Submit within 15 working days of original academic decision Would you like to further appeal?
Yes for Faculties FASS: email to fass.appeals@sydney.edu.au Business: submit online at https://bit.ly/2sIfQE4 Yes for Special Consideration, Special Arrangements, Credit or Reduced Volume of Learning Submit an online Appeal Form https://bit.ly/2W8iSPw
FEIT: email to engineering.progression@sydney.edu.au Health Sciences: email to fhs.academicrecords@sydney.edu.au Law: email to law.dean@sydney.edu.au Medicine and Health: email to fmh.appeals@sydney.edu.au Science: complete form at https://bit.ly/2W4ymUV
Second Level: Faculty or Academic Panel Appeals Submit within 20 working days of first level appeal decision Would you like to further appeal on the ground that due academic process has not been followed? Yes Third Level: Student Appeals Body Submit within 15 working days of second level appeal decision Submit an Application Form and attend a hearing
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Arts & Social Sciences Arts is the largest, broadest and most flexible faculty at Sydney University. We will only talk about Arts generally because there are dozens of majors across six schools: Economics; Languages and Cultures; Literature, Art and Media; Philosophical and Historical Inquiry; Social and Political Sciences; and Education and Social Work.
Despite this, your academics will largely be of a high quality and provide you one of the best degrees in the country. Employability is high even for students with Arts degrees.
In your first year, try everything. You can catch up on not just one but two majors in second year quite easily. If you do this then apply for special permissions and Summer or Winter schools, especially if your marks are decent, to stay on schedule when you take extra first-year units in your second year. Make sure you enrol in units from the correct table to save troublesome credit transfers later in your degree. Make the most of your flexibility and like most Arts students you’ll find your path. Gone are the days of 2% per day late penalties. You should actually start your assignments early now. In schools like Media, Philosophy & History, and Social & Political Sciences you’ll have a lot of them to complete every semester. Thankfully most Arts subjects have more assessments with smaller weightings compared to other faculties. Don’t get caught out when you take on assessments worth 40% or 50% of a unit, give yourself time. Schools like Education and Social Work should clearly be their own faculties, as they were until recently. Degrees in this school heavily involve placements and this move into Arts has not facilitated a better delivery of theoretical underpinnings of the relevant professions. Media and communications students do lots of practical work in facilities like recording studios, differentiating it from other Arts degrees.
Take the time to get involved in clubs and societies to cement your employability but also just to fully enjoy being a student of the Arts faculty. The workloads of many degrees in the faculty (save perhaps some Economics, and Social Work and Education in later years) allow you a lot of time for extracurricular pursuits. Check out the handbooks and your relevant clubs and societies for more advice on your degree.
Conservatorium Of Music There are numerous majors provided by the Conservatorium of Music varying from historical performance to composition. At the Con, flexible learning pathways that engage with local and global communities prepare students for work at the highest level in a musical world that is sensitive to cultural difference, technically complex and artistically diverse. But do not panic about how to navigate your way through this mess - you can ask the Conservatorium Students’ Association (CSA) for tips and help!
While there are wonderful practice rooms to use, there are also a lot of additional costs in studying in this faculty. The Cons accompanist fees are extraordinarily high. Composition students are expected to organize concerts and sometimes have their pieces performed each semester. Paying performers and hiring venues can also be extremely expensive. As for careers, it is hard to have stable employment opportunities as a musician. While studying and developing musical skills, try to build networks with your friends and teachers. They may be able to help you find pathways to more stable long-term careers. Many students are already working in the industry by the time they graduate. Musicians work is often unstable and exploitable. If you aren’t paid by a venue for a performance within one month, they can face fines of $10,000. Keep receipts of exchanges about pay because often you will be paid cash-inhand. The Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance union offers cheap membership to musicians and can assist you with networking and pay discrepancies.
Students can book the music practice room on campus and there are different rooms for different majors. Students studying a piano major, students enrolled in BMus performance, post graduate piano students, and jazz piano majors all use the piano rooms. Jazz Drum, bass and guitar majors use rooms 1068 and 3072. Organ majors and CHS organ students use room 3056. Harp major students use room 3075. PAGE 8
The Con can feel disconnected from main campus, and its venues aren’t connected with the USU so you won’t receive discounts with an ACCESS card. Make the effort to get involved in the Camperdown/Darlington campus’s club and society events to broaden your social horizons. But also don’t underestimate the tightknit friendship groups you’ll develop at the Con.
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Law Don’t study Law just because you got the ATAR for it. Think about if it is actually relevant to a preferred career path of yours. If you’re going to drop out, do it early before you’ve wasted time on difficult and stressful units of study. The Sydney University Law Society publishes an education guide every year with even more information than you will find here. SULS is also useful for engaging with your peers socially. That being said, don’t feel pressured to partake in the Law School’s drug culture that develops during stressful times; everyone has their own way of getting through it. Often friend groups will already be formed based on which college or elite school you attend attended. Join other Clubs & Societies to develop a healthy social life and help you survive your degree. Meeting older students and peers through SULS is also helpful for collating and creating study notes.
MANAGE YOUR TIME SO YOU CAN GET READINGS DONE. That being said, there are great volunteering opportunities around for Law students. If you want to make a difference in the community and develop skills employers are looking for, volunteer for LegalAid, the Aboriginal Legal Service, Redfern Legal Centre or the Refugee Advice and Casework Service.
IN USYD LAW YOU WILL BE DOING THE SAME PRESCRIBED UNITS AS EVERYONE ELSE UNTIL 4TH YEAR, SO MAKE SURE YOUR SECOND DEGREE PROVIDES ENJOYABLE UNITS OF STUDY TO HELP YOU THROUGH EACH SEMESTER. Deviating from the prescribed unit schedule is perilous. Summer school can help ease loading but Winter schools can be overly intensive for most students. Your Law units should be scheduled into a block of two days. Students doubling with an Arts degree, and sometimes Science or other degrees, should be able to squeeze their face-to-face learning in three if not two days a week. Don’t skip lectures if you can avoid it, especially when all your lessons are efficiently grouped together anyway.
Assessments in Law have some of the most extreme weightings in the university. Many units have single assessments worth between 60% and 100% of that unit. Summary notes for final exams should be done by the middle of stuvac if not earlier. Do summary notes regularly (e.g. weekly or monthly) to lighten the load before major assessments and take care of your mental health. Textbooks are extremely expensive new. Thankfully, they are increasingly available online through the university library. Check the library your unit of study outline before you actually purchase anything. If you will be buying, then check on StudentVIP and the SULS bookswap beforehand.
THE AUSTRALIAN GUIDE TO LEGAL CITATION 4 WILL BE A GOOD FRIEND THROUGHOUT YOUR DEGREE. FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH IT AND HAVE THE LEXISNEXIS ONLINE LEGAL DICTIONARY ON HAND WHEN READING. Undergraduate scholarships are available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, rural and regional students, disadvantaged students and students involved in social justice organisations. The Law school is infamous for its inflexible bureaucratic structures that make it difficult to change timetables and get special consideration. Other law students will have advice on how to approach specific issues, lecturers or units when you have problems like these.
Do the readings. If you don’t finish them in time for one week, move on to the next week and catch up before relevant assessments. Working more than part-time is risky, not least for your mental health.
SULS is the official society for all law students. Pick up a copy of their Welcome Week or First Year Handbook to get the rundown on how to succeed.
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Business Students studying business might think that the best career path or goal should involve a “big four” firm (KPMG, Deloitte, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Ernst & Young). However, those companies might not suit you the most.
CHOOSING A COMPANY WHOSE ORGANISATIONAL VALUE MATCHES YOUR PERSONAL VALUES IS MOST SIGNIFICANT. In Commerce, whatever your major is, there are five core units which are BUSS1000, BUSS1020, BUSS1030, BUSS1040 and BUSS2000. It is compulsory to finish these five units to get a business degree. It is suggested to choose BUSS1000, BUSS1020 BUSS1030 and BUSS1040 in your first semester. The most important thing is to make sure that you choose BUSS1000 in your first semester to fulfil the prerequisites for taking BUSS2000 in your second semester. ACCOUNTING
used Python before because in QBUS2810 or QBUS2310 you will learn how to use it. Although tutors will teach a little, that’s not enough to survive or achieve higher marks in your assignments. Remember it’s all about self-learning! Believe that you are able to learn everything in Google! In conclusion, it’s a challenge but still a useful major. FINANCE Finance is an importance part of commerce with relevance in every business area since in theory organizations use financial information to make strategic decision-making to maximize profitability. You will learn how to measure and manage risk, build financial models, do asset pricing, manage portfolios and present financial information. Make sure you pay attention to unit FINC2011 which teaches a lot of basic knowledge in finance area. Also, chapters and even units are related and arranged step by step. If you couldn’t master FINC2011, it will be hard for you to study FINC2012 since it is based on FINC2011.
Accounting, as the language of business, is involved in many commerce courses and can be divided into two parts: financial accounting and management accounting. BUSS1030, one of the core units in business, is focused on the latter. Pay attention in this course to lay a good foundation for your future study whether or not you have chosen accounting as a major. As for those who are going to major in accounting, you will take the basic course of major study ACCT1006, which builds upon the accounting material presented in BUSS1030. It is an introduction to financial reporting and will go into more detail than BUSS1030. In addition, ACCT2019 is about management accounting and it is manly about analyzing variance though information, decision making and some ethics. The lack of Mid-Semester Exam makes it hard to prepare for final exams since the content covers a lot of ground. In addition, the final exam of this course in 2018 was a bit tricky. Anyway, hope you have fun in this major. BANKING Banking allows you to develop a deep understanding of how banks function in domestic and international financial systems, including an analysis of the activities, roles, and regulation of commercial and investment banks. You will learn how to analyse monetary policy and how to measure and manage financial risk.
AS TECHNOLOGICAL AND FINANCIAL INNOVATION RAPIDLY EVOLVES, GRADUATES WITH SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE IN THIS AREA ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY. As for career development, you are likely to follow a career relevant to consulting, commercial and investment banking, financial industry regulation or central banking. BUSINESS ANALYTICS This major is relatively a new major created as a result of the trend of “big data”. It uses data to gain a deeper understanding of business performance, which is kind of a combination of statistics and business. In this major, you will use Python to analyze data and teach yourself how to do codes. Don’t be panicked if you have not
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It is good for commerce students to apply knowledge to practice so that they are able to know how business runs in real world. Apart from internships, Applied Portfolio Management (FINC3301 & FINC3302) is run by the Discipline of Finance and is one of your opportunities if you are interested in investment management and equity analysis. This two-semester program enables undergraduate students to apply their academic knowledge and acquire practical skills by managing a portfolio of Australian equity securities using real money in real time. Also, there is an emphasis on team-based learning and interaction with industry professionals who act as mentors to students. Although this program is of high quality, it is hard to apply for it with limited spots available. Information about this will eventually reach your emails so check them regularly and take the application process seriously. MARKETING Make sure that you choose this major because you are actually interested in it instead of thinking that it is easy to pass and achieve high-distinctions. Be prepared for a huge amount of group work for assignments and presentations. Marketing can be combined with any other major from business to arts and although it might not be appealing at first, it equips one with practical knowledge of how to make any idea likeable and sellable, which is quite a handy skill to have.
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WORK AND ORGANISATIONAL STUDIES The Work and Organisational Studies discipline within the business faculty provides a straightforward structure for its Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management major and its Management major. Its recommended you buy the online version of the textbook for this subject. For a first year in either major, the two core units are WORK 1003 and WORK 1004, which cover the basics of management and industrial theory. This faculty has a surprising level of theoretical depth in regards to industrial relations, with course material much more akin to an Arts course. WORK 1003, for example, discusses Marxist theories of industrial relations.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN THE CROSSROADS OF THEORY AND BUSINESS PRACTICE, THE WORK DISCIPLINE IS CERTAINLY FOR YOU. The courses themselves have very different difficulty levels and teaching style but have a similar course structure. WORK 1003 has quizzes, weekly practice quizzes, one hour lectures and an online one to two hour lecture, plus a tutorial every week. It is recommended that you buy the online version of “Employment Relations: theory and practice, 4th Edition”. The course covers the theory of industrial relations and the implementation of it in a contemporary Australian framework. WORK 1003 rushes you through a plethora of content in a short amount of time with an intensive workload. The course is valuable because it is highly critical of business practice. It’s important to remember that despite the difficulty of the content plus the essay and exam, attaining marks if quite easy with quizzes and group assignments making failing difficult.
you feel like you’re in high school again, and it is suggested that you treat this subject like the HSC by just remembering key terms and phrases. The course has the same content structure as WORK 1003, except there are two hour lectures and no online lectures. In these two courses, there is not much to be surprised about except the extortionate physical textbook costs. SCHOLARSHIP A wide range of scholarships are offered throughout the year, including equity, high achiever and overseas exchange scholarships. Check out the website to see what you might be eligible for: sydney.edu.au/business/scholarships MENTORING AND SUPPORT
THERE ARE MANY MENTORING AND SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM, SUCH AS THE: PEER MENTORING PROGRAM; BUSINESS ALUMNI MENTORING PROGRAM; LUCY MENTORING PROGRAM; PEER-ASSISTED STUDY SESSIONS (PASS); AND MATHS IN BUSINESS. Don’t waste these opportunities, take advantage of them! To find out more, please visit: sydney.edu.au/business/study/services INDUSTRY PLACEMENT PROGRAM This program offers the chance to work for leading firms, small to medium enterprises, not-for-profits, government and non-government organisations, as well as social enterprises and community organisations during your degree. Undertake a placement in Sydney, Canberra or regional Australia, and around the world across Europe, Asia, North America and South America. Most importantly, you will receive credit towards your degree, while gaining the industry experience employers are looking for in graduates. Placement scholarships are available for many of these experiences. sydney.edu.au/business/ipp STUDY ABROAD If you want to spend a few weeks, a semester or a full year overseas, whilst experiencing a new culture and earning credit towards your degree, studying abroad is for you. In this program, you can study at one of our 300 partner universities in 42 countries around the world. sydney.edu.au/studyabroad
WORK 1004 is like taking Business Studies in the NSW HSC except you have to learn more buzz words. The content is incredibly easy for students to grasp. So long as you remember key words, definitions and phrases, a distinction lies for you at the end of this course. The textbook for this subject; ‘Management: Asia Pacific Edition’; is extortionate to buy physically, so buy this electronically. Analytical thinking for this course is limited to a self reflection piece early in the semester, however it is quite easy to just use key terms and phrases in your writing. WORK 1004 makes
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Engineering & Information Technology NEARLY 7000 STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND IT, MAKING IT ONE OF THE LARGEST FACULTIES IN THE UNIVERSITY. Engineering & IT is not an easy degree. It features heavy assessment schedules and countless sleepless nights. Moreover, the university of Sydney places special emphasis on students’ selflearning, so don’t expect professors will teach you everything required. Also don’t be naïve and think that what you learn in class will be enough to cope with the problems in assignments. It is precisely because of this intensive work load, students from the University of Sydney are the most popular among employers in Australia. According to the QS ranking, USYD is currently ranked 4th in the world and 1st in Australia, for graduate employability. From each semester’s questionnaire, students are, for the most part, happy with their lectures and the content of their courses. USYD Engo degrees are described as interesting as well as sufficient in providing a practical understating of the industry. CIVIL ENGINEERING Civil engineering students at USYD are about 30% female- the highest rate in Civil engineering in Australia. About 28% of students are international students. Approximately one-fifth of the students who study engineering are studying civil engineering.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Electrical engineering is based in one of the contenders for ugliest building on campus. If you work on campus and find that a building has been cut in half, that building is the electrical engineering building. Fortunately, the latest building in the entire engineering faculty will be located next to the electrical building. Better facilities, coming soon! There are four majors can be chosen under this degree, which are: computer engineering, internet of things (IoT), power engineering and telecommunications engineering. The one constant that electrical engineers face is physics and programming. Students feel that the upside of this teaching approach is that they are equipped with extremely strong theoretical knowledge that they will be able to put to practical use in industry. Lectures were generally praised as very knowledgeable. Students criticized the assessment structure of the degree, with a common complaint being that assessments during the semester are given an inappropriately low weighting and the final exam an excessively large weighting. The broad range of units on offer in third and fourth years means that there’s something for every interest in electrical engineering, leading to more senior students being quite happy with the content of the courses and their provision of relevant and specific knowledge.
Many students are confused about the difference between civil engineering and architecture. Architecture emphasizes the appearance of buildings, and civil engineering focuses on the internal structure of buildings. In our university, in addition to learning the five essential mechanics - engineering mechanics (CIVL1802), material mechanics (CIVL 2110), structural mechanics (CIVL2210), soil mechanics (CIVL2410) and hydrology (CIVL 3614) - students also have the opportunity to learn about civil engineering in many different fields, such as project management, transport systems and geotechnical engineering so that you can develop your profession more comprehensively. Among all the civil engineering units, units like CIVL2201 and CIVL2410 have a nearly 30% failure rate in each year due to professors strict requirements. Other units like Geology (CIVL1501), soil mechanics (CIVL2410) and steel structures (CIVL3205) are the most difficult courses for most students. However, these most ‘annoying’ courses are often the ones that students commonly think are the most useful. New lecturers of units CIVL1810 and CIVL3811, should mean these units two units no longer ‘ruin’ your whole semester. Survey respondents who completed their thesis indicated that it was a lot of hard work, but very enjoyable if you were interested in the topic. Each year, civil engineering have more than 150 thesis topics that can be selected. You will definitely find the topic that you are most interested in. PAG E 12
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Chemical engineering has the smallest number of students of all engineering faculties. Class sizes are very reasonable, which is to be expected in a school of only 50-60 students per year. Chemical engineering is closely associated with biomedical engineering. In all, there are six majors that can be chosen under this degree. Students were very keen on the content of the degree, finding it to offer a good range of material. There are heavily mathematical and theoretical unites, often featuring quite involved tasks and some programming. There are also broader and possibly gentler courses such as industrial systems sustainability that examines environmental issues in engineering practice, with one student telling us “It’s the closest thing you get to doing an arts degree and a breath of fresh air”.
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The tutors are well regarded and tipped as the best sources of information on what electives to take in later years, depending on your personal interests. Respondents emphasized the importance of attending your classes and finding a good group to work with, because many courses involve group assignments and this is also a way of reducing what would otherwise be a heavy load. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY If you’re studying a BCST (Bachelor of Computer Science), a BCST (Adv) or a BIT (Bachelor of Information Technology), the school of Information Technologies is going to be pretty familiar to you. This degree has two streams: Computer Science and Information Systems, one or both of which must be specialised in. Under the IT faculty only 50% of respondents participated in the Special Study Program. Almost 100% of students said that there are additional fees that were not indicated originally by the university, like printing and software costs. 50% of students want more contact hours with lectures and tutors in future years. AEROSPACE, MECHANICAL AND MECHATRONIC ENGINEERING AMME contains three degrees - aeronautical, mechanical and mechatronic - each of which share some but not all units with each other. Each of these three degrees can lead to studying the space major which requires a WAM (weighted average mark) of 75 or equivalent. What is more, the space major has the highest ATAR requirement among all the engineering units. However, there are many students that complained about the lecture content and the teaching quality of this particular major, in particular the first year unit of the space major. Students complained that ‘Even the Wikipedia is more useful that the lecture slides. The lecturer doesn’t teach anything useful before handing out the assignments’. If you want to choose the space major, you need to be mentally prepared in advance. Aerospace is also a degree with a small group of students. Most of them quit this degree in the first year of study either because of the tough content or the difficulty of finding work in this field. Due to their academic difficulties, they despise other engineering degrees. Overall, it is a hard degree filled with challenges. You must really love aeroplanes to study this.
DALYELL SCHOLARS PROGRAM (ADVANCED ENGINEERING) The Dalyell Scholars Program replaces USYD’s Advanced Engineering and offers greater opportunities to excel and new realworld challenges to conquer. You need to have an average mark of 80 or equivalent for the second, third or fourth year units of this degree. This course mainly involves:
Mechanical and Mechatronic are both very popular among the engineering degrees. The programming is not largely involved in both degrees. However, the skill of Solid works and Matlab are extremely important and handy for both degrees, especially Matlab. Without it, you cannot successfully finish the degree. Matlab will be systemically taught in ENGG1801 in the first year, so pay as much attention as you can in this unit.
1. Real engineering in the first year! You will participate in the EWB project, which is mainly about creating innovative products for underdeveloped regions
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
3. The third stage of the program relates to education. The work will be carried out with a partner school to enhance the engineering knowledge of Stage 5 high school students.
Its critical to pay attention in first year project management units because it is very different to other types of engineering courses. Whilst most project management courses are similarly structured, only first year units will teach you the critical thinking and basic skills necessary to tackle many later units without inflating your workload when you need to submit written work. This will boost your marks and save you time. Group work is also a big part of this degree so form a good group early on to keep throughout your degree.
2. The entrepreneurship is mainly contained in the second year. You and your group members will developed a business plan for an innovative idea.
4. In the fourth year, each student will be required to work in a team to produce an integrated design in detail and to write a significant design report presenting the results of the process. 5. Students completing 18 credit points of advanced engineering spanning at least 3 year levels will be awarded a Certificate of Advanced Engineering on Graduation.
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Science Welcome to the amazing science world! The University of Sydney is a world leader in scientific research and research-led teaching programs. The skills of critical and quantitative analysis and communication that you will develop can be a highly valuable foundation for a vast array of other careers. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BSC)
WITH MORE THAN 40 SCIENCE MAJORS, PROGRAMS AND STREAMS TO CHOOSE FROM PLUS A POOL OF SHARED MAJORS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY AND A FLEXIBLE DEGREE PLAN, THE THREE-YEAR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE ALLOWS YOU TO FIND YOUR OWN PATH. In your first year, you’ll gain essential knowledge in the fundamental sciences. In second and third years you will specialise in your chosen stream with the option to take elective subjects from across the University. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND BACHELOR OF ADVANCED STUDIES (BSC ADVANCED) You can also choose to combine your Bachelor of Science degree with the Bachelor of Advanced Studies.
IN THE BACHELOR OF ADVANCED STUDIES, YOU CAN COMPLETE A SECOND MAJOR, COMBINE STUDIES FROM A RANGE OF DISCIPLINES, UNDERTAKE ADVANCED COURSEWORK, AND GET INVOLVED IN CROSS-DISCIPLINARY, COMMUNITY, PROFESSIONAL, RESEARCH OR ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECT WORK. THIS EXTENDS YOUR STUDIES INTO A FOURTH YEAR.
summer or winter classes during holidays). The only difference for students who are doing an advanced degree is to enroll in a certain number of advanced units and maintain a minimum average grade (eg. 65+). THE MAJORS Every science student must complete a major in science degree. The list of majors can be found on the university website. Do not panic if you haven’t decided on a major yet, especially in your first year, as you can change it whenever you like—assuming you can still meet the major requirements which are also available on the university website. You also have the options to complete two majors in a science degree although it may limit your flexibility in unit choices. THE UNITS A science student who enrolls in a Bachelor of Science needs to complete 144 credit points in a degree in order to graduate. In general, advanced units may have additional lectures, more laboratory classes and harder assessments.
AN IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE ENROLLED IN THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND BACHELOR OF ADVANCED STUDIES (BSC ADVANCED) IN ORDER TO TAKE AN ADVANCED UNIT. If you are a Bachelor of Science student who is particularly good at Biology, you can absolutely just take an advanced biology unit in your degree.
FIRST YEAR MATHS IS COMPULSORY. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT MAJOR YOU CHOSE. The tips are to get them all out of the way in your first year and don’t look back. One issue with many science units is that they do not run in both semesters. For example, MATH1002 (Linear Algebra) only runs in the 1st semester. This means that if you forget to enroll in this unit or unfortunately you fail this unit in the first semester, you may have to wait until next year to retake it. This is made even more difficult with Summer or Winter School options. In your first year you are quite lucky, as many units are offered over the summer and winter break. This can be used to lighten you load during semester or just in case you fail something. However, do not depend on winter and summer school in your second or third year as the options for science courses drops dramatically. A final note about choosing your units - study what you are interested in. Just because you are in a science degree doesn’t mean you can’t take units from other faculties. If you love Mandarin, Film Studies, Politics, Business or History, take them! So long as you follow the rules of the degree and your chosen major don’t feel the need to only take science units. THE CLASSES
You can attempt to shorten this degree by overloading (taking more than 4 standard classes in one semester and/or taking the PAG E 14
MANY SCIENCE UNITS WILL HAVE A PRACTICAL COMPONENT. THIS MAY BE A LABORATORY, TUTORIAL OR A COMPUTER BASED PRACTICAL (THEY ARE USUALLY COMPULSORY) AND WILL DEPEND ON THE UNITS YOU ARE TAKING. SR C O R I E N TAT I O N H A N D B O O K 2 019
So a useful tip is always to check those components of the units you are interested on the university website. The tips for achieving a high result in your units are to attend your lectures or watch them regularly online. Do not assume that because you are attending your practicals, and doing well in them, that you will pass your theory course. They are often very difficult and could be totally different from the knowledge in your practicals. You may be required to buy a lab coat, safety glasses and calculator for most of your first year classes. You can also loan all these things from the Usyd SRC for free! So, if you forget to bring them one day do not panic. The last thing you may need for your classes is a textbook. This is widely contested among students. Some say they bought them and never needed them and others swear by their usefulness. My tip is to not purchase them before you start the semester. Wait until you are a few weeks into it and have a better idea of if you need more resources. Much knowledge is already contained in your lectures.
SCHOLARSHIPS Science scholarships are awarded to recent school leavers, current undergraduate students and honours students and it is based on two criteria —excellence and achievement, and equity and merit for both domestic and international students. The best advice is to always check the university scholarships website in advance. Most scholarships may take few months to process which means that you have to plan it at least half a year ahead and then collect all the documents that are required in order to successfully apply. VETERINARY SCIENCE
VET SCIENCE RECENTLY MOVED TO THE SCIENCE FACULTY, IN THE SCHOOL OF LIFE & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES. It is also now called “Advance Scientific Studies, Majoring in Veterinary Science.” This means Vet Science students no longer have any scholarships to apply for! Just one of many annoying consequences of the recent faculty mergers. Thanks uni management. Be prepared to dedicate a lot of time to studies and finding yourself short on time for a social life. Start your placements early because they are a serious grind to get through. The course work is similar to other sciences (not least because of the biology you must take). It requires dedication, memorising and understanding to do well in Vet Science. Many Vet Science students really enjoy the science coursework, often more than the Vet Science coursework. Hopefully there is some positive byproduct from the ridiculous course name change and there will be a greater focus on Science units. DALYELL SCHOLARS
MATHS
High achieving students may be invited to take part in the Dalyell Scholars program which enables you to cultivate the leadership and professional expertise to become a part of a global network of leaders.
THERE ARE A FEW OPTIONS WHEN TAKING MATHS IN FIRST YEAR: ADVANCED, NORMAL AND FUNDAMENTAL. FUNDAMENTAL IS OFTEN POPULATED WITH SCIENCE STUDENTS, TAKING THEIR COMPULSORY FIRST YEAR MATH UNITS. For the keen maths kids, our survey respondents recommended trying out advanced first, to put you in good stead for future years. If you find it’s too much work, dropping down to the normal stream usually won’t be difficult. PROGRAMS
PROGRAMS ARE COMBINATIONS OF UNITS OF STUDY, WHICH DEVELOP EXPERTISE IN A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DOMAIN OR A PROFESSIONAL OR SPECIALIST FIELD AND INCLUDES AT LEAST ONE RECOGNISED MAJOR. They include some embedded major and additional units of study. Examples include Medical Science, Environmental Science, Neuroscience, Psychology, etc.
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Architecture, Design & Planning Welcome to the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning which is 1st in Australia and 16th in the world for Architecture and Built Environment. The school has been leading the way in teaching and research across architecture, design and planning for 100 years. It aspires to lead the Asia Pacific region in the creation of sustainable designed environments, both digital and physical, to enhance the collective human experience.
COSTS Studying Architecture, Design and Planning is associated with huge extra costs. Although there is no need for textbooks, it is expected that you should pay for all your own materials, any extra programs, laptops and more. It is also very difficult to put an exact number on your material costs since everybody has their own design and it is specific to the materials you choose for your work.
THE TEACHING AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS FOSTER CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES OF ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE, ARCHITECTURAL AND ALLIED ARTS, DESIGN LAB AND URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING AND POLICY. Our high-calibre students join a prestigious and influential body of leading practitioners, thought leaders and change agents in a local, national and global context. STUDY
ARCHITECTURE IS A VERY TIME INTENSIVE COURSE AND HAS ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE STUDY LOADS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY. Your course coordinators might tell you about this, but there is absolutely nothing that prepares you for the first all-nighter you do in first year. There’s really no crash course to prepare you for this, and it’s not entirely laziness either. It isn’t made clear to new students how long each stage of the design process will take. It is possible that you will keep experimenting with one design, or you might have never made a model before. Just try to plan ahead and leave enough time for you to finish the design and hand it in on time. Because of the heavy work load, architecture students are known at the University for being hermits and social recluses who often don’t engage with Uni life but feel free to change this. Anyway, it seems that working all night is inevitable. So, prepare your coffee and tea! OUTSTANDING FACILITIES When you study in this degree, you will benefit from the latest facilities – the only indoor environmental quality (IEQ) laboratory in the southern hemisphere, an extensive research lighting laboratory and outstanding audio and acoustics facilities, including an anechoic chamber and recording studio. The Wilkinson Building has one of the best-equipped design, modelling and fabrication labs in Australia and provides dedicated studio space for students.
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However, according to the historical record, it is expect to spend up to $1000 per year on materials, printing and tools. Furthermore, printing a final presentation book, poster and other content can possibly cost you around $50 per assignment. So be ready for that! DALYELL SCHOLARS PROGRAM For students in the Bachelor of Design Computing/ Bachelor of Advanced Studies, Dalyell Scholars have access to a range of enrichment opportunities that will challenge you alongside your most promising and talented peers. INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
AS A STUDENT HERE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN REAL-LIFE INDUSTRY PROJECTS DRIVEN BY INNOVATION AND FOCUSING ON ELEMENTS SUCH AS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, PREFABRICATION, MANUFACTURING, ADVANCED BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES, COMPUTATIONAL PROTOTYPING, ROBOTICS AND MORE. Collaborate with leading organisations and practices such as Arup, BVN, Lendlease, Bates Smart, Neeson Murcutt, Gehl, Atlassian, Cox Architecture, FJMT and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. Unfortunately, the NSW Government privatised their architectural department but apparently students can still work with them. We also host exhibitions, visiting international scholars for symposiums, plus workshops and lectures.
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Nursing WHAT WILL YOU STUDY? As a nursing student, you will learn from leading experts about human biology, physiology and pharmacology as well as the differing areas of nursing including ageing, child and adolescent care, and mental health. Teaching takes place throughout lectures, tutorials, simulation clinics and through wide-ranging clinical placements. During this three year degree, your units are structured into four broad areas that are interwoven into your learning experiences throughout the course, underpinned by nursing practice; health, development and assessment; contexts of practice; and nursing and practice. The advanced studies element of the course underpins all of these areas of study and focuses on cultivating leadership, using research to make evidence-based decisions, and enhancing your understanding of the international health landscape. Alongside your classroom studies, you will gain invaluable practical experience through 880 hours of clinical placements across a wide variety of healthcare settings.
offers opportunities to learn a lot of clinical skills and as a result, the associated placement was a great learning experience. There are very supportive and knowledgeable lecturers and guest lecturers. Furthermore, non-teaching staff are passionate and knowledgeable as well. IMPROVEMENT NEEDED However, according to the participants of our survey, there are also things to be improved in the Nursing School. Firstly, some respondents complained about the open hour of practice laboratories which prevents students from having more clinical practice in the labs.
FROM ONE RESPONDENT: “IN SECOND YEAR, SECOND SEMESTER THERE ARE ONLY 2 HOURS OF CLINICAL PRACTICE IN THE LABS EVERY 2 WEEKS.� It would be more helpful to have the practice laboratories open for longer hours because students tend to prefer to practice when there are less students around. Secondly, some mention the heavy work load especially for international students. The course content is often delivered over the degree at a fast pace. Plan your time! Thirdly, in-class assistance with assignment tasks is limited, as such opportunities are often provided when students are working on other assignment tasks and have not yet researched into a new one. Also, some of the respondents think that although the teaching staff are very approachable, it would be additionally useful to have videos demonstrating a wider variety of clinical skills, as endorsed by the university. Maybe try asking for these! COURSE OPPORTUNITIES
With a wide and growing field of practice across the public and private healthcare systems, this degree will prepare you to thrive in both local and global health environments as you work with other health professionals to provide high quality patient-centred care. Since clinical experience is an important component of the course, all students are required to undertake 880 hours of clinical placements in health care facilities monitored or operated by the NSW Department of Health throughout the degree. GOOD SIDE Respondents of the counter-course handbook survey believe that the USYD nursing course provides a practical application of learnt skills in real life. Most importantly, theoretical knowledge can be translated into practical knowledge through clinical simulations and labs. Also, you can further understand the course by practicing in a real clinical setting, preparing you well for the industry.
Clinical practice is an important part of the Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies) degree. In total students undertake 880 hours of clinical practice. This includes clinical placement experiences in a wide variety of health care settings to give candidates hands-on nursing practice in emergency departments, intensive care units, paediatric units, mental health facilities, community health centres and more. The opportunity to undertake a clinical placement overseas means candidates can explore nursing within the context of other cultures and languages. SCHOLARSHIPS There are Susan Wakil Scholarships offered in Nursing and Midwifery. Why not give it a try and see if you can get it! For more information, please visit: http://sydney.edu.au/scholarships/undergraduate/faculty/nursing.shtml
COURSES SUCH AS NURS3010 COVER CONTENT THAT IS VERY APPLICABLE IN THE REAL WORLD, LIKE HOSPITAL SETTINGS, WHILST ALLOWING STUDENTS TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR KNOWLEDGE FROM OTHER UNITS. NURS2006 (aging, health and care) is recommended since it PAG E 17
Pharmacy The Bachelor of Pharmacy develops a comprehensive understanding of how drugs are developed and how medications affect the human body. Combining hands-on learning with clinical experience, this program is your first step to becoming a registered pharmacist and playing a vital and rewarding role in healthcare provision.
research project. As an integral member of the healthcare system, you will be able to pursue an exciting and diverse range of career options spanning retail pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, research positions within universities and research institutes, and positions in the pharmaceutical industry in drug production and development. A very popular unit of study is PHAR1821 which students find interesting and engaging. This unit offers a different focus to other units, designed to provide a broad perspective on health and illness, and encourage a view of the patent as a whole person, through a psycho-social lens.
THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS RELATED TO STUDYING PHARMACY. IN FIRST YEAR, YOU MAY HAVE TO BUY A LOT OF TEXTBOOKS, LAB COATS AND DISPENSARY WEIGHTS - ALL THESE COSTS CAN REALLY ADD UP. ASSUMED KNOWLEDGE Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Physics are recommended assumed knowledge. From 2019, this course will require a prerequisite of Mathematics (Band 4 or higher), indicating the helpfulness of brushing up your math skills for this course. ABOUT HONOURS
SUBJECT AREAS Completion of a major is not a requirement of the Bachelor of Pharmacy. Candidates have the option of completing one major. A major requires the completion of 24 credit points chosen from units of study listed during the fourth year of study. There are two majors which are industrial pharmacy and international pharmacy. Think long and hard about choosing your major and don’t be afraid to ask tutors and elder students for advice. STUDY As a pharmacy student, you will learn from internationally-renowned academics about the chemical, physical, pharmaceutical and pharmacological properties of medicines, and the application of these in the practice of pharmacy. You will have access to the latest technology, facilities and teaching laboratories as well as gaining extensive clinical experience.
IN YOUR FIRST YEAR OF THIS FOUR-YEAR DEGREE, YOU WILL STUDY BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY AND BE INTRODUCED TO PHARMACY THROUGH FOUNDATIONAL AND SOCIAL PHARMACY STUDIES. The remaining three years of the course are devoted to studying higher levels of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences together with specialised clinical pharmacy studies. In senior years, considerable time is spent in clinical placements in community and hospital pharmacies, where you will gain invaluable practical experience. You will also have the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge in your fourth year through an optional pharmacy major or, for meritorious students, an optional Honours PAGE 18
The Bachelor of Pharmacy is a four-year award course. On the basis of your previous results, you may choose to undertake an independent honours project in PHAR4830 Honours (24 credit points) during your final year, working under the supervision of an academic staff member. PREPARING FOR THE INDUSTRY From clinical placements to the Intern Training Program, there are plenty of opportunities for you to experience first-hand activities to prepare for pharmacy practice. Clinical placements are an ideal way to put theory into practice in community, hospital, rural or industrial settings, and prepare for the real world of pharmacy and healthcare. All pharmacy students undertake clinical placements during their degree. To successfully complete your degree, you will need to satisfactorily perform a number of clinical placements.
YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO DO RURAL PLACEMENTS AS PART OF YOUR CLINICAL TRAINING, TO ACQUIRE VALUABLE EXPERIENCE IN SETTINGS WHERE HEALTHCARE SERVICES MAY BE LIMITED OR DELIVERED DIFFERENTLY. The Rural Pharmacy Student Placement Allowance can help to fund your travel and accommodation costs. This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing as part of the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement. There is also Intern Training Program. After graduating from either the Bachelor of Pharmacy, the Bachelor of Pharmacy and Management, or the Master of Pharmacy, you need to complete an Intern Training Program (ITP) to be eligible to register as a pharmacist in Australia. SR C O R I E N TAT I O N H A N D B O O K 2 019
Health Sciences The Faculty of Health Sciences is the largest health science faculty in Australia consisting of seven disciplines, five research groups and three research centres. It provides professional preparation programs for a comprehensive range of health science professionals, as well as broader degrees in health science.
You can get through most Health Science courses without spending much on textbooks. Use your connections and the Cumbo Students Facebook page to get access to things second hand. The SRC has lab coats for purchase and free borrowing if you need them for labs, which begin in first year.
Its current location is in Lidcombe and the M92 bus stops directly outside campus, which could save your life if you are a bit late for class. There is also l;ots of free parking if you drive. On one hand, this small campus makes it hard for students to get lost. On the other hand, some students might feel alienated by its isolated location from which it takes about one hour to get to Fisher Library by bus and train. Luckily for those students who feel left behind by the main campus, according to the strategic plan 2016-2020 Health sciences will be relocated to Camperdown campus in 2020. It is reported that excluding the Bachelor of Science (Health), all degrees within the Health Sciences faculty that are taught at least in part at Cumberland campus will be moved to the Camperdown campus.
SHIFTING COURSES FROM SMALLER CAMPUSES TO CAMPERDOWN CAMPUS HAS IN THE PAST BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CUTS TO FUNDING, AND LOSING OUT ON IMPORTANT SPACES AND RESOURCES. Hopefully the tightly knit community of staff and students that forms at Cumberland campus will stay strong at Camperdown.
THE BIOS1168 ANATOMY A UNIT IS COMMON TO MOST DEGREES IN HEALTH SCIENCE AND HAS A GOOD REPUTATION AMONGST STUDENTS. The intensity of the workload is similarly daunting to a regular science degree, so be ready for that. Once you have completed the 3 year Health Science degree with a psychology major, you can study this fourth year Honours Program to become a practicing registered psychologist in Australia. This program helps students to learn relevant knowledge and practical skills so that they can produce high quality research. This program consists of individual research project supervision meetings as well as lectures and seminars.
Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence’s Hit List
At an undisclosed time and date over the semester break, a brave group of SRC activist spies began a secret mission that risked not only their lives, but even their 15% USU ACCESS discounts... The dedicated group of comrades infiltrated Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence’s secret dungeon located under his old quadrangle office. The goal? To retrieve secret documents relating to the suspected army of deadly robot ibises Spence is breeding on campus. During the investigation, our brave patriots lifted a framed portrait of Malcolm Turnbull to discover a batch of secret documents. Many of them are still being translated from parseltongue. However: they also discovered a shocking document detailing all the students Spence would like to eliminate with a sniper rifle from the top of the quadrangle clocktower! In a spooky coincidence, the list of names is the exact same as that which the Counter Course Orientation Handbook editors put together to express graditude for their contributions to this publication...
THANK YOU AND PREEMPTIVE CONDOLENCES TO: Niamh Callinan, Hektor Vineburg, James Campbell, Dane Luo, Jacky He, Lachlan Penninkilampi, Mickie Quick, Amanda LeMay, Alison Lau, Karmen Wong, Amy Zhang, Andrew Rickert, Lara Barbaro, Swapnik Sanagavarapu, Emily Kim, Mahek Rawal, Himath Siriniwasa, Alex Vaughan, Alev Saracoglu, Maddie Clark, Wilson Huang, Hayden Moon, Felix Faber, Maddie Powell, Jack Mansell, Akala Newman, Thomas Harrington, Peter Burrell-Sander, Steff Leinasars, Jazz Breen, Layla Mkhaber, Caitlyn Chu, Julia Kokic, Rebeccah Miller, Yuxuan Yang, Alex Yang, Vonnie Li, Prudence Wilkins-Wheat, Josie Jakovac, Terrence Shen, David Tu, Xiaoman Zhu, Visspa Wu, Honi Soit, Liam Thorne, Annie Zhang, Alan Zheng, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Karl Marx, pho, UniBros, Charli XCX, James Blake, Carly Rae Jepsen, Princess Diana, all that is good in this world. From: your editors and Education Officers Eva Feng and James Newbold
On the next page is a map. Turn over the book and begin from the other end to read Counter Course and learn about the USYD SRC and its activism. PAG E 19
Queer Space
Ralph's Cafe
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SR C O R I E N TAT I O N H A N D B O O K 2 019
Courtyard Cafe
Ethnocultural Space Manning
Fisher Coffee Cart
Taste Cafe
Carslaw Cafe
SRC
International Student Lounge Wentworth Food Court, Laneway Cafe, Parma, Hermann’s
Boardwalk Cafe
ABS Cafe
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