Studying @ UNSW – a guide from a student (2 Viewers)

[routemarker]

I agree 3rd street is good - 2nd street is usually packed right to the end, and people think "urgh 3rd street too far, I'll park at the end of the 2nd street instead".

What they don't realise is that the start of the 3rd street (which is usually free right up till ~9:30am) ends up being much closer to uni than being parked at the end of the 2nd street.

Handy hint

Where is 3rd st?

 

[sunny]

1st is Doncaster, the just count from there - I don't remember the street names exactly, but just keep going down Day Avenue.

 

[stamos]

um yeah by the way, the randwick residents voted in the greens to local council

they promised to install parking meters all around the uni for non residents

 

[CMJ]

Yep, it looks like parking meters are going to be installed in the streets around the uni, with a charge of $3.30 an hour. The link below has a map of the area that is being proposed to be metered.

http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/pdf/parkingMeters200507.pdf

 

[sunny]

It makes no difference putting those parking meters in defined areas, it just means people will park on streets that are further away. Its just moving the problem and making it more concentrated in place outside of these areas.

 

[redslert]

fukin arseholes!
that's a massive area around the uni

 

[Acid]

Solution: Catch a bus

 

[Josie]

Yeah, and that works for students carrying models and folios and tools and blah blah

As well as those involved in after-class activities.
There aren't many buses after shows have finished

 

[redslert]

Solution: Catch a bus

it's not the buses, i have no problem catching a bus....it's the stupid unreliable trains

 

[Dash]

and if you don't pay in 2nd semester, you can't vote for guild elections ... i learnt this the hard way.

Hahaha... I did the same thing!
Except I never wanted 2 vote...
It was the easy way out when someone pulled u off sumwhere 2 vote

 

[sikeveo]

Do we study 4 or 3 subjects a semester for full time?

 

[MedNez]

Four per semester.

 

[Jumbo Cactuar]

You have a study a certain quota of Units of Credit each semester, for UNSW it's 24 UOC/semester for full-time.

And for some unfortunate suckers that could be as many as eight subjects!

 

[sikeveo]

Cool. Most science subjects are 6uoc.

 

[gman03]

Cool. Most science subjects are 6uoc.

Except for physics which most 2nd year or higher subjects are 3uoc.

 

[raspb3rry]

Thanks for the transport guide, it helped a lot! !

 

[sunny]

Just thought I'd add - this might be old news for some, but I've heard that the council's move to add parking meters around uni has been squashed.

 

[gman03]

Getting ID card, a supplement to the guide

For new student:

• First you have to accept your offer in mid-jan
• Next is wait until early Feb and mark your timetable by ENROLLING different subjects. Please refer to UNSW's virtual handbook for which subjects to enroll.

For unsw student (new or current):

• After you enroll and BEFORE O-WEEK, go to e-spot and get your student ID card. You will need to bring at least one form of photo ID (preferably two ids and one with address, but that's are not a must)
• Next if you are eligible for concession you will need to fill in a form (size of 1/4 of an A4) that is available at e-spot.
• Next, queue and get served by the counter, take a seat and smile for the photo (remember they take your photo at the most unexpected moment)
• Afterwards they will issue you the card immediately (actually after 5 minutes for printing the card out).
• Finally check the card for your name, staterail stamp, your face (and complain about it , your degree initial (say BSc for science degree), your student number.
• After a week or so when the admin people update your record, gman03 suggests you to go to library and borrow a book and see if the card+barcode works. If not, go to e-spot and scream.

You may get a preview of the card if babydoll_ got her card and post it on the forum

For timetabling gman03 has the following suggestion:

• Please do not use 'auto timetable' method to make your timetable you lazy bum. Almost 80% of the people I know who did auto timetable in first year REGRET their decision. The symptoms of auto timetabled timetable includes 5 hours gaps and 9 hours day.
• If possible, take consideration of the lecture/tut venue. It is a pain to travel acroos different section of uni in just 5 minutes (plus the chance your lecturer stops late and starts early). Check the UNSW's Map for reference.
• In O-Week, meet friends and discuss timetable and change the location of tut of they are still available (so you don't have to be a loner in every tut, like me )
• At last, check that ehat you enrol counts for your degree.

There!

 

[seremify007]

Textbooks
You can search for what textbooks are needed for your subjects online at the UNSW Bookshop website
However be weary of jumping into the textbook and buying hundreds of dollars of prescribed/recommended texts. Lecturers will tell you what textbooks are really needed early in the course.

Second hand texts
Yes there is a second hand bookshop. Somewhat limited selection at times though. You'll have much better luck looking at "for sale" posters stuck up on notice boards at places like the Basser steps and outside Matthews.

Thanks for the info there!
May I ask if you know whether or not second hand textbooks are recommended? Whilst it's good that they'll be cheaper, will those older books still be up to date (ie. are they rewritten every year?)?

 

[sunny]

Usually lecturers use the newest editions, but if there are major changes between editions they usually tell you. Most of the time the changes between the current edition and the previous one isn't that big.