Studying @ UNSW – a guide from a student (1 Viewer)

[elfm]

Just buy whatever is cheapest... or nothing at all. Chances are you wont even use it that much because of the abundance of lecture notes/tutorial notes available at your disposal. This is ofcourse not sound advice for people that want to do every question they can get a hold of, but instead, people that just want a reference book or a book they can practice a few questions with.

I know a few people in 3rd year that haven't bought a textbook at all.

 

[Rekkusu]

Thanks for the great guide!! Definitely helps alot

The timetable tips from gman are totaly worth it!

Though, when you head to uni, would you just buy normal A4 exercise books...or the 5-subject type books? Lol, and also, checking up on locations of my classes, when it says for e.g.

 	Bioscience G21

Is that supposed to be near the G19 scientia? For I still couldn't find it in the map

 

[sunny]

Depends how you like to organise your notes, and how much notes you take. I use loose sheets, and a folder for each subject.

Just start off for the first couple of weeks with what you're used to doing, then change if its not working well with what you do in class.

 

[redslert]

As sunny said, you will have to discover this for yourself.
It depends on the subject as well, from my experience with subjects like Maths you tend to use a lot of paper for lectures and tutorial exercises. So I used lecture pad for lectures and A4 sized grid books for exercises.

Then again for subjects like Finance, I didn't need any books for the lectures as there are lecture slides posted up on the net and all I did and 99% of what people did were to print out the notes and write on them during lectures, but for tutorials there was hardly any writing each week, so I justed used A4 sheets.

For Computer subjects, I never wrote any notes, even if I did write notes I just jotted it down on my Lecture pad - just to keep myself awake because it's so damn boring. It is the norm to not write anything in computer subjects. For tutorials there are print outs and if need more space I use A4 sheets.

For the last semester I did three comp course and one economics course. I started the semester with a brand new lecture pad and at the end I old used fifteen odd pages mainly used to write down notes during tutorials because I didn't do the homework.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that it depends on whether you like to write or just listen in class and also depends on the subject.

In first year I did use exercise books, but only used couple of pages before ripping them out and using scrap A4 sheets instead because I knew I would never use it all up in one semester.

 

[Lundy]

Personally I don't like loose sheets because I've a tendency to lose things. I always use a 3/5 subject notebook because my classes usually involve a lot of writing (humanities, eh), and that way all my notes stay nice and neatly in the one place.

 

[redslert]

Lol, and also, checking up on locations of my classes, when it says for e.g.

 	Bioscience G21

Is that supposed to be near the G19 scientia? For I still couldn't find it in the map

That should be Biological Science building (D26), ground floor - room 21.

 

[Rekkusu]

Whoa cool! Thanks so much everyone for the tips + info, haha I was at a total loss, since my parents kept thinking I needed a 3kg laptop to walk around for every class!

I'll probably use maybe loose sheets for abit.

@redslert: Thanks for the indication! Hope they give you a more detailed map when you get enrolled in that course.

 

[gman03]

Actually that location is clear enough.

In EE&T they decided to change the room location so on the front of door you see

"G25 was G33"
"LG1 was LG3"

I mean who give toss about numbering.

Again I would like to point out you should know your location well. People who whinge after a few weeks because they did the auto-timetable thing or to have friday off usually ahem... and yeah fce has no classes on friday.. right?

 

[uniquest]

good job, it is a short but very informative guide


i have been offered a place in foundation course. i would really appreciate if some one could refer me to a guide for foundation studies as this one.

 

[Affinity]

Re: Textbooks / Handbooks / Student Fees

I know a few people in 3rd year that haven't bought a textbook at all.

Feasibility of this depends on the subject area, the lecturer, and the quality(or lack of) of the provided mateials.

 

[ace]

Re: Textbooks / Handbooks / Student Fees

Depends really on the courses.

For example, first year accounting the text book was needed since exercises were taken straight out and supposed "readings".

To take another example, on the other side of the fence. Computing courses don't really need textbooks, you can generally find good resources online to help you.

On an ending note;
The lecturer might say its the prescribed textbook but never use it, so wait out till wks 2-3 before busily buying up textbooks. Also the noticeboards are good places to search for second hand books (friends even better, you can generally get the book cheaper or on a long term interest free loan)

 

[know_it_all]

Re: Textbooks / Handbooks / Student Fees

sori i just want to confirm
does this mean its ok to turn up week1/2 without books?

 

[ace]

Re: Textbooks / Handbooks / Student Fees

sori i just want to confirm
does this mean its ok to turn up week1/2 without books?

Things for first week, you'll need

a bag
a notepad/paper (for writing down contact details, special info, etc.)
money (the first weeks of uni are like a black hole for money, you'll find yourself buying a whole load of stuff (like stationary, food, books, society memberships, etc etc.)

Basically in the first week or so, you'll get your course introductions, meet your lecturers and then you'll find out if you really need the textbook for a course or not. Based on that information, then you can either buy the textbook second hand, find some old find to give it to you for free, or buy it new.

So yeah, its fine to turn up with (relatively nothing, besides say a pen and paper) for the first week.

 

[lilg]

hi there...
ive had a few diffuculties on accepting online via the site....
uac has offerd limited explanations on how to accept and enrol..but rather directs me straight to unsw website.. what do i do from there?
and could you also tell me if there are oppotunities to change degrees after the first year and what are the requirements?

thankss

 

[Casmira]

the UNSW site offers a clear tutorial as to how to accept online
https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/commencing/AcceptUAC.html

you can really change from any degree to any other degree, its basically like competing for a uni spot like you did when you recieved your offers in mid jan, but rather than look at your uai purely to determine a spot, they look at your UAI as well as performance in your courses as well as relevance (ie. transfer from econ -> commerce is easier than economics -> engineering)

 

[Lundy]

Re: Textbooks / Handbooks / Student Fees

Booklists for session 1 are up

 

[mailinh]

hi everyone! one thing that i couldn't find is dat! Old main buding is one of teh location in my timetable and i couldn't find it in the map! may be i haven't look at it carefully so anyone mind show me, where is it near by where?

And one more thing: SIR JOHN CLANCY AUDITORIUM i wonder is there like a room number such as SIR JOHN CLANCY AUDITORIUM 200 or something? or it just SIR JOHN CLANCY AUDITORIUM it own!Sorry for these but i just don't know! plz help somebody?

 

[gman03]

hi everyone! one thing that i couldn't find is dat! Old main buding is one of teh location in my timetable and i couldn't find it in the map! may be i haven't look at it carefully so anyone mind show me, where is it near by where?

And one more thing: SIR JOHN CLANCY AUDITORIUM i wonder is there like a room number such as SIR JOHN CLANCY AUDITORIUM 200 or something? or it just SIR JOHN CLANCY AUDITORIUM it own!Sorry for these but i just don't know! plz help somebody?

Old Main is near barker street. East to the Village green ( the BIG green oval).

Clancy Auditorium - It IS the room. It is like town hall.

 

[mailinh]

Old Main is near barker street. East to the Village green ( the BIG green oval).

Clancy Auditorium - It IS the room. It is like town hall.

oh thx a lot! now i see it! Clancy Auditorium is huge! lol anyway thx

 

[Juliet]

Question: Mathews 130?

I assume it is in the buliding called "Mathews" but what is 130?

Thanks in advance!