CURRENT STUDENTS
Student Life
Student life at UNSW is much more than just attending classes. There are so many other things which you can do to make your time at University, a fun and worthwhile experience. With a huge range of services, support and activities for our students, UNSW is a great uni experience.
This page will help you find out what it is really like to be a part of the UNSW community.
| First Steps What is it like to be a UNSW student? Is it different to high school? |
| Managing Study Developing your study skills |
| Money Matters Fees, other costs and how to pay for them |
| Student Development and Support Our network of support teams |
| Social Life The fun part! |
| Religious Centre Meetings, studies and spiritual support for all faiths |
Student Profiles
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Jenna Dennison, Bachelor Psychology (Hons) I had family at both UNSW and Sydney University, but UNSW appeared to be more science-orientated and progressive. The law school has a reputation for being progressive with reciprocal relationships with both commercial law firms and humanities related centres. It also attempts to canvas teaching in a tutorial rather than lecture approach.
I attended a residential college and expected to meet a lot of friends there but was also apprehensive about initially knowing no one. As it turns out some of my best friends are people that I meet in the first week of uni. I expected the administrative side if life to be a little easier than the reality. Coming from a rural area it was often clear who to speak to when things were difficult however when coming to a large city and a large university it can be hard to know who to ask for advice or help.
The best part of psychology was my honours year and the flexibility that it endorsed. I met loads of wonderful people and had a really positive support network. The best part of my law program is the range of subjects as well as the vast array of extra curricular activities to get involved in. It is such a wonderful mix of independent learning, class-room learning and flexible hours. But you have to take control of your own degree. There are people to help you but you have to take the initiative!
Graduate law is fairly structured for the first year. Electives are available as of S2 in second year. I have 16 hours of class a week (4 subjects x 2 hrs twice a week). I have Wednesdays off which is a fabulous way to break up the week. I start my mornings with a coffee from the crazy boys in Coffee Republic, have 4 hrs of class and then either go to the library to do some study, go to work or go home to relax. Finishing at 1pm makes life very flexible.
I enjoyed my undergraduate (BPsych) (Hons) and worked as a research assistant after graduation. I returned to university to study law to give myself the option of a more diverse career with international and multi-discipline avenues. I originally wanted to be a psychologist but not until going to uni did I realise the procedure in which to become one. I am interested in combining the study of human behaviour within the legal playground; however do not see myself as a psychologist.
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Raj Narulla, Medicine UNSW has a great reputation. Part of choosing UNSW was that I didn't want to be subject to below par teaching or training, and I wanted to go to a university that was widely respected enough to ensure that I would have good job prospects on graduation. I was interested in the medical sciences and learning practical skills. Medicine also has great rewards in terms of being able to contribute to society.
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Hannah Higgins, Chemical Engineering While I had heard of the University of New South Wales, it was only at the beginning of yr 12 that I actually began to investigate what it had to offer. Coming from Victoria, I had not previously considered the option of leaving my family and going interstate but the more I heard about UNSW and the opportunities it could provide, the more I wanted to attend.
I was first attracted by the outstanding reputation of the programs offered, particularly in my chosen field of engineering. However on visiting the university in person I was quickly won over by the campus itself. I love the metropolitan feel of UNSW and the fact that it is so easily accessible to both the city and the beaches, providing amazing lifestyle opportunities as well as a great education.
While I enjoyed sciences at high school, I could think of nothing worse than spending the rest of my life analysing samples in a lab. Chemical engineering allows me to combine a theoretical knowledge of physical and chemical systems to a more practical setting.
University is a world away from school! While it can be initially challenging to adjust to self-motivated study, I now find the less-rigid structure of university allows me to set my timetable and study habits to suit myself, allowing me to work more effectively and have more free time to spend doing other things.
I think the most difficult thing to adjust to was living away from my family for the first time while also trying to focus on my studies. I didn't expect to miss them as much as I did and initially was a bit overwhelmed by living in a big city. However the distraction offered by all the new friends I had made and support offered by the university means that now I love living in Sydney.
Although I had a fairly good idea of what the program would offer I didn't expect to have quite as much fun with it as I have. Not only is the coursework interesting and challenging but also I have made some of my best friends while struggling through late night group assignments and study sessions. I also think that the compulsory work experience required was one of the best parts of my time at university - allowing me to experience first hand the life of an engineer.
There is so much more to university than I ever could have imagined! While the actual coursework was not a surprise, the university way of life is something that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. Lying on the grass with friends before class, opportunities to participate in everything from pottery making to hip hop and of course endless barbeques all contribute to make my years spent at university the best of my life (so far!).
UNSW provides so many opportunities, from both an educational and lifestyle point of view. The programs offered are challenging and enjoyable and the campus is so vibrant with fun and activities. I feel like I'm getting a great education while having the time of my life!
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Bradley Jackson, Surveying & Spatial Information Systems I heard UNSW was the best university to study engineering at in Australia. I also really liked the campus and its location within Sydney. And I heard the Kensington Colleges was an excellent place to live.
We start projects from scratch doing all of our own field work, calculations and reports to a near professional standard. I thought it would be a lot harder but with all the resources available and lecturers quite happy to help its doable.
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Amy Loughman, Science/Arts
The best part of my program was being able to try out a lot of different courses in first and second years before being locked into a major - subjects at uni are very different to how I imagined while in high school!
I chose Science/Arts for its flexibility and the fact that I could study a broad range of areas while still having the opportunity to do Honours and Masters in psychology afterwards. I think the best thing is to realise that one is seldom locked into a certain program or major and that it certainly does not represent a direct path to a single career. You can go many ways with any degree; it depends more on your changing interests than your childhood dreams.
I chose UNSW because of the high quality of standards across faculties, but particularly in science and psychology.
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