Uni 101

What University Is (and Is Not)

University is a place to learn how to learn. You are not expected to arrive already knowing everything.

University offers choice and flexibility. You usually have fewer contact hours than school, but more independence. You make choices about how and when you study. Different students organise their times in different ways.

University has many pathways, not one 'right' route. There are multiple ways to start, pause, change direction, or return. Changing subjects or pathways is common and supported. Your first choice does not lock in your entire future.

Support is part of how university works. Asking for help and clarification is expected, not a sign of failure. Academic, wellbeing, and accessibility supports are built into the system. Using support early leads to better outcomes.

University isn't like school. You won't be monitored in the same way. No one will chase you for missed work in the same way school does. You are treated as an adult learner. Help is available, but you choose when to access and use it.

University isn't only for 'top students'. You don't need to be the smartest person in the room to succeed. Effort, persistence, and help-seeking matter more than past grades. Students come from many backgrounds and entry pathways. Asking an interesting question is more valuable than trying to give 'smart' answers. There is no single 'type' of uni student.

University isn't something you have to figure out alone. You don't need to understand everything in week 1. Many students feel unsure at first, even if they don't say it. Places like BRUC exist to help you navigate the system. Belonging grows with time and familiarity.

University can feel unfamiliar at first -- especially if you are the first in your family to attend. That doesn't mean you don't belong. It means you're learning a new system, and learning takes time.

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How Study is Structured

A degree (or program) is the qualification you're working towards. A degree is the overall qualification, such as Bachelor of Arts or Health Sciences. Degrees are usually grouped within broad disciplines, like Arts, Health, Science, Business, even if the degree name doesn't exactly match the discipline.

Courses (or subjects) are what you study each teaching period. A course is an individual unit of study you enrol in each semester or teaching period. At some universities these are called subjects, but they mean the same thing. You usually study several courses at a time.

Different universities use slightly different words.

Majors sit inside degrees and give your study a focus. Many degrees include a major, which is a set of related courses in a particular area. Majors are usually more specific than the degree and reflect disciplinary focus. You don't always choose a major immediately.

Degrees are built by completing approved combinations of courses. Each degree has rules about how many courses you need, which courses are compulsory, and which ones you can choose. You don't need to memorise these -- advisers and planners help with this.

The academic year is divided into semesters (or teaching periods). Each period has teaching weeks, breaks, and assessment deadlines. Progress is measured across teaching periods, not week by week. Time is chunked to make study manageable for students, and teaching manageable for teachers.

Credit points are how progress is counted. Each course or subject you study has a set number of credit points. Credit points add up toward your degree requirements. Passing courses earns you the full alotment of credit points -- For example, if you got above a pass overall for a course, you will get all of the credit points. (Credit points are different to 'GPA').

*Note: Confusingly, one of the grades you can achieve at Uni is also called a Credit. This is different to credit points. Universities usually grade assignments across this range: High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass, Fail.

Progress is cumulative and visible.

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