Useful Terms

Here are some terms you really need to know when you start uni:

Academic Year - The year is divided into two 12 to 13 week semesters, each followed by an examination period. There is a two-week mid-semester break in each semester. View the Academic Year Dates to see the current dates for the semesters.

Access Adelaide - An online system that allows you to access things that are really important to your program such as enrolment, graduation and finances.

Census Date - The cut off date for un-enrolling from a course without incurring fees. If you withdraw after the Census Date the course fees will either be added to your HECS-HELP or invoiced if you are paying up front. To avoid getting caught, choose your courses wisely, and try to work out if the course is right for you early in the semester. Talk to your School or Faculty if you are unsure. The 2012 Census dates are March 31 (Semester 1) and August 31 (Semester 2).

Deferring - Means that you can put off studying for up to 2 years and still have a place at uni. It is best if you defer when you receive your offer, however if you start Semester 1 and then decide to defer, you can drop all your courses via Access Adelaide. You can then advise SATAC via UniWeb that you wish to change your response to DEFER. This must be done before the Census Date.

If you miss the Census Date, or finish Semester 1 and then wish to defer, you can apply for a leave of absence to your School or Faculty. All programs allow deferment of studies for two years except for Arts/Music and other Music programs (no deferment permitted) and the Bachelor of Science (Pre-Veterinary (one year deferment only).

Faculties - The University is divided up into five academic faculties. Within each one are schools and disciplines for more specific areas. For example, there is the Faculty of the Professions, and within this the Law School.

Full-time Study/Part-time Study - To qualify as a 'full-time' student, you must be taking at least three quarters of the full recommended study load for your program, which usually equates to at least nine units per semester or trimester. A full-time load includes time allocated for non-contact activities such as reading, researching or writing assignments (you should expect to spend on average of 48 hours per week on your studies). Qualifying as a full-time student is important for things like transport discounts and various support payments; for more details contact the University Contact Centre.

HECS-HELP - The Higher Education Contribution Scheme - Higher Education Loans Program allows you to delay paying for your degree until you start earning a specific wage amount. For more detailed information about HECS visit HECS-HELP Information Page or the Government's Study Assist website. A useful booklet about HECS-HELP is also available from the University Contact Centre.

Lectures, Tutorials and Practicals - Classes usually fit into one of three categories: lectures, tutorials and practicals.

MyUni - MyUni is your individual login page that will support you as you learn and gives you access to student announcements, course materials, discussion boards and assessments. Check this often as your lecturers and tutors will use it to communicate with your class and provide you with important information.

Plagiarism - Is serious stuff. Plagiarism is when you use other people's ideas or text without properly acknowledging them. If you are found guilty of plagiarism, you may fail the piece of work you have submitted, the course or even be banned from uni for two years. So don't do it. To find out how to reference your work properly to avoid plagiarism, ask your School or visit the Writing Centre.

Programs, Courses and Units - The program is the broader name for your study, for example a Bachelor of Arts. You may know it as your degree. It is made up of many courses. A course is the individual component that you study, for example, Introduction to Australian Politics 1. A course is worth a certain number of units, depending on the amount of work you have to do for it, and you need to complete a certain number of units to complete a program. More information is available at Programs and Courses.

Semester - University is taught in two semesters, which each have a two-week break in the middle. Each semester usually means new courses, its own set of exams, and a big break afterwards. View the Academic Year Dates to see the current dates for the semesters.

Student Card - This is your student ID and you'll need it whenever you need to prove who you are including; for personal enquiries at the University Contact Centre; entry to some uni rooms; to access course advice; to borrow books; and to take to exams amongst other things. Card Services manages all general matters about your Student Card.

Unified - Access all of your student systems and personal info via a central website with a single login. Check emails, calendars, uni announcements, news and events; search the library and check library loans; view course list and listen to lecture recordings; and find direct links to MyUni, MyLibrary and Access Adelaide.

Withdraw No Fail (WNF) & Withdraw Fail (WF) - The WNF date is the last day to withdraw without failure. If you decide you want to drop a course after the Census Date, but before the Withdraw No Fail (WNF) date, then the course will still appear on your transcript as a WNF, but your total uni grades (Grade Point Average) won't be affected. You will still have to pay the fees for the course, but your degree won't suffer academically.

The Withdraw Fail date (WF) is your last resort for dropping out and is not recommended. It is the date by which you can withdraw from the course and have a WF recorded on your academic transcript, as opposed to a straight fail. A WF will bring your GPA down, because you are recorded as having a zero for the course.

Some students feel forced to Withdraw Fail because they can no longer physically do uni, such as for health or family reasons. If you find yourself considering to Withdraw Fail for whatever reason, talk to the University Contact Centre or Counselling Service.

Authorised by:	Manager, Transition and Advisory Service
Maintained by:	Transition and Advisory Service