The terms you really need to knowWhen you first get to university, you'll probably come across a lot of terms being used that you've never heard of before or don't completely understand. These are the terms you really need to know:
Academic Year
The academic year is divided into two 12-13 week semesters, each followed by an examination period. Semester 1 runs from late February to mid June, and Semester 2 from late July to early November. There is a two-week mid-semester break in each semester. Access AdelaideAccess Adelaide is a web-based online system that allows you to access things that are really important to your own program such as enrolment, graduation and finances. Census dateThis is the cut off date for dropping out (unenrolling) from a course and not being charged for it. If you wait until after the census date to drop out, the course fees will be added to your HECS-HELP, or invoiced to you if you are paying up front. To avoid getting caught choose your courses wisely, and make a keen effort 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 2009 Census dates are March 31 for Semester 1 and August 31 for Semester 2. DeferringDeferring is a choice that you get from SATAC when you receive your uni offer. It 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, but if you start semester 1 and then decide to defer, you can drop all your courses in Access Adelaide and 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 excluding Arts/Music and other Music programs (no deferment permitted) and the Bachelor of Science (Pre-Veterinary (one year deferment only). FacultiesThe 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 ¾ of the full recommended load for your program. Usually, a full-time study load equates to at least nine units per week – otherwise, you are classified as a 'part-time' student. 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, various support payments etc. To find out more, contact the Student Centre. HECS-HELPHECS-HELP stands for the Higher Education Contribution Scheme – Higher Education Loans Program, which allows you to put off paying for your degree until you start earning a minimum amount as your career develops. For more detailed information about HECS you can look at our HECS-HELP Information Page or go directly to the Government's going to uni web site. A useful booklet about HECS-HELP is also available from the Student Centre. Lectures, Tutorials and PracticalsClasses usually fit into one of three categories: lectures, tutorials and practicals. Find out more in our section on how classes work. MyUniMyUni is your individual login page which is used to support what you learn in lectures and tutorials. It gives you access to student announcements, course materials, discussion boards and assessments – things that will be important for doing uni. You should check this often as your lecturers and tutors will use it to communicate with your class and provide you with important information. Plagiarism This 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 Centre for Learning and Professional Development. Programs, Courses and UnitsThe 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 components 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 on our 'How programs and courses work' page. SemesterUniversity is taught in two semesters; and each semester gets cut in half with a two-week break in the middle. Each semester usually means new courses, its own set of exams, and its own big break afterwards! Have a look at the Academic Year Dates to see the current dates for the semesters. Student CardThis card is your student ID and you'll need it whenever you need to prove who you are. So for enquiries at the Student Centre about personal details, to enter some rooms of the uni, to access course advice to borrow books from the library and to take to exams amongst other things. Card Services manages all general matters about your Student Card. Withdraw no fail (WNF) & Withdraw fail (WF) The Withdraw no fail (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 a WF will be 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 Student Centre or Counselling Service.
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