Your first few weeks or months of university can feel like you’ve entered a parallel universe where everything almost makes sense… except it really doesn’t. You might hear people say things like ‘I’ve got class in 4_2_31’ or ‘I’m meeting with Assistant Professor Brown above the MLC after my tutorial and seminar this afternoon’. It often seems like the people around you are speaking a different language, which can be pretty challenging when you’re already trying to settle into a new environment and juggle a social life and classes.
If you’re a new or soon-to-be Bondy (AKA a Bond student or member of our tightknit community), here are seven helpful tips to guide you through the ins and outs of starting your university journey.
1. Room codes
At times, Bond can be a maze of codes and abbreviations. If you’ve checked out your timetable or had a look at some signs around campus, you might have noticed a four or five-digit code that looks something like these: 6_2_12 or 4_2_31. This is how we write our room numbers at Bond.
As you can see, there are three sets of numbers in each code. The first is the building number, the second is the level or floor, and the third is the room itself. Hence, 6_2_12 actually means building 6, level 2, room 12. If you live on campus, your room code will also be written like this. Once you’ve got this tip down, finding rooms on campus will be ten times easier, and eventually, it’ll feel like second nature.
Getting used to Bond’s campuses takes some time, so if you’re still a bit lost, be sure to use Bond’s interactive campus map to help navigate your way to classes and meetings.
2. Subjects
One thing that all new undergraduate Bondies should know when starting university is that uni subjects are completely different to high school. If you took Legal Studies in high school, for instance, you would have been enrolled in this subject along with four or five other subjects for all of Year 11 and 12.
University adopts a completely different model. At Bond, full-time students normally study four subjects per semester. You’ll focus closely on these four topics for 15 weeks, and then start four entirely new subjects the semester after. This means that you can complete twelve subjects in one university year (due to our three-semester-per-year timetable) instead of five to six high school subjects that span two years.
If you’re wondering which subjects to take and when, be sure to check out your Program Structure and Sequence, which outlines the order in which you should complete your subjects. If you need more help with enrolments or your timetable, visit our friendly staff at Student Assist in the back of the Main Library and they’ll be happy to provide their expert guidance.
3. Teaching staff
If you’re coming to Bond as a school leaver, you’ll be more than familiar with the terms ‘teacher’, ‘head of department’ and ‘principal’. While the overall structure of university is somewhat similar to high school, the names we use to describe staff members are quite different.
Let’s start with the basics. At university, an ‘academic’ is the equivalent to a classroom teacher. An academic can be a lecturer or a tutor, and might have the title Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Senior Teaching Fellow, or something similar. This means that if you’re studying four subjects, you will probably learn from at least four different academics each semester.
At Bond, the equivalent of a high school head of department is an executive dean. Heads of department and executive deans are similar in that they both oversee a general study area, or, as Bond calls it, a faculty. At Bond, there is an executive dean for each of the four faculties: the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Society and Design, the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, and the Bond Business School.
Another position to be aware of at university is the Vice Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor is one of the most prominent positions at Bond and oversees the main functions and operations of the University. The high school equivalent to this position is a principal or headmaster.
4. Classes
At university, there are a couple of different types of classes that you might find yourself in. First, there are lectures, where you will listen and take notes for two hours in a big lecture theatre or virtually, with most of the other students in the subject. In tutorials, you will be in a small class with a couple of your peers and an academic for one to two hours, completing activities to help you enhance your understanding of the lecture content. Seminars are a two-to-three-hour blend of a lecture and tutorial, which is most similar to the way classes are taught at school. Health Sciences and Medicine students might also get to partake in labs, applying their knowledge in a practical context.
Combined, these class styles will provide you with a really comprehensive understanding of your subject, and they’ll give you ample opportunities to ask questions, interact with your peers, absorb key knowledge from academics, and apply this to relevant scenarios.
5. Study planners
It’s important to stay on top of your studies as a university student. One piece of advice for new Bondies is to use the Academic Skills Centre’s free study planner to track your assessment. Write in all the assessment pieces you have due over the course of the semester, using a different colour for each subject. Once you do this, you can work backwards from the due dates to figure out when to complete drafts and meet with academics to ask questions.
If you’d like some extra support when starting out at Bond, be sure to book a free appointment with the Academic Skills Centre (ASC) here. They’re a super helpful resource located on campus, with virtual appointments available. The experts at the ASC are able to assist with writing, referencing, resume-building, mathematics and more.
6. Parking at Bond
One of the major perks of being a Bondy is that you have access to plenty of free parking at both the main campus and at the Bond Institute of Health and Sport (BIHS). If you’re planning to drive to campus at some point, you’ll need to register for a parking permit. You should do this as soon as possible to avoid getting a fine – parking is for our Bondies only!
To register for a permit, login to the Student Portal, click on the bottom tab titled ‘Parking’ and fill out the form with your details. Once this is complete, you should receive a confirmation email from security saying that your permit has been approved.
If you live on-campus, you’re allowed to park in Parking Restricted (PR) areas close to your building, or Parking General (PG) if the restricted area is full. All other Bondies are permitted to park in any Parking General (PG) area on campus. There are signs across campus to indicate the various parking areas, so be sure to keep an eye out for ones that you’re eligible to park in.
Don’t forget – if you change or sell your vehicle, you will need to register for a new parking permit. Likewise, if you have visitors coming to campus, be sure to register their vehicle using the same form you registered your own car. Click here for more information about parking on campus.
7. Keep up to date with Bond
It can sometimes feel pretty tricky to process all the information you’re given in the first semester of university. To keep up with the most important news and events occurring at Bond, be sure to:
- Check your student emails regularly
- Follow Bond University on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter
- Follow the Bond University Student Association (BUSA) on Facebook and Instagram
With all of these resources and tips up your sleeve, it’ll feel just that bit easier to keep on top of uni life, and to stay connected with everyone around you. Now, all there’s left to do is get out there and enjoy your first semester of university at Bond – we promise it won’t disappoint!
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