2025 courses
This course is recommended for students enrolling in any first-year Physics subject, who have a limited background in physics. The course has been designed to provide students with an introduction to those concepts in Physics, that appear to defy common sense, and are consequently often most misunderstood. These concepts include the nature of forces and their role in motion, work and energy. Difficulties with these concepts generally hamper progress in other areas of Physics.
The topics discussed include motion, vectors, coordinate systems, Newton’s Laws, gravitation, conservation laws, measurements and uncertainties.
The course will include lectures, tutorials and practical work in our undergraduate Physics laboratories with the emphasis on problem-solving and learning by example.
This course is an essential stepping stone to first-year chemistry classes at UOW. It is designed for students with little to no experience studying chemistry who wish to understand foundational chemical principles that are highly relevant to physical and biological processes.
We begin our adventure into chemistry on a small scale, discussing atomic theory and properties of elements, before moving through reactivities of ions to form molecules that we recognise in our daily lives. We then discuss fundamental reactions, including the formation of solids and acid-base reactions, as well as the quantification of these reactions centred around the conservation of mass.
Once we have discussed these core concepts in the lectures and practiced them in tutorial sessions, we will move into the laboratory and perform chemical experiments – carrying out, controlling, and analysing some of the reactions we’ve learned along the way!
This course is recommended for students enrolling in any first-year Biology course, who have a limited background in biology. The course has been designed to provide students with an introduction to basic concepts in Biology that are covered in the HSC courses.
Topics include cells and molecules, classification, cell division (mitosis and meiosis) and DNA structure and translation. Major groups in the evolution of animals and plants are also covered.
The bridging course practical is held in a laboratory environment.
Lab rules and equipment requirements
- Always wear a lab coat and closed in shoes.
You can hire a disposable plastic lab coat for $2 on day 1, however we encourage you to purchase a lab coat from the UniShop, Building 11, ground floor as this reduces plastic waste. - Minimise the equipment you bring into the lab to avoid contamination.
Only bring in the things you need (e.g. writing book, and pen/pencil) and use the lockers provided for the rest of your belongings including your mobile phone. A $2 coin is required to use the lockers. - No food and drink is allowed.
This course is recommended for students enrolling in their first-year of university who want to ensure they have the core skills for tertiary study. Commencing university means not only learning new knowledge related to your chosen discipline and future vocation: it also entails learning to research effectively, to understand assignment genres and expectations, to reference sources, and developing a repertoire of other important study skills.
This course provides an introduction to studying at tertiary level and the key skills for academic success. You will learn about managing university systems, academic research, reading and note-taking strategies, essay writing and the different genres of academic writing, preparing for presentations and exams and managing workload. Through formative tasks, you will build an assignment and learn valuable tips and strategies that will enable you to hit the ground running.
This course is recommended for students enrolling in their first-year of university who want to ensure they have the core maths skills for tertiary study. Commencing university not only means learning new knowledge related to your chosen discipline and future vocation, it also entails building on your previous maths knowledge.
We understand that maths can sometimes be a bit daunting, or you may not have studied maths at a higher level in secondary school. This course provides an introduction to key maths skills for academic success. You will focus on core mathematics principles around arithmetic and algebra, as well as strengthening your problem-solving skills. Through formative tasks, you will build your confidence and capabilities in the language and techniques of mathematics that will enable you to hit the ground running.