Follow the links to find practical information to help you prepare for your time at the University of Wollongong.
Pre-arrival checklist
Documents | Clothing & Weather | Electrical Goods | Time Zone | Flights | Arrival | Useful Links
Documents
You should prepare a folder of documents to bring with you, including:
- Valid passport with student visa
- Offer of Admission letter
- electronic Confirmation of Enrolment
- Receipts of payments (tuition fees, OSHC)
- Scholarship letter (if applicable)
- Original or certified copies of your academic transcripts
- For credit exemption, all relevant documents, including syllabi for courses and subjects completed overseas
- Personal identification documents such as driver’s licence or ID card
- Medical records or prescriptions
Clothing & Weather
Students usually dress casually. Jeans and sports shoes are commonly worn at university.
Summer in Wollongong and Sydney is hot and can be humid. Many students wear shorts, skirts, t-shirts and sandals. You may require a light jacket or jumper in the evenings and in air-conditioned lecture theatres.
Winter is generally mild but you will need warm clothing if arriving in July. Most private housing is not centrally heated, and heating in university accommodation may not be available or as warm as you are used to. It does not snow in Wollongong, but a warm coat or jacket is recommended. View the average temperatures.
If you are taking a course with a laboratory component, you will require covered shoes.
You should bring at least one set of semi-formal clothes. A sports coat or suit and tie for men, and dress or suit for women are necessary for some university functions. You may want to bring traditional dress for festive occasions.
Electrical Goods
The electricity supply in Australia is 230-250 volts/AC 50 Hertz. Electrical goods from other countries usually need a conversion adaptor, and 100 volt appliances (shavers, hairdryers etc) cannot be used without a transformer, which can be purchased in your own country, or in Australia. The Unishop, on the UOW campus, sells adaptors for various international electrical connections and transformers for 115 to 240 volt appliances.
Time Zone
Wollongong is on Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) – the equivalent of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) +10 hours. Daylight saving is from the first Sunday in October until early April (GMT +11 hours). Compare Wollongong's time zone with your country's time zone.
Flights
You should fly into Sydney International Airport (SYD), which is 80km from Wollongong. Baggage allowances flying into Australia will vary according to your carrier, flight class and country of origin. Please check with your international carrier prior to departure. Checked luggage on domestic flights within Australia is generally limited to 20kg plus one carry on bag (7kg). If you pack bags that are above this weight you may have to pay a fee, depending on how far over the limit your bags are.
You should fly into Sydney International Airport (SYD), which is 80km from Wollongong. Commencing UOW international students and UOW College/UOW package students for the Wollongong campuses receive a free airport pick-up and transport from the airport to Wollongong upon their arrival. Be sure to arrange your airport pick-up well in advance of your arrival.
Arrival
You will need to have several documents ready to show when you arrive in Australia.
After leaving the plane, you will proceed to Immigration, where an officer will ask to see your completed Incoming Passenger Card (given to you on the plane), your passport and your student visa. You may also need to show your Offer of Admission letter, electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE) and evidence that you have enough money to support yourself while studying in Australia (eg, bank statements).
After proceeding through immigration, you will claim your baggage from the carousel and continue through to Australian customs. Australian customs and Quarantine restrictions are very strict: you must not bring prohibited drugs, food or plants into Australia. If you have any plants or animals or items derived from plants or animals, you must declare them on the Traveller’s Statement (given to you on the plane) which acts as your Customs declaration. Visit the Australian customs website for a list of goods that must be declared. You can receive on the spot fines for not declaring items.