Your pre-uni checklist

Preparing for the next stage of your life can feel quite daunting. There are so many things to keep track of, so much change to cope with, and lots of unknown aspects to think about. DON’T FREAK OUT! To help ease those jitters, we’ve created a handy checklist to help you feel pumped for university life. 

Enrol

Congrats on your offer to study at UOW - take a moment to enjoy your amazing achievement! Now it’s time to secure your place at UOW by accepting your offer. 

The next step is to get organised for enrolment. Our First Year Enrolment Guides set out exactly which subjects you need to enrol in for either Autumn or Spring semesters. Make sure you also check the Course Handbook which breaks down your degree into core subjects and electives. 

Once you’ve worked out which subjects to enrol in, now it’s time to create your study timetable. Read our tutorial enrolment page with step-by-step instructions on how to successfully complete this process.

Practical prep

Your student card is a must-have addition to your wallet! This handy piece of plastic not only functions as your UOW library card and identification for exams, but gets you all those awesome student discounts in the real world – clever thing!  

Simply register online or pop into AskUOW (Ground Floor, Building 17) at our Wollongong campus or from your local campus office, smile for the camera and then you’ll have your very own UOW student ID card. 

SOLS... Moodle? Say, what? 

SOLS stands for Student Online Services. This is where you'll manage your enrolment, update your personal details, view results, and access your e-learning sites. It’s also where your SOLSMail lives, which is the main way that UOW will communicate with you, besides UOWMAIL, so make sure you keep checking in. Read more info on SOLS. 

E-Learning Moodle may sound like a mix of a Maltese and Poodle but it’s actually your main e-Learning platform; super important! This is where you will find your subject resources, submit assignments and more.

Key dates

Now is the time to whip out your calendar and start filling it with key dates for study. Make note of enrolment deadlines, Census dates, due dates of your assessments and exams, and of course, holidays!  

Not sure if you’re enjoying a subject? Each semester has a Census date, which is the last day you can pull out of a subject without having to pay for it. Mark that one in RED!

Orientation

As a new student, attending Orientation (O-Week) is a must. Help avoid those first-day-deer-in-headlights moments, by getting familiar with the campus, your class locations, and fellow deers peers. O-Week allows you to settle into campus life, so you'll feel confident and calm once classes start.

We have both online and on campus orientation activities planned, so check your campus or course orientation dates to ensure you don’t miss out!

Familiarise yourself with the campus

Once you’ve worked out your timetable, feel free to visit the campus to see your classrooms in person. You can even book a campus tour so you can get a feel for where everything is! This is especially handy if you’re studying at our Wollongong campus – it's huge. 

Connect on socials

Keep up to date with all the events, news, offerings and fun stuff on UOW socials, including: 

Instagram: UOW, UniActive, UOW students, UOW Pulse 
Tiktok: universityofwollongong 
Facebook: UOW, UOW UniActive, UOW Pulse 
Youtube: UOWAustralia 
LinkedIn: University of Wollongong 
X: UOW 

Plan your commute

Public transport – By far the cheapest, easiest and most sustainable way to get to campus, our bus and train systems are well oiled machines. Catch the FREE electric UOW shuttle from North Wollongong train station, or the FREE Gong shuttle, connecting UOW to the city, Innovation campus, Campus East, and Fairy Meadow. There are also other paid bus routes. But did we mention there are also FREE options?  

Walk/run/bike - Depending on how late you sleep in and where you live, you may want to walk, run or bike to class. Don’t worry about securing your bike, we have bike bases located around our Wollongong and Innovation campuses. These are lockable, undercover and monitored by CCTV. This is a FREE service with your UOW access card. Apply for a bike base.

Don’t know your route to campus? Plan your route.

Drive – Parking is available for a fee on campus, with very limited free street parking for early birds nearby. To pay for parking you will need to download the parking app – ticketless parking via the CellOPark app. 

Balance your budget

Budgeting for uni can be tricky for a lot of first year students, but there is plenty of support and resources to ensure you're covered financially. The Australian Government offers HECS-HELP to Commonwealth supported places, but all this new lingo can be confusing. So, we’ve broken it down to help you understand how HECS-HELP and CSPs work. 

Pulse perks – Put this on your radar. Choose either the FREE Pulse Perks package or the $20 version to get discounts on food, coffee and UOW merch, as well as freebies and event updates. There are also deals to enjoy with external Wollongong-based businesses.  

Budget – Before you start your studies, take the time to write a weekly budget, taking into account rent, costs associated with your degree, and living expenses. Need help? Read our tips for planning your finances and start prepping for the year ahead.

Study smarter, not harder

A top tip from the majority of past and present UOW students - don't leave your readings, assessments, study to the last minute. It's recommended to develop a study schedule from Week 1. Your future self will thank you! If you can stick to this, and we know you can, you will keep up with your readings, assessments and have time to study for those exams, without losing sleep or your mind. While you may think that cramming works for you, studies have found you will not remember 75 per cent of what you learned the day before. Trust the science and plan your studies! 

Read our practical study planning tips. 

Get social

This next stage of life is your opportunity to shine, or at least glow. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but be friendly, start conversations, reach out to your peers, spend social time with them, or even join a UOW club. 

Reach out 

We are here to help! Whether you need academic help, mental health support, or financial assistance, we have a range of support services available for all our students.  

The most important thing is for you to be brave enough to reach out when you need it!  

Make plans to take care of yourself!

Finally, whatever your experience throughout the year, make sure you prioritise your health and wellbeing. Make time to do things that fill your cup, bring you joy, pop your head up once in a while and give your brain a break.