Hi guys! As I'm going to be enrolling in the PhB, I thought I'd post some of my questions here in the hope that people will be able to answer them.
Music subjects
I've had quite a bit of information on this from my friend's friend, but I was wondering whether anyone else knew much about them. I heard that Instrumental Studies is essentially 30 minute lessons per week, plus a 10 minute recital at the end of the semester, but I'm not sure how difficult it is to maintain a HD average in this subject. I wouldn't be focusing on music as I'd be studying science, but I really do want to keep but my music in Canberra. In terms of my musical background, I've held good seats in the MYO for a number of years, and I've lead a bunch of other statewide orchestras (summer schools and lesser ensembles). Also did AMus several years ago, but I got lazy and couldn't be bothered completing a program for LMus. Any ideas on whether a HD is possible with a bit of practice but not an extensive amount? In addition, does anyone know if instrumental studies students can select their teachers?
I don't know much about performance subjects. I did enroll in composition way back in the day but had to drop it because the lecturer's wife got cancer. I also know a PhB kid (silver medallist at IPhO back in the day, actually) who did lots of Aural subjects. But don't know any non-music kids who did performance, so you'll have to ask around...
Languages
I'm having trouble fitting in all of the subjects that I want to take, so I'm not sure if I can squeeze in French.. at least in 1st year. Is there another way to obtain conversation practice? I know that there's a French club, but does anyone know how much French they actually speak?
See eriny's answer. Obviously there's also Alliance Francaise outside of uni too.
Books
Is there a cheap way to buy the textbooks, and are they really needed for all subjects?
Not necessarily needed for all subjects - wait until after a week or two of classes, and you'll find out. Often the tutors will tell you if it's really needed (btw, will you be doing first year advanced maths? Because I'll be tutoring that...). For second-hand, other than the depository there is ANU classifieds, where people will be advertising second-hand stuff, and just various notice boards around campus, where people will put up signs for selling particular books (even in your college there will probably be notices everywhere).
Inter-college activities
This is a bit of a stupid question, but is it normal for people to spend copious amounts of time hanging out with people from other colleges? A lot of my friends aren't staying in the same residential place as I am... and I'd like to visit them from time to time (plus, I'm not sure how many people in my college will know how to play Mao 
)
I played a
lot of Mao in first year, along with God & Scum and 500, and also lots of poker. I'd never thought of it as a science student stereotype though, the friends I were playing with weren't all science kids. But yes, it's not unusual for you to have friends at other colleges. That being said, many people start off knowing people from school at other colleges but end up not spending nearly as much time visiting them as they'd expect due to making ridiculously good friends at their own college. Wait and see.
Overloading
Is it common, and do many people manage to do well despite the additional workload? I'd ask some of my friends already at ANU, but they're all super geniuses, so I'm not sure whether their experiences are the norm...
Uh, but you're a super genious too...
But seriously, it's not particularly common, but those who choose to usually do so because they're very driven. Also overloading generally comes at a bit of a cost to your social life, which I wouldn't recommend, especially in first year when you really should just be making as many friends as possible and enjoying yourself.
Interstate transport
What's the best way to come back to visit Melbourne? I know that there are cheap busfares to Sydney, but has anyone found a better way to come back home?
I think you can get a $45 V/Line ticket one-way to Melbourne (bus to Albury, then train to Melbourne). That being said, if you're on the NUS (which I imagine you are, by your ATAR) then you should get one return flight home a semester paid for by ANU.
Use this. Even if you drive down with friends (I did a great road trip like that in second year), you can even keep all the petrol receipts and get ANU to reimburse you for them. I have a friend from Darwin on NUS who booked flights the day before he left, which ended up costing $2000, but ANU still reimbursed him. Incredible.
^^would the PhB people be more forgiving if you dropped, say, 1% below the HD average after overloading a semester?
Even without overloading, they tend to be pretty understanding early on. If you don't get the average in first semester, they'll bring you in to talk to you about it, but basically they just want to hear that you have an excuse (first time living away from home, distracted by college life, having to find the balance, etc etc). Even another semester below the average they'll usually let you get away with. Also in Arts if you just miss the average (78-79%) they tend not to care too much, as it is generally pretty damn hard to keep an HD average in Arts. In Science, they're a little less tolerant, but nevertheless they will always give you two semesters of leeway, so long as you can justify yourself.
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