How does Uni work?

[8039]

I've never taken interest in university till now. And don't really understand how it all works. I'm considering doing biomedical engineering, dentistry or business commerce.

1. Once you get accepted into the university do you have to pick what courses you will do or everyone does the same?

2. How is it that you are able to manage your hours? do they repeat the same lectures several times a week?

3. how are top students separated from lower achieving students? What are HDs and how do they matter when you get your degree?

4. Semester 1 of dentistry requires 96 contact hours. Does this mean I only have to do that many hours and then I can do whatever I want (obviously with self-studies in between)? seems a bit laxed. How do they test you? do they have SAC type days and mid year exams like high-school?

5. Say you realize you don't like a course 6 months in. What happens then? you get a refund and just leave? do you have credits which you can use for other degrees?

6. Is it possible to complete a 5-7 year degree in 3-4 years?

[TrueLight]

r u in yr 12?

1. you choose which course you want to do in yr 12 ... isn't the preference period open now? then they accept you

2. you get a timetable... the lectures are different

3. by the marks... HD=80+
your scores matter if you want to do honours or masters...and probably finding employment if that is all you have

4. depends... not sure with dentistry ... if they are recorded you could skip but then you should listen to them later... you have to do assignments or whatever else is required too...and im pretty sure dentistry required a lot of work... don't know the tests for dentistry ... but yeah i have mid semester tests and you have exams, assignments, labs... but not sure with dentistry

5. you don't get a refund because after the census date you're locked in to paying... you can try transferring mid year if they have but then if your first year not sure... you'll have to ask your faculty... or try transferring end of year... keep your marks up.

6. not sure but my hunch is most likely not ... i have not done dentistry

[8039]

2. you get a timetable... the lectures are different

But how are people able to manage their hours?

Also another question. What if you decide to take a 2-3 month holiday at any time during your year. Is that kinda thing allowed?

[TrueLight]

what do you mean by manage?

you get a timetable and you work with that... you go to the lectures, tutes, labs or whatever and then you either go home or stay at uni...and you do your homework etc...

if it was 2-3 months thats pretty much the semester gone for me... so you probably wouldn't be able to complete the units requirements... so it would be better to take the semester off and start the next semester if the faculty allows it. so you would have to check with them

[8039]

what do you mean by manage?

Like say someone has is a mother and can only attend university mondays and tuesdays. Apparently she can do 2 intensive days and have the rest of the week off. I just assumed that meant they cycled the same lectures.

if it was 2-3 months thats pretty much the semester gone for me... so you probably wouldn't be able to complete the units requirements... so it would be better to take the semester off and start the next semester if the faculty allows it. so you would have to check with them

How does taking a semester off work? do you not need it to proceed to the next one?

[TrueLight]

well you can do part time so you have less subjects to do
or depending on the course and how many contact hours it might be possible to squeeze it into two days...
i would imagine dentistry having lots of hours

not sure i haven't done it before ... but i would guess you would have to extend your course for an extra semester to compensate for it, if that is allowed

[mark_alec]

Like say someone has is a mother and can only attend university mondays and tuesdays. Apparently she can do 2 intensive days and have the rest of the week off. I just assumed that meant they cycled the same lectures.

She will be restricted to courses or subjects that only have timetabled required attendence during those days. For something like dentistry, this will not be the case as it will be a 5 day a week course.

How does taking a semester off work? do you not need it to proceed to the next one?

You can apply to take a leave of absence through university protocol. Once again, depending on your course you may or may not be able to take just one semester off (dentistry probably has core subjects in each semester so you can't skip just one).

[TrueLight]

yeah dentistry looks pretty hardcore structured
http://www.dent.unimelb.edu.au/dsweb/future_students/dds/dds4.html

[8039]

Like say someone has is a mother and can only attend university mondays and tuesdays. Apparently she can do 2 intensive days and have the rest of the week off. I just assumed that meant they cycled the same lectures.

She will be restricted to courses or subjects that only have timetabled required attendence during those days. For something like dentistry, this will not be the case as it will be a 5 day a week course.

But with just 25 hour contact hours, why couldn't I have two-three 9-5 days and then have the rest of the week for self study and other stuff?

[TrueLight]

lectures are usually auto-allocated. so you have to no choice. i would presume that is the same for dentistry

[mark_alec]

But with just 25 hour contact hours, why couldn't I have two-three 9-5 days and then have the rest of the week for self study and other stuff?

Because you are restricted by when subjects are held. You do not just turn up when is convenient for you.

[Russ]

If you have classes that aren't compulsory then you don't have to be there, but it's just going to make it harder when it gets to revising and sitting exams.

University isn't that different from high school: you have a timetable of classes to attend and you're assessed on what you learn (usually as an exam)

[Gloamglozer]

I've never taken interest in university till now. And don't really understand how it all works. I'm considering doing biomedical engineering, dentistry or business commerce.

1. Once you get accepted into the university do you have to pick what courses you will do or everyone does the same?

2. How is it that you are able to manage your hours? do they repeat the same lectures several times a week?

3. how are top students separated from lower achieving students? What are HDs and how do they matter when you get your degree?

4. Semester 1 of dentistry requires 96 contact hours. Does this mean I only have to do that many hours and then I can do whatever I want (obviously with self-studies in between)? seems a bit laxed. How do they test you? do they have SAC type days and mid year exams like high-school?

5. Say you realize you don't like a course 6 months in. What happens then? you get a refund and just leave? do you have credits which you can use for other degrees?

6. Is it possible to complete a 5-7 year degree in 3-4 years?

1.  When you apply, you apply for the course and uni you want.

2.  At uni, they may have different streams of lectures.  That is, they might have 1 lecture and 10 am and another lecture at 12 pm on the same day and both lectures repeat the same material.  I'm pretty sure they wouldn't repeat the lectures in the same week on different days.

3.  Pretty much like high school.  You'll always have the hardcore and motivated students and you'll always have the not so motivated students.  A HD (or H1 as it is known at UoM) is simply the highest mark you can get.  They matter because they lift up your average marks and when you finish uni, employers will look at that average mark.  Obviously the higher your mark, the better you stand out from the pool of applicants.

4.  Different types of testing methods: mid-semester tests, practicals, attendance to tutorials and end of semester exams.

5.  If you don't like the course after 6 months, you can always apply for a mid year transfer.  Whether or not you will get credit for the subjects that you have done would depend on what course you want to enrol in and if the uni wants to give you credit for it.

[Glockmeister]

Some courses though, don't give you the choice of lectures to attend.