Academic (Higher Education Teacher)

An academic, or higher education teacher, is a university faculty member who teaches courses and conducts research. They facilitate your learning through lectures, tutorials, and seminars and can provide mentorship and supervise research projects. Academics are there to guide you, inspire you, and help you succeed in your studies. For more details, check out the section on “Types of People You Might Have To Deal With At University.”


Admissions

Admissions is the gateway to your university journey. It’s the process of applying to and being accepted into a university. This usually involves submitting application forms, academic transcripts, and sometimes essays or letters of recommendation. It’s your chance to showcase your achievements, interests, and potential.


ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank)

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is your golden ticket to understanding where you stand academically among your peers. It’s a ranking system used across Australia to help universities decide who gets into their courses.


Campus

A campus is the physical grounds of a university, where you'll find classrooms, labs, libraries, accommodation, and student facilities. It's the hub of student life, where learning, socialising, and personal growth happen.


Census Date

The Census Date is a crucial deadline in your university calendar. It’s the last day you can withdraw from a course without incurring any tuition fees or having the course recorded on your academic transcript. Think of it as your final checkpoint to make sure you’re happy with your course load.


Co-Curricular Activities

Activities that complement your formal studies, such as academic clubs, study groups, workshops, or internships related to your field of study. These are often recognised by the university and may appear on your official record.


Credits

Think of credits as the building blocks of your university degree. Each course you take is worth a certain number of credits, reflecting the amount of work required to complete it. These credits add up to help you reach the total needed for graduation.


Commonwealth Supported Place

Imagine having a partial scholarship for university! A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is just that— the Australian Government helps cover part of your tuition fees. This financial help isn’t a loan you need to pay back. Instead, the government pays a significant portion of your tuition, and you pay the remaining part, called the ‘student contribution amount’


Electives

Electives are optional courses you can choose during your university studies. Unlike core courses, which are mandatory for completing your degree, electives let you explore different areas of interest and develop a broader skill set. Think of electives as a way to personalise your education and dive into subjects that spark your curiosity.


Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are all the fun and fulfilling things you can do outside your formal classes. Think clubs, sports teams, volunteer work, music, drama, debate, and even unique hobbies like coding, gardening, or starting a blog. These activities don’t count for academic credit, but they’re gold for your personal development. They help you build skills, make friends, and are highly valued by universities and future employers. Whether you’re scoring goals on the field, performing on stage, or helping out in your community, extracurriculars are all about discovering your passions and growing as a person.


Faculty

A faculty is a division within a university focusing on a specific subject area or related fields. Think of it as a big family where everyone studies or works in similar disciplines. Faculties oversee academic programs and staff, creating a supportive and focused learning environment.


GPA (Grade Point Average)

 A Grade Point Average (GPA) is a measure of your academic performance, calculated as an average of your grades over time. It’s a standard way to measure how well you are doing in your studies. The GPA is crucial because it can influence your eligibility for certain programs, scholarships, and future opportunities.


HECS-HELP and Scholarships

Funding to help pay for your education. The HELP program is the Higher Education Loan Program, a government assistance scheme. HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) is part of HELP, covering the cost of your education, which you repay once you start earning a certain income.


Honours Program

An additional year of study, usually involving a research project, available to students who perform well in their undergraduate degree.


International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a globally recognised high school curriculum designed to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people. Students are awarded a score out of 45 points at the end of their studies. In Australia, this IB score is converted into an ATAR equivalent (Combined Rank) to standardise it for university admissions.


Lectures

At university, you'll experience different teaching methods to help you learn and grow. Lectures are larger classes where a professor delivers a talk on a specific topic. It's your time to listen, take notes, and absorb the information presented. Think of it as a big group session where you gather the essential knowledge.


Majors and Minors

A major is the main focus of your degree, requiring a set number of courses in a specific subject area. A minor is a secondary concentration that often complements your major.


Orientation

A period before classes start when new students are introduced to university life. Orientation typically includes campus tours, information sessions, and social activities to help students acclimate to their new environment.


Pathway

Various routes to gain admission to a university, including state-based admissions centres (UAC, QTAC, VTAC, WATAC, and SATAC), direct entry via universities, mature-age entry, transfers, and bridging courses.


Placement

A placement is a period of practical work experience included as part of your course of study. During a placement, you get to apply what you've learned in real-world settings, gain hands-on experience, and develop professional skills. Placements are often required in fields like healthcare, education, and engineering, and they can help you build a network in your chosen industry. It's an opportunity to enhance your resume, gain valuable insights into your future career, and make connections that can lead to job opportunities after graduation.


Postgraduate Degrees

A postgraduate degree is an advanced academic program you can pursue after completing an undergraduate degree. It includes master’s degrees, doctorates (PhDs), and graduate diplomas or certificates.


Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Courses or requirements that must be completed before enrolling in a more advanced course (prerequisites) or courses that must be taken simultaneously (co-requisites).


Semester/Trimester/Term

Divisions of the academic year during which classes are held. Universities typically operate on a semester system (two main academic sessions per year) or a trimester/quarter system (three or four sessions per year).


Special Consideration

A process where students can apply for their circumstances (like illness or personal issues) to be considered if these have affected their academic performance.


Student Learning Entitlement

Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) is a system that tracks how much study you can undertake in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). Think of it as your "study allowance" at university, ensuring everyone gets a fair go at higher education


Tuition

The cost of attending courses at a university. It does not include additional expenses like living expenses, books, or student amenities fees.


Tutorial

These are smaller, more interactive classes where you dive deeper into the lecture material. In tutorials, you get to discuss topics, ask questions, and work on assignments with your peers. It's a great opportunity to engage, clarify doubts, and apply what you've learned.


Undergraduate Degree

An academic program that you can enrol in. It usually lasts 3 to 4 years and leads to a bachelor's degree in a specific field of study.


Unit of Study

A single course or subject taken as part of a degree. Each unit of study contributes to the total number of credits required to complete your degree.


Vice-Chancellor

Think of the Vice-Chancellor as the big boss of the university, kind of like the principal but on a much larger scale. They’re responsible for the overall administration and management of the institution, ensuring everything runs smoothly. The Vice-Chancellor oversees academic and financial operations, represents the university at official events, and helps shape the future direction of the university.


Weighted Average Mark

A Weighted Average Mark (WAM) is another measure of academic performance, often used alongside or instead of GPA. Unlike GPA, which assigns equal weight to each course, WAM accounts for the varying credit values of different courses, providing a more nuanced picture of your academic achievements.