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Read our guide for new students 🐣

Starting uni can feel overwhelming, but we’ve got you. We've pulled together a handy guide for new students to help you settle in and make the most of your time at Sydney.

Learn the who's who of SUPRA, SRC and USU 🧐

These student-led organisations advocate for your rights, run epic events, provide free support and shape campus life. Get to know who’s representing you and how to get involved:

SUPRA – the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association provides support, advocacy and representation for postgraduate students.

SRC – the Students’ Representative Council represents undergraduate students, offering advocacy, legal and academic assistance, and running campaigns on student issues.

USU – the University of Sydney Union runs clubs and societies, events, and campus programs, and manages popular student spaces like the Wentworth and Holme buildings.

Complete the Respect@Sydney module ✅

We've all got a role to play to make our campus safe and inclusive for all students. Understanding what sexual consent, boundaries, and respectful relationships look like is an important way to keep yourself, your friends, and our community safe on and off campus. If you've started your studies in 2025, you’re required to complete our Respect@Sydney module in Canvas by Friday 12 December 2025. This module has been co-designed with our students following consultation and feedback.

Ensure your personal details are up to date 📆

It's important we have the correct contact information for you in case of an emergency. You can update your personal and contact information, including your mobile number, residential address, personal email address, and emergency contact details, in Sydney Student.

Learn the dos and don'ts of using AI in class, assessments, and exams 🤖

We’ve updated four key policies and procedures to align with our approach to generative artificial intelligence (AI) for learning and assessments in Semester 2. Check out the below ahead of classes next week:

– Assessment Procedures 2024 

– Coursework Policy 2021

– Academic Integrity Policy 2022

– Academic Integrity Procedures 2022 

Come along to Boss Coffee Presents: Welcome Fest Movie Night where our friends at USU will be screening an iconic 2000s movie at 5 pm in The Refectory, Holme Building on Tuesday 4 August. Don't forget to sign up as a USU member for free so you don't miss out!

If movies aren't your vibe, there'll be plenty more on offer from 4–5 August on Camperdown/Darlington campus as part of USU's Welcome Fest. With heaps of freebies and over 110 club and society stalls to explore, there's something for everyone.

Know your responsibilities as a student

It's everyone's responsibility to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment on campus. Here are a few important things to keep in mind:

– Be kind and respectful – treat everyone fairly, no matter their gender, religion, race, sexuality, or disability

– Respect others' privacy - don't take photos, videos, or recordings of anyone without their consent

– Share your views respectfully – we encourage you to express your opinions and beliefs in a safe and respectful way

Learn more about our University values and student expectations and how to report misconduct on campus.

During Welcome Fest and beyond, you might be approached in person or online by companies claiming to offer ‘tutoring assistance’, 'assignment help', 'study groups', 'essay writing' or similar. These services are not affiliated with the University, even if they claim to be – they charge high fees, and often promote unethical practices. If you engage with them, you risk taking part in ‘contract cheating’, which may result in academic penalties. You also expose yourself to other risks such as being blackmailed. If you see anything suspicious on campus during Welcome Fest, please report it to the Office of Educational Integrity: educational.integrity@sydney.edu.au

Whether you walk, ride, bus or train, make sure to check your travel route before you go – disruptions happen! New to Sydney? The Getting to campus page has all your transport options covered.

Use more than one mode of transport? Select all that apply!

The Library is here to help you settle in and start strong. From learning how to tackle your first uni assignment to exploring rare books or just figuring out where everything is, these Welcome Program sessions are designed to make your semester easier (and a little more fun).

📝 Assignment Basics
New to uni assignments? This session will walk you through how to search for and evaluate information like a pro.
🗓️ Wednesday 13 August

📖 Rare Books Discovery Sessions – East Asian | First Nations
Join our Cultural and First Nations curators for a journey through rare treasures that will inspire fresh ideas and perspectives.
🗓️ Thursday 7 August, Tuesday 19 August

🏛️ Your Library Sessions – Undergrad
Learn where to study, how to borrow, and how to get the most out of your Library.
🗓️ Wednesday 6 August, Tuesday 12 August

Explore all upcoming Library Welcome events to find what suits you best. Plus, keep an eye out for the Library's stall during Welcome Fest to score limited edition merch!

Not sure what’s next? OLES2617: Design Your Future is an Open Learning Environment (OLE) unit that helps you figure it out. With a mix of design thinking, peer collaboration and real-world insights, you’ll prototype ideas, test possibilities and walk away with a career game plan that actually makes sense for you. Enrol now through Sydney Student.

Expressions of interest are open for the OLE In-Country Experiences running November 2025 – January 2026. Learn a new language through cultural immersion with our global partners and hear what past students had to say about the adventure. Find out more and submit your expression of interest.

Taking out top spot at this year's International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) was no rocket science for our University team, with their latest rocket, Pardalote, soaring to a height of 3.15km with an error margin of just 3.42 percent. Learn more about the USYD rocketry team and witness the moment Pardalote led the team to victory.

Get ready to take Manning Bar to Miami on Wednesday 6 August at USU's Party at Manning: Mr Worldwide, celebrating the end of Welcome Fest with a Pitbull-style fiesta! Expect 2000s–2010s bangers, Manning Cantina’s fuego eats, and plenty of Kodak cameras to capture the night. Tickets are only $10 for students, with extra discounts for USU members.

Head to Fisher Library Level 1 on 12 August and explore the wonders and beauty of nature at the Library's Discover Rare Books and Special Collections: Illuminating the Natural World session – a special 90-minute intimate and bespoke event. From a bird-eating spider by Maria Sibylla Meria to Didier Mutel’s fluorescent dinosaurs in Birds of Acid – there is something for everybody!

Ruby Firmstone and Martin O'Flynn performing as part of Echoes: On Water and Time / a glacier leaves a deep cut, 2025. Image courtesy of Hancheng Wu.

Immerse yourself in Echoes: On Water & Time / a glacier leaves a deep cut. Running on Thursdays 1, 8 and 15 May from 12:30–1 pm, the series features emerging musicians and sound artists from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Sydney College of the Arts, showcasing sonic interpretations of geological time, ice, and memory.

Keep in touch

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