From shady study spots to Mental Health Month events, here’s how to stay cool, calm, and collected this exam season.
 

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27 October 2025

Week 12, Semester 2

 

This edition

To-do this week

Top stories

What's happening at Sydney

Events

Welcome to your Week 12 edition of Student News!

Last week, you told us your top wellbeing boost is getting outside for a walk and some fresh air – so this edition’s packed with ways to keep your cool and stay balanced as exams loom. From heat-busting tips and exam-ready resources to a spooktacular fun run, Mental Health Month events and creative breaks, there’s plenty to help you power through.

Scroll on for shady spots, Halloween vibes and ideas to keep your wellbeing front and centre.

This edition

To-do this week

Top stories

What's happening at Sydney

Events

Welcome to your Week 12 edition of Student News!

Last week, you told us your top wellbeing boost is getting outside for a walk and some fresh air – so this edition’s packed with ways to keep your cool and stay balanced as exams loom. From heat-busting tips and exam-ready resources to a spooktacular fun run, Mental Health Month events and creative breaks, there’s plenty to help you power through.

Scroll on for shady spots, Halloween vibes and ideas to keep your wellbeing front and centre.


To-do this week

Check out the key dates for 2026 🗓️

Key dates for 2026 are now live. Find teaching start and end dates, important deadlines like census and payment due dates, plus exam periods. If you're returning to study next year, now's a great time to start planning ahead.

 

Get your calculator approved 🔢
Planning on using a calculator for your exam? Some calculators are pre-approved and don’t need approval. If yours isn’t on the pre-approved list, bring it in to get the University sticker confirming it’s allowed in your exam. Find out which calculators are pre-approved and how to get approval on the Calculator dictionary page.

 

Stay safe and connected with the new SafeZone app📱

Download SafeZone – a free mobile safety app available across the majority of our campuses. SafeZone enables you to quickly contact Protective Services for emergencies, first aid, or general assistance, and receive important, urgent notifications in the event of an incident or emergency.

Download SafeZone for your Apple or Android device, and ensure essential permissions are switched on.

 

Assessments and exams don’t have to be scary – stay prepared with the Learning Hub 👻

Feeling haunted by deadlines? The Learning Hub is your academic ghostbuster. Learn how to tackle group assignments, manage extensions, and prep for exams without the fright.


Top stories

Vice-Chancellor's Garden

Shaded spots on campus, like the Vice-Chancellor's Garden, are a great way to beat the heat while still enjoying the outdoors.

Beating the heat on campus 🌞

Hot weather can mess with your focus, mood and energy – not ideal when you’re juggling lectures and exams. Researchers from the University’s Heat and Health Research Centre share simple ways to stay cool on campus, bust myths about air-con, and explain why fans, filtered water and shaded spots like the Vice Chancellor’s Garden are your best mates this summer.

 
Four students wearing RUNSYDUNI t shirts.

RUNSYDUNI: A spooktacular fun run! 🏃‍♀️

Lace up for RUNSYDUNI – a 4km fun run across campus taking in iconic spots like The Quadrangle, The Great Hall and St John’s College, with extra thrills thanks to this year’s Halloween theme. The run kicks off at 1:30 pm this Friday 31 October, costumes are encouraged, and it’s free to join! Registrations close at 12 pm on Thursday 30 October – don’t be a ghost!

 
$5 meal being handed over

Have you tried our $5 meal delivery service? 🥡

Move over Uber Eats, there’s a new meal delivery service in town! Choose from a variety of fresh and ready-to-heat meals, all for just $5, delivered to Carslaw Learning Hub East via Jumpr+.

Learn more on our cheap eats on campus webpage and share your feedback via our $5 meals delivered survey.

 

How do you beat the heat on campus?

Staying hydrated 💧
Finding a shaded spot 🌳
Air-con all the way 🧊
Have a favourite place to beat the heat on campus?
Let us know 💬

Notices

The Charter of Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom has been updated to clarify what we mean by ‘civility’.  We have added a definition that explains that it is the behaviours described in clause 8 (1) of the Student Charter and clauses 8(1)(c), (e), and (g) of the Staff and Affiliate Code of Conduct.

 

You are invited to provide feedback on a new draft Sexual Harm and Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Policy and related procedures by 3 November. Learn more about the draft policy and procedures and how to provide feedback.


Graduating students at The Quad in the past and today.

175 years of Leadership for Good

Since 1850, generations of students have led with ambition, courage and ideas that have shaped the world, and it still begins here today. Learn more about how The University of Sydney has been making it happen for 175 years.


What's happening at Sydney

A coffee cart event by FMH for Mental Health Month

Therapy dogs, free coffee and more for Mental Health Month this week 🐕

Mental Health Month continues with free events like therapy dogs, free coffee, creative drop‑ins, study‑break hubs and expert‑led webinars. Whether you’ve got five minutes or an hour, every step on your wellbeing journey counts. See the full suite of events and webinars and learn more about Mental Health Month.

Need support? Access student health and wellbeing services, peer support and after‑hours options.

 
Judy Harris, Luke Carman and Professor Stephen Simpson in front of a yellow backdrop.

Judy Harris, Luke Carman and Professor Stephen Simpson. Photo: Michael Amendolia

Luke Carman named 2025 Judy Harris Writer-in-Residence ✍️

Award-winning author and essayist Luke Carman has been announced as the 2025 Judy Harris Writer-in-Residence Fellow at the Charles Perkins Centre. Known for his raw and reflective writing on Australia’s cultural margins, mental illness and the writer’s condition, Carman will receive $100,000 to support a year-long residency exploring the intersections of storytelling and health.

 
Community marching for The University of Sydney at Mardi Gras

March with us at Mardi Gras 2026 🏳️‍🌈

Want to be part of one of the biggest celebrations of pride and community in the world? We’re inviting the University of Sydney community to express their interest in joining the 2026 Mardi Gras Parade and/or Fair Day. It's a perfect opportunity to celebrate diversity, showcase pride, and connect with thousands in a vibrant, inclusive event!

 
students at a balcony gardening workshop funded by Student Life Grants.

Last chance to apply for a Student Life Welcome Grant 🎉

Interested in hosting an event that strengthens connection and builds a welcoming campus culture? Student Life Welcome Grants provide funding and support for student-led projects, helping you gain experience in project management, leadership, and collaboration. Open to all students – no experience needed. Applications close 2 November.

 

Events

 
 Chris Dolman, This won’t last, 2025, studio image. Image courtesy of the artist.

Chris Dolman, This won’t last, 2025, studio image. Image courtesy of the artist. 

In Conversation with Chris Dolman at the Verge Gallery 🖼️

Join artist Chris Dolman at Verge Gallery for an In Conversation session on Thursday 30 October, 12–1 pm, as part of the closing week of the exhibition This Won’t Last. Hear firsthand about the ideas behind the work and explore the themes of impermanence, humour and vulnerability before the exhibition wraps up this Friday 31 October.

 
hands in a plant

The Future of Sustainability: ACTS Conference 2025 🌱

Join the 23rd Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) Conference online from 5–7 November. This free virtual event brings together students and University staff from across the region to explore bold ideas, hear from sustainability experts, and connect with others working to build a just and sustainable future.

 

Honouring life and remembrance 🌸

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated on 2 November. Dia de los Muertos combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day. This Day is a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s. Families honour loved ones with vibrant altars, marigolds, food, and music – a joyful celebration of life and memory.

Wishing peace and connection to all who observe.


Student spotlight

Chun Yin (Kenneth) Lau

Celebrating Chun Yin (Kenneth) Lau, finalist for Study NSW's International Student of the Year Award 🎓

Kenneth Lau, a recent graduate of the Master of Professional Accounting and Business Performance, has been named a finalist for the 2025 NSW International Student of the Year. From mentoring peers and leading the University of Sydney Toastmasters Society to championing inclusion and public speaking, Kenneth has helped shape a more confident, connected international student community.

“Leadership is about service. This nomination reflects the power of community and the impact we can make together.”

– Chun Yin (Kenneth) Lau


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Student resources

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