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Dear students,  

I hope you’re enjoying the break and are feeling refreshed and excited for the new academic year ahead. 

This year marks the 175th anniversary of the University, an important milestone in our history and an opportunity to reflect on what has made us a great global University. I look forward to seeing how our student community builds upon this rich history in the year ahead. 

For those starting their first year with us, welcome to the University. I look forward to seeing you on campus for our Semester 1 Welcome Program, where you’ll get the opportunity to meet peers and teachers, find out more about your faculty and school, and make new friends through a range of social events and activities.  

The Program begins next Monday 10 February with cohort welcomes, followed by faculty, school and University-wide orientation events, workshops, and activities that will run throughout the first four weeks of semester.  

For those returning for another year or moving into postgraduate study, I wanted to encourage you, too, to get involved in our Welcome Program. The Program is your opportunity to meet your new peers, re-connect with friends and set yourself up for success through study skills workshops and academic and career planning sessions.  

As the Vice-Chancellor said to staff, while there is much to look forward to in 2025, there are also challenges we face as a community. The events of October 7 and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have caused immense distress for many in our community and I welcome the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities. While I share in the global hope for peace, it’s clear social cohesion remains under threat here in Australia. I’ve been horrified by the escalation in antisemitism and antisemitic attacks taking place in Sydney and we all have a role to play in ensuring our campus is a safe and welcoming place for all members of our community, including our Jewish students and staff. 

We were Australia’s first public university, founded in 1850 the on principles of merit and equity with a mission to serve our community. While we face unique challenges today, we’re also presented with new and exciting opportunities. Today, University is not only about what you learn in the classroom, but also the experiences you have within clubs and societies, at our sport and fitness facilities, in the workplaces of our industry partners, and locations around the globe through our study abroad program. I encourage you to make the most of the opportunities available to you here and truly immerse yourself in student life.  

Enjoy the rest of your break and see you on campus soon.  

Best,

Joanne

Professor Joanne Wright  

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education)  

Ensure you're enrolled correctly

Log in to Sydney Student to confirm you're enrolled correctly.

If you're a new student, read our guide to enrolment. And if you're returning for another year of study, ensure you've re-enrolled correctly, even if you made early unit of study selections in late 2024.

If you're an international student, make sure you know the study load requirements relating to your student visa. 

If you're a PhD student, familiarise yourself with HDR units of study. 

Access and review your Semester 1 timetable

Your timetable is now available in Sydney Timetable. Review and make adjustments to your timetable well in advance of the deadline, 11:59 pm on Sunday 9 March. 

Familiarise yourself with the 2025 academic calendar

Our refreshed key dates page allows you to highlight and filter dates related to your study including enrolment, fees, intensive sessions and timetables. On this page you'll also find course-specific calendars, cultural events and our 2025 student wall calendar (pdf, 74.9KB), where you can view the academic year ahead at a glance. 

Download your digital student card

Your digital student card works just like your physical student card and can be used for University building access, SydPay, printing, library services, and more. Follow the instructions on our digital student cards page to download the app and start using your digital student card on your iPhone, Apple Watch or other eligible Android device. 

Get set up with our digital services

Familiarise yourself with the ICT resources and University systems needed to support your studies, including your Unikey and University email, Canvas and other digital learning resources, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and password management, and Wi-Fi on campus.

Whether you’re new to uni or back for another year, the Welcome Program is your chance to connect, explore campus, and get involved in student life. Even if you’ve attended before, there’s always something new – which is why we’ve put together a guide on why you should attend Welcome 2025 (even if you’ve been before).

From tips around budgeting, lifestyle and transport to information about enrolment and key study dates, our guide for new students is your one-stop shop for preparing for university and student life. 

If you're preparing to move to Australia or have just arrived from overseas, here's what you need to know about living and studying in Sydney as an international student.

Visit one of our Student Support @ Campus Connect hubs across Camperdown/Darlington campus and access support on a range of student lifestyle areas including enrolment, credit, fees and timetables. Support is available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm at the following campus locations:

F03 Fisher Library

D18 Susan Wakil Health Building: until March 31 2025

H70 Belinda Hutchinson (Abercrombie) Building: From 17 February to March 28 2025.

Learn more about the Student Centre and study-related support on campus. 

Submit your feedback on five key policies

It is important that we uphold our cherished values around free speech and academic freedom while also welcoming and supporting every member of our community on our campuses and online. We're now inviting feedback on revisions to five key policies: 

You have until Thursday 13 February 2025 to submit your feedback through the relevant forms on the University Policies page. All submissions will be carefully considered as part of the consultation process, and you have the option to submit your feedback anonymously.

The National Student Ombudsman is now available to receive and investigate complaints

The National Student Ombudsman, a free independent service focussed on empowering students and ensuring fairness, is now live and able to receive and investigate complaints about the actions of a student’s higher education provider. To find out more information, please visit the National Student Ombudsman website.

Pre-requisites and assumed knowledge explained

Some of our degrees have specific prerequisites or assumed knowledge you're expected to have. To help demystify these terms, we've prepared a handy pre-requisites help page to help you understand the differences between assumed knowledge and prerequisites, ATAR requirements, and more.

Support for students affirming their gender

We are creating a supportive environment for our trans, gender diverse and non-binary students. View our gender affirmation page for information about your rights and protections, how to update your personal details and student records to reflect your preferred name, gender and pronouns, and support to help you succeed at University. 

Updated parking arrangements for 2025

A commercial dispute has affected our proposed move to OPark for parking on campus. The OPark app has since been disabled and parking at the University will revert to the CellOPark pay-as-you-go parking app, which has been in use since January 2023. More information on how to park at the University is on the Getting to campus page. 

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Mark Scott AO reflects upon the Year of the Snake and wishes our University community a Happy New Year in the above video.

Want to learn more about Lunar New Year and the Chinese zodiac fortune predictions for 2025? Professor Xiaohuan Zhao from the School of Languages and Cultures has answered some of your top questions, including what colours you can wear to maximise good fortune in 2025.

Whether you’ve just moved to Sydney or have lived here your whole life, there’s so much to discover about our great city. Enrolments are now open for OLES1600: Exploring Sydney, a new six credit point Open Learning Environment (OLE) unit about the fascinating people and processes that have shaped Sydney, that gives you the tools to develop new skills in field observation and communication.

The University is looking for a student representative to join Sustainability Working Group 3 (SWG3) in 2025. This is your chance to provide a student voice on sustainability governance, network with experts, and help drive real change. Meetings are monthly, and the role is voluntary. Applications close 5 pm, Friday 14 February.

Don't leave your future to chance, enrol in Design your Future - OLE2617 for Semester 1. This six credit point unit gives you the tools to design, plan and pursue your ideal career path. But don't just take our word for it – hear from our students about their experience taking Design your Future.

Want to boost your resume, gain hands-on sustainability experience, and make a real impact? Join the Waste Ambassador team at this year’s USU Welcome Fest (19–21 February)! Help drive the University of Sydney’s mission towards Zero Waste to Landfill by 2030 while gaining valuable skills and meeting like-minded peers. Applications close Monday 10 February.

It's your responsibility to act honestly and ethically during your studies, and to be aware of companies offering illegitimate support services. These companies, prominent during our Welcome period, claim to offer 'assignment help', 'exam help' or 'essay writing support'. They do not offer legitimate services and if you engage with them, you risk taking part in contract cheating. Don’t become a victim of contract cheating. Seek legitimate support from the University – it's free.

Make the most of student life at Sydney with University of Sydney Union (USU), your student union hosting hundreds of clubs and lots of festivals, events, gigs and parties throughout the semester. USU are running heaps of fun events during Welcome, from Campus Race on Tuesday 11 February to Party at Manning: Disco on Wednesday 19 February, so make sure to keep an eye on your student email and the USU Instagram to keep up to date with what's on. 

Most USU events require a free USU membership, so join USU today to avoid missing out! 

Keep in touch

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