third ..... mate eng

i kinda miss the days when chilliz was called "student cafe" and most stuff was only AUD3.50

4.2 chicken rice? dang that's cheap

Aih. I'm not staying in the city. I'm staying at my relatives place in Wantirna South. Taking the train to the city is a bit hard cause of the ticket price. AUS$161 for a monthly train/tram/bus ticket is a little over the edge.

jiahui : a whole year has passed and your 'meet you next time' haven't even materialized

theam : i miss the times when they used to serve chickens by the drumsticks, not by the pathetic wings now

am from uwa too, about to graduate though but will be around to provide info about the uni, the business school, and general life in perth if needed

LOL

u still there in perth???

or having holiday back in msia?

well come welcome; i`m open to any stuff that can be pinned up

hey just checking , can we bring over colour pencils, its made of wood....

Yes. I doubt they will forbid pencils.

i dunno man , last time my auntie brought in a rice scooper made of wood, kena caught , then almost fined on the spot

EDIT:
nvm , found out that my auntie forgot to declare , thats why almost kena fined, colour pencils are OK i guess but must declare i think

This post has been edited by Cruzer: Feb 2 2008, 09:25 PM

Well...a rice scooper is suspicious. What is it used for? Cooking. This means that there might be organic materials like food traces left in it. This could potentially cause bacteria and viruses to enter Australia.

A brand new wooden rice scooper will be let through, but a used one needs to be thrown into the quarantine container.

Declare or Beware! (You'll see this a lot )

it was a brand new rice scooper man...
for any new students , remember DECLARE OR BEWARE
their declaration officers are really strict.
during customs ,also they ask me all sorts of questions about myself

then again , maybe cause im a muslim

but bottom line is, dont take it for granted, its not like malaysia u can just walk right out the door without any checking

Does anyone have the link that shows a list of things not allowed to bring into Australia? I came across it once but I've forgotten to bookmark it. Now I can't seem to find that link. =/

hey snowcandy
here it is

http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/travel/enterin...ralia/cant-take

http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_f...Single_page.pdf

i`m about to put tat on first page ..for coming to aus one..

but sked later they sue me for copyright

This post has been edited by KVReninem: Feb 2 2008, 10:18 PM

for unsw student
wonder if i'm the last one to know this
http://www.housing.unsw.edu.au
actually can find accomodation thru here 1 =.=
still hvnt settled my accommodation
goin on feb 23 here

Thanks so much! And I doubt they'll sue if you credit them for the link. It's good information for new students such as me whom are hopelessly lost on what to bring.

haha it is alright; dont over pack
coz like you..eventually you will adapt more to the fashion in aus

Doubt so.It's useful for those who are going there for the first time.

I found it but it seems like the site is pretty useless while im in Malaysia.Cant do much here.

Are you going there for your first year?Wanna go O-Week together?

Here's what I managed to put together today. I'm still working on it, so if there's any more information you'd like to know, PM me.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken to ensure the information provided is accurate, I cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. This should be strictly taken as an unofficial reference, not an absolute guide.

Living in Sydney

Transportation
Sydney has a relatively efficient and modern public transportation system. Major suburbs are accessible by trains or buses. Several options are:
State Transit Buses - http://www.sta.nsw.gov.au/
CityRail Network - http://www.cityrail.com.au/
Trams/Monorail (City area only, expensive and recommended for tourists only) - http://www.metromonorail.com.au/
Ferries - http://www.sydneyferries.info/
Taxis - taxis are expensive, but very convenient. Taxis are metered with controlled pricing (http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/taxi/fares.html).

To check schedules for integrated bus, trains and ferries services, we usually use: http://www.131500.info/realtime/default.asp

Getting a bus/train ticket is the easiest way to travel. Options and prices:
TravelTens - 10 trips prepaid card
http://www.sydneybuses.info/tickets/travelten.php

TravelPass - prepaid card for unlimited travel for a weekly or seasonally (quarterly, monthly)
http://www.sydneybuses.info/tickets/travelpass.php

A TravelPass is worth it if you take more than 12 rides a week on a bus or need to use both a bus and train to travel frequently.

Renting in Sydney
Sydney has a crazy property market. As this is generally a buyers' market, there is a constant shortage in rental property. However, you can still find accommodation if you look before the peak periods of January/February and June/July. September/October are the best time to rent, but hey, nobody likes to move in the midst of a university session.
The major real estate agents operate in all major suburbs, namely L.J. Hooker, Raine & Horne, Laing & Simmons, etc. Online web sites include www.realestate.com.au.
For those intending to be a tenant, signing a lease is a must. A lease puts you on a contract with the landlord (or the agents acting on behalf of their client), usually over 6 or 12 months, for security. It ensures that there will be no disputes arising from the rental agreement, document the responsibilities of the landlord and tenants and provides tenants the security of a fixed rent over specified period and protection against unfair eviction, etc. A 4 week bond is usually taken to ensure that tenants take appropriate care of the premises. If premises are left in good condition, the bond will be refunded when the tenant moves out.

Average Rental Rates in Eastern suburbs:
$400-$500 for a new 2-bedroom unit/apartment and $300-$400 for an older unit.
$500+ for 3-bedroom units

Shared accommodation is common and this can be found on university notice boards, housing offices and classified ads. Shared accommodation simply means someone takes up a lease and then shares the unit with other people, so they split the rent and utilities among themselves.

Banking in Sydney
Students are encouraged to get a bank account as soon as you reach Australia. In the first 6 weeks of arrival, you can use your passport for identification. Beyond that, you will need to meet the 100 points ID test.

Australia has 4 major banks and many smaller ones:
Commonwealth Bank of Australia - the biggest retail bank, has most number of ATMs, popular with students
National Australia Bank
ANZ Bank - offers debit card facilities
Westpac

All major banks offer student accounts, with no charges for withdrawals or transfers. However, you must update your details with them every semester of study to enjoy the benefits.

Commonwealth Bank offers an option for students to open an account and transfer funds prior to moving to Australia.
http://www.commbank.com.au/movingtoaustralia/

Telecommunication
Mobile phones are widely used in Australia. Major cities like Sydney are served by advanced 3G mobile services from the major providers like Hutchinson's Three, Singtel Optus, Telstra and Vodafone.
You can either sign on a plan or go prepaid. Optus offers an attractive prepaid service that is popular with students. Three is by far the cheapest if most of your friends are on the same network, but you are forced to use a 3G-enabled mobile and sign onto a contract and use their locked phones to enjoy those benefits.

Internet Connection
The most common form of broadband internet is ADSL via landline connection. If you're renting, check that the unit has a landline connection that has been set up. Establishing a new connection costs more than A$100 and has to be done by Telstra.
To find the best ISP deals, check www.whirlpool.net.au. The biggest telecommunication companies are generally the least affordable, but you may benefit from bundled plans (phone + internet) and better customer service.
Broadband internet plans are capped in Australia, so take the download quota into consideration when selecting plans.

UNSW Students
UNSW has 3 main campuses - Kensington, COFA (College of Fine Arts) and ADFA (Australian Defense Forces Adacemy in Canberra). Chances are you'll be in Kensington, so this guide will assume this to be the case. Sydney is made up of the Central Business District (CBD) and its surrounding suburbs. Kensington is one of these suburbs in Sydney and is only 20 minutes from the CBD.

Where to Live and Getting There
External Accomodation
Most UNSW international students choose to live in the suburbs surrounding the university. These include Kensington, Kingsford and Randwick. Further away, there is Maroubra, Pagewood and Coogee. All suburbs are within walking distance, but those living beyond the first 3 should take the bus to university.

There are dedicated Express buses serving UNSW and Central station every 5-10 minutes daily during session. All suburbs are served by major bus services leading to the CBD (about 20-30 minutes in normal traffic).

Randwick and Kingsford are considered very popular and convenient suburbs. There is a Coles supermarket in Randwick, many places to eat, convenience stores, banks, shops, close to the Prince of Wales hospital, and within walking distance to Coogee beach, so you never have to leave the suburb if you don't want to. Randwick is closest to the upper campus of the uni.
Kingsford is populated by international students. It has a small supermarket, banks, many places to eat and also some Asian convenience stores. Kingsford is closer to the lower campus of the uni.

Residential Colleges
UNSW has 8 residential colleges on campus. These are:
New College (more academic, modern and expensive. Strict bans on alcohol.)
The Kensington Colleges which includes Philip Baxter, Basser & Goldstein (cheap, university-owned and operated, small rooms)
Shalom College (religious, run and supported by the Shalom Jewish Institute. Orthodox Jewish laws apply, so food is kosher, the Sabbath is observed and other Jewish customs are practiced)
Warrane College (religious, all-males, run and supported by the Catholic Church's Opus Dei)
Creston College (religious, all-females, also run by Opus Dei)
International House (cheapest, very popular with Malaysian/Singaporean students)
The religious colleges are still quite diverse and do take in international students regardless of faith or background.

You have to apply as early as possible as the colleges fill up very quickly. Some colleges require an interview and references provided in the application process, so be prepared for that. Short term accomodation is available at backpacker hotels and small motels around the university for the first few weeks, but these are not viable forms of accomodation beyond 4 weeks.

Students are encouraged to be in Sydney as early as January to search and battle it out for rental property.

University Website
http://www.unsw.edu.au

UNSW Housing Website
http://www.housing.unsw.edu.au/

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 3 2008, 12:21 AM

well KVReninem has a point.
Uni level is tough
During my first semester i learned it the hard way. Lecturers told me to start studying as soon as possible. and i just laughed it off and said to myself
" Thats what my lecturers at Alevels told me, and i studied a week b4 my exam and ace the exams no problem"
Boy o Boy did i get bitten in the ass in uni.
My first semester i had 1 first class honours and 1 Upper 2nd class honours and 2 PASSES
WHy? i toke my alevels last minute studying habits to uni as well.i almost failed those 2 subjects cause i only had time to concentrate on 2.
To be honest, while studying last minute for my semester , i sorta had a temporary break down and was close to seeking counseling due to the sheer pressure of time. Couple of my friends were unfortunate and they failed their subjects in 1 st semester itself and trust me you DONT want to repeat subjects)

So 2nd semester , i decided to change my ways, studied more consistently( not as consistent as i planned) , kept up with my understanding and workload . and come 2nd semester finals, i didnt feel any pressure nor had any temporary breakdown. Managed to pull off 2 upper class 2nd class honours and 2 first class honours". Not the best results in the world, but its definitely as start.

SO anyways my point is .
Uni level is hard. Most students have problem keeping up with 4 subjects. Too much too study , too little time to comprehend ( imagine 3/4 of your alevels physics syllabus + more advanced syllabus in a mere 3 months with just 1 week of study break b4 your finals. Past Year Papers DONT HELP much.)But no , u dont have to worry bout taking up more than 4 years, if you are consistent, you work hard, chances are you do well, and you are able to complete your subjects within 4 years.

Im speaking as a mechanical engineering student btw. cant comment much on other faculties ( cause i toke a commerce subject and it was pretty easy to comprehend and exam was easy as well )

This post has been edited by Cruzer: Feb 3 2008, 01:05 AM

Now,Im scared.Do i need to start to revise my stuff before i go?