Academic Life at UWA

By Emma Pitcher, University of Western Australia Perth, Australia

Compared to the University of Manchester, UWA is pretty similar in terms of academic life.

You pick 4 units per semester. As an international student, you have to submit your unit choices to have them approved (choose units related to your degree and that have prerequisites you have).

Make sure to discuss with your academic advisor as to what level units you should be picking. Each semester I chose two level 3 units, one level 2 unit, and one level 1 unit. My level 1 unit I treated as my “elective”, aka I did an intro level unit on anything that interested me.

When picking units, I recommend using the StudentVIP website where past students have rated UWA units. But in general look at the unit outline and see whether the content interests you and/or you like the assessment options.

Something I have found at UWA, is that almost every unit has group work in some shape or form – much more than my units at UOM. So if you don’t like group work, brace yourself. Attendance in some units is assessed or required to get the mark so be cautious of that. Also, units at UWA typically have more weekly assignments (like online quizzes), so make sure you stay on top of content throughout the semester.

There is a lot more freedom in terms of choosing what units to take compared to Manchester. Level 1 units can include paddle boarding or kayaking in Swan River, so there’s a greater variety of options.

Exams occur at the end of each Semester, before the break, and they occur over two weeks. They can be online or in person depending on the unit!

UWA has a really nice campus and loads of study spaces. Reid library’s first floor is a personal favourite, but because its so popular you have to get there early for a space! Other study spaces include Barry J and the Law library with a bunch of cafes around to keep you going.

Overall, I’ve found university over here to be easier than back home, mainly due to only having four units in a semester! 🙂