Need some housing? Not sure where to start?

At this time of year you, like a lot of other students, may want to move to a new place. In a tight rental market and with limited time before the start of the next study period, where do you start?

Here are some practical suggestions:

As well as campus noticeboards and Classified Advertisements in the newspaper, there is a wide range of other options for different budgets and requirements. Just hop on to the Accommodation website http://www.unisa.edu.au/accommodation/

• Want to share a unit or house? Log in to the Rental Database. But remember to do it regularly, because the database is updated daily with new listings.
• Have you registered with the SA Student Housing Association? The email updates will alert you about upcoming vacancies.
• If you want to stay in purpose-built furnished student accommodation, head to the Student Accommodation part of the website for student hostels, apartments and residential colleges.
• Need some advice and tips on renting and protecting your rights? Browse through the Advice & Tips and FAQ sections.

Did you know that there are lots financial grants available to Australian citizens that are not allocated on the basis of academic merit? In other words, you don’t have to be genius to qualify.

And last but not least: never, ever agree to a lease before reading and understanding the entire contract.

If in doubt, get some reliable, independent advice.

Good luck,
Pat Petronio, Accommodation Services Coordinator

Got the sniffles? and assignments and exams as well?

(Vector Clipart Picture, 2008)

This is a time when you might feel really stretched by your workload. It’s also the season for coughs and colds.

• What do you do if are feeling too crook to sit your exam?
• What do you do if you sit the exam when you are ill and get bad results?

If you are not well enough to write your assignment or sit your exam, don’t!
Instead you need to go to the doctor and get

• medical treatment
  
• a medical certificate that you can use as documentary evidence of your illness.

In a big institution like UniSA there are guidelines that staff and students must follow when it comes to assessment. The rules are there to ensure that everyone has ‘a fair go’ i.e. the same chance of success as each other. But if you are sick it counts as an ‘unexpected and exceptional grounds’ and you can apply for deferred assessment (see Assessment Policies and Procedures 2008, Section 7.3).

Assignments
If you are ill and need an Extension to complete your assignment

• read your Course Information Guide to find out exactly who you need to contact and any instructions you need to follow
  
• contact your Course Coordinator as soon as possible (within 5 working days of the assignment due date)
  
• complete and submit your application for an extension and submit it with your medical certificate (also within 5 working days).

Exams
If you miss your exam due to illness

• contact your Course Coordinator as soon as possible (within 5 working days of the exam)
• complete and submit your application a deferred assessment and submit it with your medical certificate(also within 5 working days).
  

What happens if you attend the exam and then fail?
If you are not well, you sit the exam and do really badly, you need to see a doctor that day and get a medical certificate. You can then apply for Special Consideration: you must do this within 5 working days. If Special Consideration is granted, it may involve sitting a deferred exam, doing a written assignment or something else.

Emailing Course Coordinators

• write in plain English
• do not use SMS text.
  

Keep in mind that your email records your request. Keep it friendly and polite. Also keep a copy. Do not assume the Course Coordinator has seen or received the email, until they have replied and ensure you keep a copy of the reply.

If the extension was agreed to verbally, also send an email confirming the agreed arrangement. Ensure you get a reply and, again, keep a copy.

If Course Coordinators are not replying to your emails you can call them directly and if you are still not able to get through to them, try contacting them through the School office.

wishing you every success,
Helen

Lecturer: Learning Adviser

Staying warm in winter, staying fit for exams

It was 6 degrees last night. At last, I pulled out the electric blanket from my closet, set it up and turned it on. Ah... the warmness from the blanket immediately sent out waves of Z..Z..Z... signal to my mind and body. Yes, it's time to sleep.

But just before I swtiched off the light, I spotted my neighbour's light in his bedroom. It was still on. My neighbour is an international student and I guess he must be staying up late preparing for exams. Suddenly I had a flasback memory -- remembering those days when I was an international student, studying until late while battilng with the cold weather. Like some international students, saving $$ was important to me and therefore unless it was really necessary, turning on the heater or using the electric blanket was still a luxury for me.

Exams are just around the corner. So are the flu bugs. If you are not used to the cold weather, it can be a real challenge to study, to battle with the cold weather and to maintain health at the same time.

Here are some practical tips of how you can stay warm and stay healthy in this winter and exam season:

- Staying warm in winter

- Staying mentally fit for exams

All the best to everyone!

The Counselling Team

Learning Connection