FAQs - Commencing students

Students at university are expected to be "independent learners". For this reason, learning at university generally has the following characteristics:

• responsibility rests with the student (lecturers present, and tutors discuss, course content with students; however, it is students themselves who are responsible for reaching an understanding of the course content);
• course content is covered at a rapid rate, generally without repetition for reinforcement;
• unless sought specifically, contact with, and support from, teaching staff may appear to be limited (compared with students' former school experience); students are advised to meet informally with their peers in small study groups to enhance their understanding of what they are learning;
• guidance for assessment tasks may be limited also, e.g., detailed criteria for assessment tasks are not always provided; and,
• draft work is not accepted for review by staff prior to final submission of assessable work.