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How is university different from high school?

There are many changes students can expect when they are transitioning to university, particularly if they are fresh from high school, such as greater responsibility for their own studies, the staggering of classes across the week, more 'free' time that can be dedicated to activities other than study, and so on!

With your help, your student can learn to get the balance right between work and play.

By reading on below, you can get learn about:

what a typical study-week looks like
types of classes and where students attend them
the range of cultural, social and sporting opportunities students can pursue

High school vs. university: Second-year student Michelle explains her experience of the differences between high school and university.

What does a typical day at university look like?

A clear difference between high school and university is the structure of a typical day and the different kinds of classes that students attend according to what they study.

One thing that is also worth noting is that a 'typical' day will vary depending on what degree your student is doing. If they are doing a Science degree, it is much more likely that they will be enrolled in practical classes which can be three hours long (in addition to weekly lectures). By contrast, a unit of study in an Arts degree is divided into weekly lectures and tutorials of much shorter duration.

Below is a sample (interactive) timetable which will help you get a sense of what is expected of students day-to-day and bring you up to speed with definitions of different class types.

Did you know?

Classes begin 5 minutes after the hour, and end 5 minutes before the hour to give students time to get across campus. It'll help to remind them to learn to navigate the university.

You might even like to become more familiar with campus yourself before you visit!

Access campus maps
Download student-tailored apps like lost on campus

Click on the University of Sydney icons in the sample timetable to learn more about these different kinds of classes!

Sports, culture, and more...

The University of Sydney has a large range of clubs, societies and cultural institutions. Each offers a great opportunity to make friends and feel like you are part of the rich university community.

Encourage your student to get involved, or even partake yourself!

Perhaps your student has an interest or talent in a particular sport or wishes to pursue a new one. If sport isn't their thing, then there are a range of societies, places to eat and drink and cultural activities that can break up their day or generally complement the academic side of life.

Learn more by clicking on the categories below.

Sydney Uni Sports and Fitness

Sydney Uni Sports and Fitness has a number of facilities on campus to cater for student health and fitness needs, including a range of sporting and recreational clubs.

Explore campus culture

Visit the Chau Chak Wing museum down the slopes of the University Quadrangle.
Catch a play at The Seymour Centre.
Visit an art gallery like Verge or Tin Sheds.

Clubs and societies

The University of Sydney Union (USU) coordinates a wider range of clubs and societies, from arts and performance to groups targeting professional skills and development.

See the (university) sites!

If you want to explore campus, use this interactive map to take a self-guided tour at the times listed.
If you can't visit campus in-person check out virtual options: the 360° Online Campus Tour!

Sydney Uni Sports and Fitness: This video provides a virtual tour of Sydney Uni Sports and Fitness' range of facilities.

Take an interest in your student’s new lifestyle. Have they joined any societies? Do they have a favourite library yet? Is there a particularly funny lecturer? So much happens every day at uni that they're bound to have a story!

Tiarna, 2nd year Science/Law

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