First Years’ Survival Guide
Your first semester is starting, and you aren’t sure what to expect. Your few moments of checking out the campus consisted of walking through crowds of unfamiliar faces, and you sense that you’re missing a lot of knowledge that the university assumes you know. Naturally, you might feel out of the loop, but trust me, almost everyone experienced this same sensation when starting university. Now, most of us simply pretended to know what we were doing until we naturally figured things out over time, in classic “fake-it-till-you-make-it” fashion. But you don’t have to risk making yourself look silly like we did.
Introduction
Over the years, students who enrolled at USYD, such as myself, naturally collected valuable tips that would have helped us immensely if we had the privilege of knowing them from the get-go. Some of us had no idea about these tips until our 3rd or 4th year, which was a little too close to graduation to be useful… (except for any medical students—you guys end up at uni for quite a while, so you still have time to make use of these—don’t worry).
I've broken this blog into five main sections based on the chronological order of my personal experiences of being a Muslim at USYD. Feel free to skip ahead depending on which stage you're on, whether you're waiting for your offer, enrolling for your classes, or all packed and ready for starting your first semester at USYD.
TLDR
Stage 1: Enrolling at USYD
This section goes into step-by-step detail about enrolling in your degree/major, researching scholarships, getting your keycard, and finalising your units of study..
Stage 2: Surviving Your First Week at USYD
Here, I delve into nearby locations to pray, halal restaurants to eat, and finding your classes.
Stage 3: How to Smash Your Uni Career
This part delves into time management, study habits, and the various career insights that USYD and SUMSA offer.
Stage 4: Connecting with Others in the Musalla
I explore the importance of the Storie Dixson Musalla, not just as a place to pray, but as a way to connect with other Muslims.
Stage 5: Joining SUMSA
Delves into the value of joining SUMSA, focusing on building brotherhood and sisterhood, upskilling, and developing oneself as a Muslim while having fun in good company.
Stage 1: Enrolling at USYD
Enrolling in your degree/major
To enroll, you need to access the following page:
https://sydneystudent.sydney.edu.au/
This is the official Sydney Student site for USYD students, where you can handle enrolment, finances, student details, and more. If you don’t know your UniKey or password to log in, check the email you received after accepting your university offer.
Once you've signed in to the Sydney Student page, head over to the “My Studies” tab located at the top navigation bar of the page and click it to reveal its drop-down menu. Within the drop-down menu, click the “Enrolment” option.
Here, you can begin the process of enrolment step by step. These steps mainly consist of filling out your personal details, selecting your course and major, and choosing your units for your first semester.
Applying for scholarships
One often overlooked step in enrolling at USYD is applying for student scholarships. USYD offers a range of scholarships for both domestic and international students, so it’s important to stay well-informed about the latest opportunities to reduce your HECS debt (or the need for extra shifts at work if you're paying for university upfront). These scholarships can be categorized as general, academic, faculty-specific, equity, or overseas study-specific. I would personally suggest browsing through them at the start of every semester, even if you’re halfway through your degree.
Check out all of USYD’s scholarships here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships/
Getting your keycard
During the enrolment process, you will be asked to upload a photo for your student card that meets the criteria/guidelines provided on the page. If your photo meets the criteria and is accepted, you will be given access to a form to apply for a booking to pick up your student card.
Once you complete the booking process, you will receive a “Student Card Collection Reminder” email containing details of the time and on-campus location for the pickup. As long as you make it to the pickup location on time and don’t leave it to the last minute (like we all do with our assignments…), you should be good to go!
Choosing your units of study
When it comes to choosing your units of study for the semester, you have two best friends: the CUSP website and your unit advisor (although the latter ‘friend’ may be a bit distant since they sometimes take a while to respond).
The CUSP website clearly outlines which units you are meant to be enrolled in for each semester within your course. To access it, simply visit the CUSP page (https://cusp.sydney.edu.au/) and browse through the courses to find yours. Once you click on your course, you will be greeted with a comprehensive list of unit recommendations for each semester.
Your unit advisor helps with more personalized inquiries. Feel free to ask about anything regarding your course, whether it's about your majors, optional units, etc. For example, if you have specific preferences regarding which electives you would like to take, you can ask your unit advisor to create a plan consisting of the units you should take during your course.
Finding out who your unit advisor is might not be immediate, so to discover them, select the faculty that your course fits under in the following link: https://www.sydney.edu.au/about-us/faculties-and-schools.html. Once you click on your faculty, hover your mouse over the "Schools" tab on the top navigation bar and click on the school that your course falls under. Within this site, scroll down and click on the large "Leadership and Contacts" button. In the "General Information" section, you'll find the email you need to contact your unit advisor.
This email essentially serves as the “reception” for the school, and if you email them with your inquiry, your message will be redirected to your unit advisor. When your unit advisor responds, you will no longer need to use the “reception” school email, as you will then have your unit advisor’s email, allowing you to email them directly from then on.
When sending an email to the school reception or your unit advisor, there is a clear format that needs to be followed, which includes specifying your name, student ID, unikey, degree/major, starting and graduation year.
With that, picking your units of study should be quite straightforward! As always, if you would like additional advice from people who have experience with specific units, feel free to ask about them in our Whatsapp Group Chat - there’s bound to be someone who has done that unit before.
Choosing your timetable
Now that your enrolment is complete, it’s time to set up your timetable.
To do so, simply visit the link below and click on the orange “View your timetable” button:
https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/timetables.html
Once you log in, you will be presented with a timetable displaying the lectures, tutorials, and labs for the units you enrolled in this semester.
Most units usually offer multiple time slots throughout the week for tutorials and labs. These tutorials/labs have limited capacity, so certain slots may become full if you don’t set up your timetable and pick your time slots early enough.
However, if a timeslot you were interested in becomes full, you can still add it to your wishlist by clicking the heart symbol next to the slot. The system will automatically switch you to that slot as soon as a spot becomes available.
Lectures typically do not have multiple options, so keep this in mind when preparing your timetable. While you can watch a lecture recording afterward (as long as attendance isn't mandatory) if it clashes with another unit’s tutorial or lab, it's preferable to attend live. Many people end up skipping lectures because it takes self-discipline and time management to watch recordings later (myself included…).
Overall, try to set up your timetable as early as possible and avoid selecting classes that conflict with prayer times or other classes. Just remember, wishlisting a full timeslot doesn’t guarantee entry, so have a backup plan in case you don’t get into the class you wanted.
Stage 2: Surviving Your First Week at USYD
Places to pray
Naturally, as a Muslim, being aware of the places to pray on campus is crucial. For the most part, the most obvious place to pray would be our Storie Dixon Musalla, as this is the “official” SUMSA Musalla where our congregational prayers and events take place.
However, sometimes your classes can be located far away from our Musalla, and it’s understandable if you need to quickly pray before entering a class. In these cases, there are some alternative places you can use to pray:
J03 Wellness Room: This room is located on the 3rd floor of the J03 building, which you will become familiar with if you do any sort of computer engineering units. Keep in mind that this wellness room is not a place where you can stay for a while and relax; it is designed to be used for about 15 minutes or so. Unfortunately, you can't sit back and relax here in the way that you can in the Storie Dixson Musalla. However, it does contain a sink and a prayer mat for wudu and prayer.
Manning Musalla: This Musalla is for sisters only and is located on Level 3 of the Women’s Room in the Manning House building.
Podcast rooms: These are located in Room 417 (Level 4) of the Susan Wakil Health Building.
Jumu’ah Prayer
Unlike regular congregational prayers, the weekly Jummah prayer is not hosted at the Storie Dixon Musalla. Instead, it is hosted at a large stage within the OTC Building. Don’t worry if you don’t know the way there; just head to the Storie Dixon Musalla. Many brothers usually walk from the Musalla to the OTC prayer area as a group. Once you walk there once or twice as a group, you should be able to remember the way because the trip is actually quite simple.
Places for food
When hunger strikes and the snacks in the Musalla aren't enough to satisfy your appetite, don't worry! There are plenty of halal options available on campus. If you only eat Hand-Slaughtered Chicken like me, keep reading - there will be a written section regarding what/where you can eat after the following list.
Restaurants:
Oz Turk: This is your classic reliable Turkish Kebab shop. Expect to find kebab rolls, Snack Packs (fries loaded with kebab meat and sauce), pizza, and fish and chips. While they usually only sell Beef and Chicken kebab meat as their options, here's a secret - Oz Turk sells lamb instead of beef specifically on Wednesdays every week. It's something you need to try at least once; it's genuinely exceptional. If you're looking for something cheap, you can get a fourth of a whole pizza (equivalent to a few slices) for only $4.50.
It’s Time for Thai NewTown: A great Thai food place offering solid Thai noodles and curries. While the dishes on their menu can be pricey (around $20), you can get those same dishes for around $15 during their lunchtime period (between 12 - 4pm). Keep in mind that they might have removed their lunch discount, so it's best to confirm. Also, they use Oyster sauce for almost all their dishes, so if you can't have seafood, make sure to ask for no oyster sauce.
Burgers on Broadway: An excellent burger place offering both beef and fried chicken burgers. If you care about hand-slaughtered chicken, this is the place for you! It's around 1 km away from our Storie Dixon Musalla, but they're also available on Uber Eats and DoorDash. Prices are similar to other local burger spots, with a burger meal costing around $15 - $19 depending on size.
Beirut Falafel: A really underrated meat/falafel wrap place located across the street from Oz Turk. If you've had negative experiences with falafel being dry and lacking flavour, don't worry! This place knows how to make fresh and delicious falafel. Their wraps usually cost around $11 to $13.
Uni Bros: Another kebab shop selling kebab rolls, pizzas, and snack packs. They also offer fried chicken, but unlike Oz Turk, they do not use hand-slaughtered chicken.
These options should keep you well-fed and satisfied during your time on campus!
Groceries:
Woolworths Metro is the classic grocery store, albeit slightly smaller than your ordinary Woolworths location. Nevertheless, it still offers a variety of useful ingredients and food products for your pantry or for whipping up a quick snack. You can find it just to the right of the Redfern train station.
Additionally, there are multiple small corner shops that you pass while walking from the Redfern train station to campus. These can be handy for grabbing a small bag of chips or other snacks.
Hand Slaughtered Chicken
For those who only eat hand-slaughtered chicken, sadly, most of the options on campus do not sell chicken that fits this criterion—except for Burgers on Broadway, which is the only restaurant in the list that purely sells hand-slaughtered chicken, as stated earlier.
Oz Turk does technically supply hand-slaughtered chicken for those who ask, but it’s only for large special occasions. For example, whenever SUMSA purchases a lot of pizzas from Oz Turk to sell after Friday prayer, the staff agree to purely use hand-slaughtered chicken. However, you sadly can’t just go into Oz Turk and order a singular chicken wrap with hand-slaughtered chicken, since the process of switching to that type of chicken is not simple for the staff, and it’s not something they will be happy to do just for one order. Don’t worry, though, because while you may not have that many options to eat chicken, there’s still beef and lamb which you can order, and most restaurants are okay with you asking them to clean the cooking equipment to avoid cross-contamination with the machine-slaughtered chicken.
Out of the entire list, the only places that won’t listen to your requests of cleaning their cooking equipment would be Uni Bros. Other than that, every other restaurant (such as Beirut Falafel) will listen to your request of cleaning their grill/cooking equipment from my experience. So, you still have a lot of restaurants you can order from.
Miscellaneous
Restaurants and grocery stores aside, there are other distinct places around campus to take note of.
For instance, there’s a nice large grassy park on campus that a lot of students have never been to. It’s called Victoria Park. It even contains a small basketball court where you could play a simple half-court game! So if you ever want to take a peaceful walk away from the views of daunting university buildings to lift your spirits or play some basketball with a friend, this is a great place to do just that!
Moreover, for those who are looking for a quiet place to study, there are quite a few options. The Storie Dixon Musalla is, of course, a solid option; however, if you want a fully empty room to yourself, the actual Storie Dixon building has tutorial rooms which you can use to study on your own as long as there isn’t a class going on there. These tutorial rooms are on the floors above the Musalla and can be accessed by entering the glass double doors on the back of the building that contains the Musalla.
Finding classes
Now that you know all the nifty places around campus, the next step is to actually try and find them. We've all been there, completely lost in the maze while trying to find our first class. Whether it's asking passerby dozens of questions or second-guessing yourself every time you step into each class, hoping you don't embarrass yourself, the first week of the semester is always tough.
This is where the Lost on Campus app comes in handy. Simply put, it's a helpful tool that provides a detailed mini-map of whatever campus you're currently on and navigates you to the building where your class is located. For many of us, the app is a lifesaver, especially at USYD, where the buildings are spread far apart, and a simple misdirection could leave you ten minutes late and sprinting to your next class trying to catch attendance
Stage 3: How to Smash Your University Career
Now, one of the biggest challenges that university students face, especially first-years, is learning how to take advantage of their time at university. Classes become a blur as your mind gets crammed with theory, content, and equations, all while upcoming exams and deadlines loom overhead. Your routine becomes a chaotic mish-mash of cramming assignments, juggling quizzes, and preparing for practicals. The key to a successful university career is not caffeine-fueled all-nighters (though that might be handy), but effective planning.
Managing your time (without going crazy)
Preparation is key to achieving a successful university career. Luckily, there are many accessible time-management and organisation tools you can use to take control of your university experience. Personally, I use a combination of Notion and Google Calendar to stay on top of my assessments, extracurriculars, and social life, but you can obviously experiment and see which system works best for you.
Once you've enrolled in your classes and set up your student Canvas account, the first thing you want to do is find all your assessment deadlines for each subject and jot them down on a calendar. You can even take it a step further and use time-blocking techniques to prioritize and focus your attention on completing the most important tasks first. This helps you prioritize upcoming exams and quizzes and schedule the rest of your life around them (or the other way around if you’re daring).
The next thing you want to do is plan out all, if not most, of your units of study on a spreadsheet. You might be thinking, “But I’ve just started uni, how would I know what to pick?” That’s completely fine. The purpose of this spreadsheet is not to have a decisive to-do list of subjects in precise detail, but rather to have a roadmap of your degree structure. This helps you prepare and structure your study to account for prerequisites, electives, and extracurriculars. The absence of this planning might prevent you from seeking opportunities, studying an interesting class, or delaying your graduation because of specific course requirements.
Life as a university student can get chaotic as your usual routine gets suddenly thrown out the window because of studying for finals, last-minute shift notices, and unexpected commitments. As a result of this, you might lose sight of personal goals, whether it be staying healthy, maintaining worship, or trying out new hobbies. It’s important in these circumstances to stay on top of where you are through habit-tracking. Setting small but achievable objectives every day and keeping yourself accountable helps turn those big dreams into reality.
Peer Mentorship
Your biggest advantage at university is peer mentorship, which grants you access to other students or tutors who have been through what you're experiencing and can provide valuable insight into navigating university life (similar to this blog) or share their experiences in your field. Alhamdulillah, at SUMSA, you’re very likely to find someone who’s studying the same course as you or already taking their first steps into their career. Make sure to ask them lots of questions in order to get a "heads-up" and prepare for what's to come during your time at uni.
Societies
Another significant advantage of university is the access to student and industry societies, where you can connect with other students who share your interests and career aspirations. Many of these industry-related societies offer ample opportunities for students to take their "first step in the door" and practice networking with professionals. This is extremely beneficial in bridging the gap between what you learn in class and gaining practical experience working in the industry, which looks impressive on your resume.
Careers Centre
Another valuable resource to take advantage of is USYD’s Career Centre, which offers services such as career expos, networking events, resume writing workshops, and a job platform. It’s important to stay informed about what they offer as it provides a wealth of useful insights, especially when it comes to securing your first casual or part-time job or gaining professional experience.
Stage 4: Connecting with Others in the Musalla
Believe it or not, the Storie Dixson Musalla is not just a simple prayer room - it’s much more than that! During my first semester, when most people were simply heading home after finishing their class, I would head to the musalla even if it wasn’t prayer time just so that I could meet new people and build valuable connections. The challenges of university are much easier to overcome when there are other people to share your experiences with and receive advice from.
Accessing the Musalla
All you need to do is walk to the Musalla, ring the doorbell (or complete the form to gain the capability of scanning your USYD card to open the door), introduce yourself to others, and you’ll most likely find someone who is actually doing a similar or even identical course to you (unless you’re studying something like aeronautical engineering - I can’t make any promises for people with that course…).
Canteen
The Musalla is also equipped with an entire canteen! We all know buying takeaway food is expensive in this current economy (a burger meal for $16 minimum?!), so it’s good to satisfy your hunger with something small or simple. You have a lot of snacks to choose from, such as chips or sweets, along with cup noodles for those who have a bit more of an appetite. A dietitian probably wouldn’t recommend it, but to be fair, takeaway food isn’t healthier and you really can’t beat the cozy vibes of eating a cup noodle at the musalla. There’s even a whole fridge full of soda cans and cold bottled water which you can buy for prices much cheaper than any average restaurant or vending machine!
Garden
We’re also fortunate to have our own garden, sponsored by USYD Student Life Grants. Feel free, whenever you’re on campus, to use it as a much-needed retreat away from the hustle and bustle of university, to sit back and reflect in nature.
Musalla Etiquette
Not to sound all doom-and-gloom, but we do have a few rules when it comes to using the musalla. Firstly, the musalla is an amanah (trust) upon everyone who walks through the doors and uses its facilities. It is our collective responsibility to take care, look after, and maintain the musalla. Whether it's keeping the noise level down when others are praying, giving salaams upon entry to fellow Muslims, or keeping the musalla neat and tidy for others to use and benefit from, these are all essential aspects of respecting the space.
Stage 5: Joining SUMSA
University can really feel like a lonely experience if you don’t build connections and meet people who are also in your position. So, you don’t lose anything from meeting the amazing people who usually stay in the musalla to study or simply chill for a little.
Brotherhood & Sisterhood
Having a strong Muslim brotherhood/sisterhood around you is important to keep your Islam in check and ensure that you aren’t negatively influenced by the various haram actions that have been normalised in today’s culture, all while allowing you to become accustomed to the structure of university. Some of us who were fortunate enough to attend Muslim schools are used to comfortably practising our religion in an accepting community, and this privilege is naturally not something you are immediately given when attending university. In order to attain this privilege, all you need to do is join the SUMSA community by going to the musalla and joining our WhatsApp group chat through the QR codes on our posters in the musalla.
Having good company around you can single-handedly shape your overall university experience. Just think about the memories you had in school. What comes to your mind first - a specific class you had or something you did with your friends? And so, the types of friends you choose to be with can really affect what type of student you end up being. Making friends with people who are taking the same units as you can significantly motivate you to study more and stay up to date with the content. You have a higher likelihood of procrastinating and letting yourself go if there isn’t anyone else to keep you in check. Those who study better with others (like me) will naturally be able to get a lot more studying done instead of the usual procrastination they engage in when they are alone.
The benefit of good company also extends to your Iman. Having good Muslims in your circle of friends will naturally push you to become a stronger Muslim and will help you regularly remember to strengthen your relationship with Allah (SWT). On the other hand, Muslims who sadly end up in the wrong friend groups can easily be pressured away from practising Islam, which can lead to drastic consequences over time.
With this in mind, I hope you understand the sheer importance of having a strong community full of great friendships. And that’s what SUMSA strives to be.
SUMSA regularly hosts many social events which are a great excuse to go outside and socialise. During student life, you might get used to only leaving the house to go to class, but these events should change that for the better, all while providing you with the good company you need as a student and a Muslim.
Upskilling & Growth
Speaking of being Muslims, seeking knowledge is a key part of solidifying and enhancing your belief, and is thus something we aim to incorporate into our daily lives. When it comes to attaining knowledge, expect to see many talks and Halaqas hosted by SUMSA covering our responsibilities as Muslims and as students who represent the Muslim community within the university.
Halaqas will be hosted at the musalla pretty much weekly, and we usually have something to eat afterward, so if you happen to be free, there’s no reason to miss out!
Along with gaining knowledge, another very important aspect for us Muslims is giving knowledge - mainly in the form of Da’wah.
Once a year, we have an entire Islamic Awareness Week, consisting of all sorts of public events aimed at raising awareness regarding the virtues of Islam. These events serve the purpose of providing Da’wah to others and spreading the word of Islam as we are meant to do. The Islamic Awareness Week occurs approximately in the middle of Semester 2, so be ready for that when it happens! There will be many opportunities to volunteer, so you’ll get a lot of chances to attain hasanat!
Upcoming events
If you're reading this, we've already been hosting the O’Week stalls! I really hope you were fortunate enough to make it to one of those, but if you did sadly miss out, don’t fret!
Next week, there will be a Meet N’ Greet event at the Storie Dixson Musalla, where you’ll have an opportunity to build connections for your studies and make friends, all while playing games and participating in other activities!
Now, if you are really far away from campus and you can’t regularly get to the musalla, there are still great ways to build connections and socialise!
For the brothers, we have a SUMSA Bros’ Zoom Games Night each Saturday at 8:30pm - hosted by me! It’s casual fun, and we play a lot of games that don't require any setup to join and play, such as those from the Jackbox Party Packs, for example. So if you have some time on Saturday night, I’d love to see you there! Each of these sessions is announced along with other activities on our SUMSA teens group chat, so feel free to join it using the QR code we have at the musalla, or simply ask someone who you know is in SUMSA to get you added in.
Closing words
Overall, I hope this blog has provided you with a good overview of what to expect from your university experience and the steps you should take to make it a great and eventful journey. A strong community and supportive environment can significantly enhance your experiences and studies at university, so I encourage you to take the first step in building connections and attend the Meet N’ Greet at the musalla next week. And if you can't make it to that, you can still simply walk into the musalla during the day and expect to find a few people to talk to and get some advice from. Make sure to join our WhatsApp group chat to stay up to date with upcoming events. That's all from me for now!
