Sydney Life

If there’s one thing you learn while at uni, it’s that time flies. Semester and exams have flown by in a haze, and now it’s holiday time again. Much has happened since my final exam which was…*counts*…over 10 days ago! Which brings me to a second thing you learn as a uni student—you work hard, and you play harder. In the course of those 10 days, I’ve had 21sts, SUPA ball, working, volunteering, meetings, driving tests…basically anything that has been put on hold during semester time.

SUPA is the Sydney University Pharmacy Association, and they held their annual ball on the Saturday immediately following exams, at Randwick Racecourse. A great day out was to be had, with entry to the day’s races included in the ticket price. The ball itself was equally as fantastic, with a sumptuous menu and plenty of chatter and interesting company. Many clubs and socs, particularly the faculty ones, will finish the year with annual balls. Most clubs and socs, both faculty and non-faculty, have AGMs (annual general meetings) close to the end of semester 2, in which new executives are elected. It starts all over again next year with planning and organization for O-Week, which happens in the last week of February before classes commence in early March.

Most uni students have casual jobs which is always great for earning a bit of money and reducing boredom in the holidays. Depending on the nature of the job (including whether it’s related to your degree), it can be throughout the year, or only in the summer holidays. For examples, some internships with legal or accounting firms are summer holidays only, while you’d be hard pressed to find a job as a pharmacy assistant that only covers the summer months.

It is always a good idea to find work related to your degree as early as possible, so that you can develop your skills and reinforce your learning where possible. However, for some areas of study, this is not really possible, which brings me to the next point—any sort of employment is valuable, even if it’s not directly related to what you’re studying. Having said that, you should try to find a job that’s interesting and (hopefully) pays reasonably. Another thing to consider is its accessibility. Is it nearby? Will you need a car or a particular type of driving licence? Is it easily accessible by public transport? If it requires driving, will the employer reimburse your petrol costs? The Casual Employment Service, which is one of the many support services available to students, has a database of casual jobs which current students can search. The jobs that are listed are particularly suitable for uni students, so the Casual Employment Service is often a great place to get started.

And of course, who can forget the waiting for results? Starting from the first years frantically refreshing for results every few minutes or so from 9-5 on weekdays (well, that’s what I did when I was in first year), to the jaded upper years where you don’t even bother trying to check for results until a couple of days before the mail-out date. On that note, I shall end, and wish the class of 2008 all the best with their HSC results. The START website is now up—just follow the link on the University homepage. It contains the number for the University Helpline, contact details of students you can email (yes, that’s me if anyone is wondering), and general information about the transition process. Good luck and happy holidaying!