The academics in New South Wales are different compared to academics in the US. There is a limited amount of ‘busy work’ and there is usually a total of four assignments that determine your grade. Grades are often referred to as marks. There are no letter grades like in the US. The grading system goes as follows: A High Distinction (HD) is a mark ranging from 85-100 and indicates an outstanding performance and a high level of understanding. Very few students receive High Distinction marks for their work. A Distinction (DN) is a mark ranging from 75-84 and indicates a superior performance. Few students will receive a Distinction mark. A Credit (CR) is a mark ranging from 65-74 and indicates a good performance. The director of Study Abroad and Exchange at UNSW explained that a mark of 65 means you are doing well in the course. A Pass (PS) is a mark ranging from 50-64 and indicates an acceptable level of
performance. A student who receives this mark has addressed all assignment requirements and demonstrates an acceptable level of understanding. A Fail (FL) is a mark given to a student who receives a final mark below 50. An Unsatisfactory Fail (UF) is awarded if a student fails any of the compulsory assignments. This means if a student receives a final passing mark (>50%) but fails an assignment, they fail the course. Each course will have a ‘convenor’ ( a lecturer who takes on the mantle of managing a specific course), a marker, and a tutor. The convenor is responsible for designing the course and lecturing. The marker is separate from the convenor and is responsible for giving you marks for all your assignments and giving you a final mark. The tutor’s job is to lead tutorials. Tutorials are similar to labs where you are in a smaller classroom and take an application approach to the material learned in lecture. Attendance for tutorials is compulsory while attendance for lectures are not. All of my lecturers and tutors are relaxed and approachable creating a comfortable and safe learning environment.