10 Things That Happen To You At The University of Wollongong

10 Things That Will 100 Percent Happen To You At The University of Wollongong

There are so many things that happen to you at the University of Wollongong on a daily basis. From the Uni Bar to Building 19, you’ll find hung over students, angry ducks and run into someone you definitely don’t want to see. There is never a dull day on UOW campus – that’s if you manage to get a park!

1. Be chased by an angry duck.

Everyone makes the mistake of walking past the cute little ducklings and thinking it’s a good opportunity for a Snapchat or even a sneaky pat – wrong! Despite the UOW mascot being a duck, sooner or later every student experiences being chased by a protective mother. The only time they’ll be nice to you is when you’re eating lunch on the lawn and they want a nibble. To avoid being charged, give them a five-metre radius and pass quickly.

2. Get lost in Building 19.

Throughout their degree every student is guaranteed at least one class in Building 19 and getting lost in there is almost a right of passage. With its ridiculous layout and hundreds of rooms, first week back the building is filled with first, second and even third year students running around looking for the tutorial they’ve already missed. Just when you finally think you’ve got the building covered, you’ll find yourself in a completely new area, following the inaccurate and confusing signs back to LHA central.

3. Miss class because you’re at Uni Bar.

It’s both a blessing and curse to have Uni Bar in such a visible, central position on campus. You may be walking to your next class and see some mates sitting out the front, or maybe you’ll have an hour between classes and pop in for a bevvy and a chip roll. Either way, you’re bound to find yourself at Uni Bar in the middle of the day contemplating if your next class is really worth going to.

4. Compete in the Hunger Games for a car spot.

Parking at the Uni is never easy, even if you factor in an extra hour before your class. With all the parking spaces from the Uni to the botanical gardens usually full, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself making frantic calls in search of bodies for the ‘three for free’ carpark. A better bet is learning to love the GK bus.

5. See your one night stand the next day.

UOW isn’t a particularly large campus. While this makes it easy to get from A to B, it also means you frequently run into people you know. Be warned – if you end up taking someone home after a messy night at Grand Hotel or retro at The Illawara, you’re bound to run into them the next day. Hungover, looking less than your best and not quite remembering their name, it’s always an awkward encounter.

6. Get a URAC membership and never go.

Let’s face it, after o-week we all promise ourselves we are going to make good on that resolution to get fit. URAC seems the ideal place to get started: it’s on campus and has student prices. In the end its convenience just makes you feel worse when you stop going – you’ll take to bowing your head as you walk past and pretending it hasn’t been 2 months since you last worked out. The good news is people are continually selling their memberships for cheap on UOW Buy and Sell!

7. Have classes on a Thursday and be ridiculously hung over.

This is one thing that will 100 precent happen 100 times in your UOW experience. Wednesday is Uni night, which means cheap drinks and free entry at the grungy but much loved Grand Hotel. No matter how thoroughly you convince yourself you’re going to take it easy, you’ll end up in class the next day ridiculously hung over and needing to vomit. By the end of semester, your Thursday class notes will amount to nothing more than nonsense scribbles with a whiff of alcohol.

8. Estimate how much your Fuel sandwich will cost.

With its fresh sandwich fillings and extensive range of wraps and rolls, Fuel is the best place to get lunch at UOW. One of its greatest attributes is that the cost of your sandwich is determined by its weight. On a day when you’ve only got ten dollars left in your bank account (which let’s face it, is often), you’ll walk around choosing the lightest wrap and fillings for your sandwich to make sure your card isn’t declined. Even when you have plenty of money, you’ll still end up betting with you friends how much you’re going to have to pay.

9. Going to Panizzi instead of for good coffee.

It may be located under the library and make absolutely killer panini’s but Panizzi’s coffee is definitely not the best on campus. Whether you’re in a rush or your annoying assignment group suggested meeting there, you’ll find yourself at least once braving the burnt and excessively milky Panizzi coffee just to get your caffeine hit.

10. Have your phone go off on the quiet floor in the library.

It’s that dreaded moment when you’re on the quiet floor in the library, you hear a phone ringing, get ready to judge whoever owns it and then realise it’s yours. Frantically trying to switch your phone off while simultaneously being met with glares and shhh’s, you soon learn to triple check your device is on silent every time you enter level one. But hey, at least next time you hear a phone go off you get to sigh with relief and send a cathartic glare in the culprit’s direction.