Travel Tips and Getting Around UNSW
With more classes being on-campus in 2021, it's time to get familiar with how to get to UNSW and how to find where you need to be! Whether you're a First Year coming to UNSW for the first time, or a Second Year who's completely forgotten what being on campus is like, read on!
Getting to UNSW Main Campus
Driving
If you're planning on driving to UNSW, you will most likely have to park in one of the bays or carparks on campus, and pay for casual parking using the CellOPark App. Check out the most updated rules and fees on the UNSW Estate website.
Light Rail
The most common way of getting to UNSW is by taking the light rail from Central Station!
The closest light rail stop to Central is on Chalmers St. When you get there, you'll notice that there's two options: the L2 to Randwick and the L3 to Juniors Kingsford. The L2 will take you to Upper Campus on High St next to Matthews and the John Clancy Auditorium, while the L3 will take you to Lower Campus on Anzac Pde next to the Roundhouse and the Village Green.
Where do I get off to get to the CSE building?
Well, the CSE building (highlighted yellow on the map below) is kind of right between the two light rail stops. According to Google Maps, it's 1 minute faster to walk from Anzac Pde, but the walk from High St has the benefit of being downhill. So unless you're really not keen to walk up the Main Walkway, take whichever light rail is leaving first!
Bus
There are a number of public buses that also leave from Central, including the 391, 393 and 395. These will take you to Lower Campus on Anzac Pde, but the often-congested Anzac Pde might mean that you'll get to uni much later than you'd planned!
Campus Map
If any of your classes are on-campus, chances are you might want a spot to code and/or chill before or afterwards. Refer to this highly-accurate live heat-map of every available study area based on the chance you'll get a seat/be sufficiently socially-distanced!
Finding Your Way Around
Campus is a big place, and it might be a bit overwhelming coming from a school of a few thousand, to a uni with over 60,000 students. Some tips to help you navigate all your classes:
During O-Week, you can do a Class Timetable tour, where a volunteer will look at your individual timetable and show you where all your classes are located. This can help reduce the stress of finding all your classes on the first day of term!
Otherwise, if you prefer to navigate solo, make sure to download the Lost On Campus app, which can help direct you to anywhere on campus. Google Maps can also show you the major buildings on campus but it can be hard to find shortcuts to your destination.
Your Handy Guide to Toilets
Michael Gribben
Congrats! You found this easter egg :)
Ok so you’re 5 minutes out from an exam… and you realise you have to slip away to take a whiz. Only question is where’s a toilet that’s super close and also not completely disgusting?
As a CSE student, chances are you will spend a lot of your time around K17 and J17 where the CSE labs are located. Fortunately, J17 has pretty clean toilets on levels 2 and 3 on the side facing the Main Walkway. K17 also has even better toilets on the ground floor and basement which too few people know about. In fact, the K17 basement has some really good study spaces that you can retreat to if the study area outside the J17 labs is a little too crowded.
If you find yourself on lower campus, the Hilmer Building actually has a great pair of restrooms on the ground floor. They are quite small but aren’t well known and very convenient. You can also slip away to the Roundhouse - they have a very large capacity but let’s just say you should avoid them after one of those parties…
If you happen to be on upper campus, the Main Library is probably your best bet. The only problem is it’s probably packed :( My advice is to avoid the CLB 7 toilets at all costs. To help save the environment, you’ll be hard pressed to find paper towels to dry your hands. Instead air dryers reign king… except the CLB 7 toilets don’t have them :/
Choose your own adventure!
Frankly, the hard part is getting to campus. Now that you've got that part covered, it's time to figure out how you'll be filling your time at uni! Understand the different areas of computer science you'll be covering degree with this comprehensive Course Map.
Most importantly, be aware of the support networks around you as you navigate your uni journey!
Don't like these options? Check out the full roadmap below!