The coronavirus has had a profound effect on the world economy, with unprecedented GDP growth stagnation and stock market drops. There were over 182,000 confirmed cases at the time of writing, with over 440 confirmed cases in Australia climbing daily.

If you don’t know all the protocols for staying safe, we strongly recommend reading the Australian Government safety and prevention guidelines first. Self-isolating for 14 days after suspected contact with a COVID-19 positive person, thoroughly washing your hands and avoiding crowded places are essential.

The closing of university campuses are a natural byproduct of the outbreak. Many campuses are taking a two-week recess to prepare for online learning arrangements. This article aims to cover several key questions specific to uni students and the effect this will have, including:

Should I pull out of uni before the census date?

Will I have to repeat a semester?

Will not being able to get on-campus affect my final grade?

Is there some other way to stay involved in campus culture?

Can I still do internships?

How can I prepare for online-only learning?

Can I participate in upcoming national holidays like ANZAC day?

If you’ve got other questions, send us an email at contact@theuniguide.com and we’ll do our best to answer.

Should I pull out of uni before the census date?

Short answer? Probably not. Long answer? Depends primarily on your institution and risk aversion.

Many campuses are swiftly prototyping fully online course delivery. USYD already set a March 23rd deadline to be fully online. UQ is closing its doors until the 23rd in preparation for similar arrangements, with the exception of the small lab and practical classes still happening in person. But some are lagging behind. As of mid-late March, Monash is providing partial semester one online delivery for select courses. Personalised study plans and flexible learning are part of the package, but this understandably won’t be enough for students who have or are living with people that are highly susceptible (eg compromised immune systems or elderly) and need fully online solutions to ensure the safety of loved ones. Institutions like the University of Adelaide don’t even have any plans to go online as of March 17th, continuing enrolments as normal. So head to your university’s pressroom/ media page for the latest.

Your choice of degree can also influence this decision. Most courses are capable of going fully online, but if you’re doing medicine or health course requiring a residency or similar inherently offline activity, you’re likely out of luck. These must be attended in person.

The unfortunate bottom line is: Australia’s likely behind the rest of the world when it comes to appropriate coronavirus measures. Nevertheless, there are several recommendations we can make based on current information: