2. Your first week

Welcome to UQ! Below is a checklist of activities to complete as you settle into your degree. If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to contact us at graduateresearchschool@uq.edu.au.

Download a printable version of this checklist:

HDR Candidate Checklist (PDF, 140.7 KB)

Important tasks

• Reach out to your Principal Advisor (PA) if you have not already done so and set up a time to meet and discuss plans for your project. Your discussion should include the following:

  • expectations of both parties

  • key staff within the PA’s team and the School or Institute

  • support and connection opportunities in your School or Institute, e.g., lab/reading groups, seminar series

  • immunisation or screening for vaccine-preventable disease (VPD)

  • administrative and practical matters, such as local funding and resources.

• Access my.UQ by using your student login to view your candidature details, and familiarise yourself with UQ systems, including SI-net. You can also use my.UQ to request changes to your candidature and to manage your Progress Reviews.

• Become familiar with mySI-net. In this site you can:

  • pay any necessary fees, such as your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). These are due early in each Research Quarter (RQ) for HDRs and must be paid by the census date for that RQ. Scholarships do not usually cover this charge.

  • update your contact details and view your candidature information. It is a legal requirement to have a current local address in your SI-net student record.

  • Become familiar with the HDR tile, in which you can find candidature information.

If you have a UQ-administered stipend, please note that you do not need to add your bank account details to SI-net. The UQ Human Resources (HR) team will reach out to you in the weeks following your enrolment to request your bank account details in Workday, the University’s HR platform.

• Save the UQ 24-hour emergency contact in your phone (3365 3333) and make yourself familiar with other emergency contact information; and download and sign up to the SafeZone app for UQ. This app allows you to access support quickly when on campus.

• Register for the HDR orientation meet’n’greet info session and complete the eOrientation on Blackboard (self-enrol with your student login).

• If you are an international HDR candidate, attend an international HDR information session.

This is compulsory for all commencing international candidates who are new to UQ, and strongly recommended for all new international HDRs, even if you have studied at UQ previously.

• If you are an international candidate and new to UQ, you should also attend a Getting Started session.

• Organise access to your place of research and (if required) attend a Workplace Health and Safety Induction. Your Graduate Research Coordinator can provide you with key contacts within your enrolling School or Institute (also referred to as your Academic Organisational Unit [AOU]), who will support you to gain access to the building and any equipment (such as desks and computers) that may be provided by the AOU.

• Request your student ID card. Many essential services, such as the UQ Library, require your student ID card for access. It can take up to a week for your details to appear in the system after your commencement.

Managing your communications

• Set up your student email. All official correspondence relating to your HDR program will be sent to your student email address. It is a condition of candidature that you check your student email account on a regular basis. Please familiarise yourself with the UQ policy and procedure on email for staff and students. Your student email details were sent to the email address provided in StudyLink after you accepted your offer.

• If you need help accessing your student email, please contact AskUS.

• You will also receive a staff login (and email) in the weeks following your enrolment, which will be important for your access to Workday System. You can set up mail forwarding to link to your student account.

Important reading

As part of preparing for your HDR at UQ, we ask you to familiarise yourself with the following:

• The HDR section of my.UQ, for information on managing your candidature. We recommend bookmarking this page or making it your homepage.

• The Career Development Framework (CDF) website, to see what free training opportunities are on offer.  A range of courses are available designed to support you from commencing through to submission. Start planning which ones you would like to attend. 

• The Student Central website, to discover the additional administrative and support services available to you.

• Policies and procedures related to HDRs:

  • The Student Code of Conduct Policy

  • Grievance procedures, should you ever need them.

  • The HDR Candidate Charter.

• Familiarise yourself with your School/Institute website, particularly any pages containing HDR information about access to equipment or funding support.