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.

Download a printable version of this checklist:

HDR Candidate Checklist (PDF, 136.2 KB)

Important tasks

• Login to SiNet and ensure any fees, such as your student amenities fees are paid (overdue fees can prevent you from accessing UQ systems).
• Register to attend the HDR orientation Meet’N’Greet session and complete the eOrientation on Blackboard (click on the eOrientation link to self-enrol with your student login).
• Attend your enrolling unit’s induction.
• Attend an International HDR information session. This is compulsory for all newly arrived international students and strongly recommended for all other students. A Getting Started session will run on the same day as the HDR Orientation meet and greet session. If you have already studied at UQ and previously attended a Getting Started session with Student Services, you are not required to attend.
• Reach out to your Principal Advisor to arrange a meeting within the next month.
• Organise access to your place of research at your school or institute. You can view our guide to key school/institute information which will support you to gain access to the building and any equipment (such as desks and computers) that may be provided by the school/institute.
• Depending on your research activities, you may be required to provide documentation to demonstrate immunity or screening for vaccine-preventable disease (VPD). Discuss this with your principal advisor who should initiate a request in the my.UQ dashboard (UQ login required) which will send a ‘Student Immunisation Evidence Request’ email to you if required. You will not be able to submit your immunisation documentation until you receive this email.
  For more information on what might be required and how to document this please see the page on immunisation requirements.
• Access your myUQ Dashboard by using your student login to view your candidature details and access other useful links (webmail and mySI-net). my.UQ is also used to request changes to candidature and manage your progress reviews.
• Collect your student ID card: Many essential services, such as the Library, require a student ID to access. It can take up to a week for your details to appear in the system after your commencement.
• If you have arranged your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) via UQ, you can apply for your OSHC digital card after you arrive in Brisbane and have a local address. You can access your digital card through the AllianzCare website.
• Pay your Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF) as soon as possible. These are due early in each research quarter for HDR students and must be paid by the census date for that RQ-they can be paid via mySI-net.
• Save the UQ 24-hour emergency contact in your phone and make yourself familiar with other emergency contact information and download and sign up to the SafeZone app for UQ.

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 on email for staff and students. Your student email details are sent to the email address provided in the Online Application System after you accept your offer.
  • If you need help accessing your student email, please contact AskUS. You can set up a UQ email signature for your student account by downloading the template from the UQ Digital Asset Manager (UQ login required).
  • 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 your student account.
• Access mySI-net to update your contact details and view your candidature information. It is a legal requirement to have a local address in your mySI-net student record. If you have a UQ-administered stipend, please note you do not need to add your bank account details to mySI-net. The HR team should have reached out to you in the weeks following your enrolment to request your bank account details in the Workday system.

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.
• UQ’s rules and policies as they impact Higher Degree by Research Students. You should also review the Candidate Charter.
• The Career Development Framework (CDF) website to see what free training opportunities are on offer. It will help in the development of your individual Development plan.
• The Student Central website and discover the additional administrative and support services available to you.
• Student rights and responsibilities as an HDR candidate, including grievance procedures, should you ever need them.
• Familiarise yourself with your School/Institute website, particularly any pages containing HDR information around equipment access or funding support.