The Student Essentials module

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As a new student at UNSW, you might not be familiar with our resources, support services, rules and policies. The Student Essentials module and the ELISE quiz cover these important topics to get you up to speed and ensure you have a smooth start to your academic journey at UNSW.

Module completion is mandatory for all commencing students in order to proceed with future enrolment. The Student Essentials module will open to new students on Monday, Week 1 of your first academic period.

Completing the Student Essentials module

The Student Essentials module consists of 3 self-paced lessons that are fundamental to being part of the UNSW community. From developing academic skills, learning where to get academic and personal support, all the way to enforcing respect and safety, these lessons have been redesigned to ensure they address the wide range of needs of current students.

Time required: approximately 1 hour

There are 3 lessons in the Student Essentials module, including:

Library essentials - foundational library skills including referencing, the use of AI in submissions, how to break down an educational task and research strategies.

Academic integrity - proper and improper academic behaviour, and how to avoid academic misconduct.

Respectful behaviour and preventing gendered violence - identifying inappropriate behaviour, their consequences, and ways to report and seek support. It also provides details for support services as well as actionable strategies for students in the event that they witness gendered violence.
All new students starting in Term 3 2024 onwards should be automatically enrolled in the Student Essentials module on Moodle.

If you are living with a health condition that might hinder your completion of the module, reach out to our Equitable Learning team for assistance and educational adjustments.

Log on to Moodle
The module must be completed by Sunday, Week 3 of your first teaching period (term, semester or hexamester). Failure to complete this by the deadline may result in a block being placed on your account that will limit your usage of university services to assist with ensuring completion.
If you receive the error block below on myUNSW, you will not be able to access several services on myUNSW, including enrolment, until you have completed the module:

Our records indicate that you have not completed the mandatory Student Essentials course, and a block has been assigned to your record preventing course enrolment and/or course variation. Visit unsw.to/essentials for the steps required to lift the block.

You need to successfully complete the Student Essentials course before the block can be removed. See below for the steps to do this.
Select “My courses” at the top of your page,

Select the course titled “Required-Student Essentials”, and

Follow the instructions within the course to complete it. Once the course is completed, the enrolment block will lift automatically within 24-48 hours (often sooner).

Contact The Nucleus: Student Hub, opens in a new window noting the block on your enrolment and variation because you have not completed the Student Essentials course. You’ll have to request enrolment into an award course to enable access to Moodle. Within 24-48 hours (often sooner), you will have access to Moodle.

Follow steps 1 to 3 above to log into Moodle and complete the mandatory Student Essentials course.
UNSW Sydney

If you are a student at UNSW Sydney, contact The Nucleus: Student Hub for any issues on completing or accessing the Student Essentials module on Moodle.

UNSW Canberra City

As a UNSW Canberra City student, you can contact the City Central team for assistance with the Student Essentials module.

CIT Library, Building E, 37 Constitution Avenue, Reid.
P: 02 5114 5241 (Monday to Friday, 9am-4:30pm)
E: students@canberra.unsw.edu.au

UNSW Online

If you are a UNSW Online student, reach out to a Student Success Advisor for support with the Student Essentials module.

UNSW Online students are those enrolled in the Master of Analytics, Master of Applied Finance, Master of Cyber Security, Master of Data Science, Master of Financial Technology, Master of Human Resource Management, and Master of Management.

P: 1300 501 037 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)
E: current-students@studyonline.unsw.edu.au (please include your zID and your program/degree in your email)