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Our Community, Study@UC

Not sure where to find a quiet place to study? We’ve got you covered.

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UC has plenty of quiet areas where you can study on your own or in groups – here’s your guide to finding them: 

Libraries
Puaka-James Hight is considered the number one study space for many students, but as many know, it fills up quickly – if the library environment works for you, check out MacMillan Brown or EPS as both also provide study spaces. 

You can also book study spaces in all three libraries – find out more here> 

Informal learning spaces
Not-so-secret spots for study are dotted around campus – if you see a space around with soft seating and a table, you’ve likely stumbled across one! Check out the common areas in: 

  • Beatrice Tinsley (level 1) 
  • Ernest Rutherford (all levels) 
  • Rehua (all levels) 
  • Karl Popper (level 1) 
  • Rātā Engineering Core (levels 1-3) 
  • Jack Erskine (basement) 
  • North and South Arts lecture theatres 
  • Te Ao Mārama (level 1) 
  • Len Lye (levels 1 and 2) 
  • The Undercroft (level 1) 
  • Seating areas around C Block (weather – and preference – permitting!) 

We’re aware that many of the locations above will be unavailable from 5.15pm, but others are open longer including:  

  • Te Whare Ākonga o Te Akatoki (7am -10pm using main entry) 
  • Jack Erskine (24/7 when using main west entry) 
  • Puaka-James Hight (24/7 when coming in through the Undercroft) 
  • Karl Popper (24/7 all entry points) 
  • Rātā Engineering Core (24/7 using main north and south entries)
  • EPS:
    • Monday-Thurs, 8.30am – 9pm
    • Friday, 8.30am-5pm
    • Saturday and Sunday, 1 – 5pm 

While it goes without saying, please make sure you’re carrying your Student ID [Canterbury Card] to prevent any access issues when using these buildings before and after hours.  

Classrooms
Now classes have finished for the year, there will be classrooms across campus that can be utilised for study.  

There may be instances in which these spaces have been booked for use by staff, so you may need to be prepared to vacate quickly, but for the most part, we want students to be comfortable making use of familiar spaces as and when they are available.  

Some of the spaces with tables and soft seating we’d recommend using can be found in the following locations: 

  • Beatrice Tinsley level 1,  
  • Rātā levels 1 and 2, 
  • Rehua levels 0-3 (except L1 from 28 October where the exam control centre will be set up)  

Remember that many of these facilities are only available during business hours, so plan accordingly – you don’t want to leave your belongings in a room and then come back to find you’ve been locked out! 

Lecture theatres are the exception – please bypass in favour of other study space options. 

Haere-roa
From this week, Haere-roa has turned Tī Kōuka into a relaxing study space with zen music, comfy couches, tables with power and a hot choccie station! Don’t forget about seating dotted around the outside of the building also.

Public holidays including Labour Day, Monday 28 October 

  • Puaka-James Hight will be open 8am – 11pm 
  • EPS will be open 10am – 9pm 
  • Rātā Engineering Core and Jack Erskine will be open as usual using swipe access  

For all other campus study spots, check out the Study and Discussion Rooms page> 

On Instagram? Check out the @UCNZ, @UCSA, @UCMaori and more for additional study tips and tricks! 

Need a little help locating these spaces? Check out our campus map> 

You might find this map helpful also: campus map with entry arrows>

Behaviour and Responsibilities, Our Community, Student life, Student Success, Study@UC

What is academic integrity and what does it mean to me?

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Academic integrity is one of the key foundations of being a good student at UC. 

At its core, academic integrity means producing honest, ethical work while acting fairly and respecting others in all areas of the University. It’s also a key element of UC’s Student Code of Conduct> 

UC have a great resource available to support you in approaching your work with academic integrity – you can read it here> 

The end of 2024 is fast approaching and with it, your final assessments and exams – a good understanding of academic integrity will go a long way in enabling you to take charge and avoid common mistakes, as you approach these important milestones in your student journey.  

Here’s the headlines:  

  1. Cheating
    Breaking the rules for assignments or exams is treated very seriously, so it’s important to know what you can bring with you to exams, how they run and whether you can use equipment (like calculators), which may need to be approved by UC in advance. 

We recommend familiarising yourself with the University’s exam instructions for all the do’s and don’ts, including:  

Do:
Immediately approach a supervisor with any revision notes or other unauthorised material, if you’ve accidentally taken them into the exam room with you 

Don’t: 

  • Look at other students’ work 
  • Talk or communicate in any way with other students while the exam is in progress  

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is copying materials from another source (whether it’s a quote or data) without a clear acknowledgement of where it originated.  

It’s important to properly reference your work, as your assignments are checked through Turnitin, UC’s anti-plagiarism software. Turnitin recognises and highlights where students have copied and not cited other authors’ work. 

Turnitin also recognises plagiarised work that has been used by content creating Generative-AI tools (Gen-AI) and software. 

Artificial Intelligence
Everyone’s talking about it – and for good reason!  

When used correctly Artificial Intelligence, including Gen-AI, can be a huge support to your study, but there are other tools, like ChatGPT and CoPilot that are strictly monitored at UC and depending on your course, may be prohibited. 

UC have created a helpful online resource outlining the accepted Gen-AI tools you can use for your study – you’ll find it here> 

We recommend checking this page before using any AI or Gen-AI tool, even (especially!) if it’s been recommended to you.  

If you have any questions or concerns about use of Gen-AI software, speak to your Course Coordinator in the first instance. 

UC’s AI Working Group for teaching and learning have also developed a detailed FAQ resource you may find valuable when considering how to approach Gen-AI. 

We get the most of our studies when we work together to act honestly and ethically while respecting each other and our work.  

For everything you need to know about Academic Integrity at UC, visit this page> 

Good luck with your exams! 

Our Community, Student life, Study@UC, The Community

What is academic integrity and what does it mean for you during exams?

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One of the ways to be successful ākonga at UC is through academic integrity: acting honestly, ethically, fairly and respecting others.  

A good understanding of academic integrity is crucial in supporting you to take charge and know how to avoid mistakes, especially during exams and end of term assessments.  

You can learn more about how to approach your work with academic integrity, here – in the meantime, here’s the headlines:  

Cheating
Breaking the rules for assignments or exams is treated very seriously, so it’s important to know what you can bring with you, how they will run and whether you can use equipment (like calculators), which may need to be authorised by UC in advance.  

Check out the exam instructions for more on what you need to do (or not do!): 

Do –
 – Give revision notes or other unauthorised material to a supervisor immediately, if you’ve accidentally taken them into the exam room with you. 

Don’t –  
 – Look at other students’ answers.
 – Talk or communicate in any way with other students. 

The above could result in disciplinary action. It’s just not worth it. 

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is copying materials from another source (whether it’s a quote or data) without a clear acknowledgement of where it originated. 

It’s important to properly reference your work, as your assignments are checked through Turnitin, UC’s anti-plagiarism software. Turnitin recognises and highlights where students have copied and not cited other authors’ work. 

Top tips:  

Artificial Intelligence
While AI tools like ChatGPT and CoPilot are becoming readily available, their use is strictly monitored at UC and depending on your course, may not be allowed.  

If you’re unsure whether you are able to use artificial intelligence tools for your assessments, please reach out to your Course Coordinator.  

When we work together to act honestly, ethically and respect each other and our work, we get the most out of our studies. You can learn more about academic integrity here> 

Good luck with your exams!