UNSW Built Environment: Win an Apple IPAD!

We are giving all BE students the chance to win an Apple IPad simply by taking part in an online CATEI survey! All you have to do is log into CATEI via your myUNSW portal and tell us your opinion about things. All those who complete the survey will go into a draw to win an Apple IPad.

We want to hear what you think! If positive, please take the time to say so,  affirm what is happening and provide this feedback to the  lecturers. If you would like to see change let us know so things can change.

It is understandable that this is a hectic time of the year and your time to provide this very important feedback  is really appreciated. It will only take about 15 – 20 minutes! 

Did you know because you complete CATEI;

• Lecturers have changed course content and teaching  as a result  of your feedback.
• If you complete the survey you can view lecturer feedback on comments and course data after the results are finalised.
• If you complete the survey you are then given access to see the completed results for  Form A evaluation and so find out what your peers thought.
• By completing the survey you boost the overall response rate for FBE compared to other Faculties at UNSW which is very important. You also boost your own  program’s response rate compared to other programs within FBE too! Yes, they are all measured which indicates the importance of this survey.

So log in to myUNSW portal today today for your chance to win!

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: Jess Pascoe

Semester 2 has just begun and it is looking like it will be a very busy time! I managed to get into my preferred electives despite initially being unable to. Housing Industry Practice had its first lecture and it looks very interesting – and also relevant to what I want to pursue later on. The class is different to most if not all of my other lectures I have (and have ever had) in that there are no slides. Instead he just speaks to us throughout the lecture – taking us through each part of the major assignment week by week. No exam! My other classes are Real Property Law, which I quite enjoy, as well as Tall Buildings and Contract Admin which are the core subjects and fortunately look like they are going to be interesting also. All of my assignment groups are sorted out and already things have been due, however luckily I think I am reasonably organised right from the beginning so it shouldn’t be too much of a struggle. I still see my friends from class all the time, but the electives also give me an opportunity to meet some new people which is great. Looking forward to this semester, I feel like I am getting a better and better understanding of what I’m doing which makes me feel more and more comfortable. I’ll have a lot on my plate for the next few months but I am eager to get in to it all!

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: Susie Irvine

Hey ya,

The holidays have just slipped away and now it’s time to knuckle down and start semester 2. Over my holidays I did a 4 week work experience program with a company called Knight Frank working in their project management department. I learnt so much over the month and it gave me an insight to working in the industry. I worked on wide range of projects, which varied from the tendering process to completion. Activities I completed included providing a tender review and recommendation for the client, liaising with subcontractors, site visits, cost plans and handover manuals. Also I learnt about and assisted in conducting NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) ratings for buildings around Australia. This is a national initiative which is a performance-based rating system for existing buildings. NABERS rates a building on the basis of its measured operational impacts on the environment, and provides a simple indication of how well you are managing these environmental impacts compared with your peers and neighbours. Overall I found the work experience program very rewarding and have gained invaluable experience.

This week I started working with RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors). I will be working in the dispute resolution services in the construction industry, which I am really looking forward to. It is a great opportunity, which will provide me further insight into the industry and improve my knowledge of law in the construction industry.

Once again this semester I have 2 core and 2 elective subjects. For my core subject I am doing Construction Contract Administration and Tall Building Construction, while my electives are Surveying & GIS and Construction Business Practice & Marketing.

I am looking forward to getting further into Construction Contract Administration. as I believe it will compliment my role in RICS extremely well. However, I do find this more of a challenging subject because of the terminology and concepts that have to be understood.

Tall Building Construction is another stepping stone, by learning to construct a slightly more complex and larger building, which should be exciting.

Surveying & GIS should be interesting, as we will learn how to use all of the surveying equipment. I am also mixed in with engineering students, providing an opportunity to meet students in a similar field.

Lastly Construction Business Practice & Marketing will go through all aspects of a business such as marketing but it will be tailored to the construction industry. From studying and enjoying business studies in year 12 I believe I will really like this subject.
Overall it has been a busy last couple of months and I am looking forward to the onset of summer.

Talk soon,
Susie

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: Susie Irvine

I just can’t believe how quickly this semester has gone. Just after a couple of weeks of lectures we hit our mid-semester break over Easter and now we are basically at the end of the semester. As usual at the end there is a rush of assignments due, while trying to start preparing for the final exams. The work load over the semester has been pretty consistent since Easter with basically an exam or assignment every week.

I have really enjoyed all of my subjects and have gained valuable skills and knowledge which I believe will assist me in my career. I have found Building Services the most fascinating subject. I never realised how complicated all of the plumbing and sewerage systems are for buildings and how many components are required in the systems. Estimating and Bidding for Construction Projects has been more of a black and white subject. It’s still interesting, but its maths orientated, so for the majority of the lecture we are working/estimating out how much materials, labour, plant ect. costs for different buildings.

Construction Law I have found the most challenging subject this semester. This subject is very different to all of the other ones I have done, as it is more complex with content and terminology. It has been helpful in lectures hearing about different cases that fall into the categories we are learning about as the examples assist with understanding the topic. The major assignment for this subject is in group’s research 2 cases in the same topic with a report and oral presentation. I have really enjoyed this assignment as it has further assisted me in understanding the complexities of law for the construction industry.

It has been interesting in Industrial Building Construction to see how differently they construct these types of buildings. They use time and cost effective systems for the structure so that it can be easily mass produced. The highlight of this subject so far has been going on a site visit, to an industrial site in Alexandria. This building was about ¾ finished, but it was excellent being able to see all of the materials and systems we had learnt about in class.

During the holidays I am hoping to do some work experience for a construction company. This will provide me with some extremely valuable experience, along with additional skills and knowledge of the industry. Other than that it will be a pretty quite holiday at home catching up with friends.

Talk soon.
Susie

UNSW Built Environmnet Construction Management & Property: Jess Pascoe

It’s nearly the end of term and everything is coming to the pointy end. I didn’t have too much work before; now however, I have one or two things due consistently at the moment until the end of semester, as well as exams. It has been a great semester so far, I have found a great balance between being social and keeping on top of my work. All of my subjects have been really interesting this year. Those that are more real estate based seem to be a bit harder, however there is a lot of information to know with the construction based ones. ICT apps is also very interesting and I get the feeling that I am learning a lot of things that will be very helpful when I enter the construction and development world.

Working as a cadet at Laing O’Rourke has been very successful and helpful towards my course, giving me a greater understanding of what I’m doing as well as a better feel for it. I am looking forward to the mid semester break but at the same time have really enjoyed this semester and don’t want it to end! Subject selection is open for the next half so I need to have a look and decide whether or not I would like to continue my specialisation in Property Development or not.

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: Susie Irvine

Hey guys,
After a couple of months of working, hanging out friends, spending time at the beach and going overseas, it’s now back to reality. Going to my first lecture the other week was a bit of a shock to the system. Having to sit still and concentrate for over an hour, I found a bit of a struggle. But now I have started to get back into the groove of uni life, I realised just how much I have missed it.  I have really enjoyed catching up with everyone and hearing about their adventures over the summer and also starting my new subjects for the semester.

This year is the first time we have been able to choose 2 electives, which allows me to concentrate more on the building/construction side of the degree. I have selected Building Services and Estimating and Bidding for Construction Projects. Building Services, goes through all the plumbing, sewerage, air-conditioning, electrical, ventilation, lifts and fire fighting aspects of buildings, which so far I have found really interesting and useful. Estimating and Bidding is maths orientated and it goes through all the different aspects you need to cost, before you can price a project, which ranges from labour, material and plant. An advantage of having electives is that you are mixed in with students from 2nd-4th year, which allows you to meet new people, but also gain knowledge and skills from the more advanced students.

For my core subjects this semester I have Construction Law and Industrial Building Construction. It’s great for these subjects to be back with my fellow students from last year. I believe Construction Law, will be a challenging subject, as I have never done anything like it. But Industrial Building Construction is just another building block, to the knowledge I gained last year. I like it that this course is structured so each semester you learn to build a slightly larger structure, from a house, to low rise residential and now an industrial building. I am really looking forward to in the future years learning how to build the high rise buildings, which will be extremely complex and eye opening.

So far the work load has not been too bad. However this year my subjects are more exams orientated than assignments, which is a bit of a change from last year. It will be great to get further into the semester to see what challenges and experiences it holds.

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: John Ha

Is it me, or does the saying  “Time flies when you’re having fun?!” really true?

Cause its 2010! (Immense shock!)

I am already in my Graduating year! Boy, it’s exciting and scary!

My plan for this year is a few things… Start on my thesis, finish my electives, required credits and gain some work experience…

The Military, especially the Reserves, looks pretty attractive, with good skills gained, good starting pay and good work hours… not to mention the opportunity to have free travel around Australia!
Apprenticeships and Cadet-ships with the Big Companies may also not be a bad idea!

Apart from that, I’ve been to many parties, travelled to Broken Hill twice for Project X3, and building an Art Studio out there! I hear that the next Project X is a job in China! How cool is that?

My study times are a joke… two afternoons a week? I definitely need my social life back!
Met more new friends, kept up with my mates, starting drinking alot more and got my full license!

Now with younger students coming in, I think the maturity is starting to settle in to my thick skull! (NOOOOO! I am still a young guy! I shouldn’t be this sensible!)

Anyways… I think as time passes and the lectures go by, you start to take care of yourself, your study and your life…
Which should happen anyways, cause, the person who took up ‘tertiary’ education has always been YOU (the reader!)

Take care until next time!

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: Jess Pascoe

A whole year is finished and I am feeling full of knowledge I did not know I would have! This second semester has been even better then first. I have settled in with friends which meant that I made even more, and now have a big group of people I am reasonably close to.

My school work has gotten easier in some ways, because I have more of an understanding of what is going on, and harder in others, because it’s harder. This semester I studied Low Rise Residential Construction, Construction and Property Economics, Building Structures and Project Management. I found them all interesting, and enjoyed Structures because it was basically maths so once you got the hang of it (which isn’t always easy) then you could go from there, rather then having to remember a million different bits of information. The only exams I had were for Structures and Low Rise, and I liked the assignment format of Economics and Project Management however sometimes it was more difficult. I am looking forward to my summer, but also to my second year. I’m glad it’s a four not a three year course because I love uni!

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: John Ha

OMG! It’s already over?
I feel old! Well, maybe not THAT old…I am only 21 in December!

But really, semester 2 went so fast!
Risk and Ethics went really better than I expected! The teams worked together and we pulled through!

Construction Techniques was a walk in the park, and I have learned about many more interesting and challenging construction methods that are available to us in the industry!
By staying focused and working week-by-wee, I was able to keep up and complete my assessments and work.  It definitely helped in the long run! I didn’t have to do late nighters every night the week before assessments were due!

Project X3 is in its final stages… with nearly 88% of the timber components complete, and nearly half of all required metal work done, we are on schedule to complete the Art Studio out near Broken Hill!
As for me, I am travelling to quite a few places during the break: to Fowler’s Gap, near Broken Hill to help supervise the Construction of Project X3; travelling to Cairns for a quick summer break; and back to Sydney to help in my part-time job supervising campers from South Korea!

In the mean time, I have to complete some general education courses over the summer so that I don’t prolong my degree more than the necessary 4 years… so wish me luck!

BCMP is so much fun, and I suggest that you spread the word about our course.

Anyways…got to work now!

UNSW Built Environment Construction Management & Property: Ben Iverach

Hey Guys & Girls,

Well this year has definitely moved way too quickly! I cannot believe we are already nearing the end of second semester. Looking back however, it has been a great year and looking ahead there is still plenty more to look forward to.

We are currently in the process of organising some CAPS (Construction and Property Society) events including some on campus barbecues and hopefully an end of year function type event. It has been great working on the CAPS society and to see the feedback from all who have been involved so far is also great to see. We will be looking at establishing a website for the society so at the moment we have been working on ideas and possibilities for the future of the society.

Open day was another great event which provided a great opportunity to interact with possible future Built Environment students. I hope all who attended enjoyed themselves and took something away from the talks we had about the lifestyle and opportunities at UNSW.

Work is also going great and I am now back in the Head Office having finished up on the ALDI project. I am now currently working with a team within the company on construction supplier interaction and the quality processes used to ensure all our project’s materials supply needs are met on time and accurately. This has given me a great opportunity to see the different processes involved in managing material supply on construction projects, which will certainly be beneficial to me in the future.

Well I hope you all are having a great second semester and are all enjoying yourselves being a part of UNSW’s lifestyle. Speak to you soon.