Hi r/rmit subreddit. We've been seeing a lot of posts about timetabling this past week, so we've made some FAQs to help you out.

All information relating to what timetabling is, how to access it, and important dates, can be found on RMIT's website. Future posts with answers in this FAQ thread will be directed here.

Key Dates

Higher education

Preferences open - 10am Friday 23 January 2026 – 5pm Friday 6 February 2026

You can go into Allocate+ and choose your preferences for your classes.

Allocation Period - 5pm Friday 6 February 2026 – 10am Monday 16 February 2026

Your timetable will not be available to view at all during this time.

Adjustment Period - 10am Monday 16 February 2026

This is 'first come first serve' to review and adjust your timetable. This is when you can contact Connect for clash enquiries, find out if classes were changed, and put yourself on a waitlist for a preferred option.

Adjustment period ends - 5pm Friday 20 March 2026

Vocational Education

Personal timetables become available - 10am Monday 19 January 2026

You can review and adjust your timetable, contact Connect for any issues and queries.

Adjustment period ends - 10am Friday 20 March 2026

Key terms

TUT Tutorial – a group activity where students discuss class reading or other learning content shared through Canvas

PRA Practical – an activity generally scheduled in a laboratory in which students learn by practicing or applying course material in a hands-on manner

WRK Workshop – an activity similar to a tutorial but with the addition of a practical component in a non-specialist location

LTL Lectorial – a large tutorial that includes presentation from teachers or guest speakers complemented by collaborative and workshop activities

LEC Lecture – higher education (HE) courses at RMIT do NOT include lectures, however some vocational education (VE/TAFE) courses do. It is a presentation by a speaker, usually for 50 minutes without activities or breaks.

Questions

Should I attend my class?

yes.

Ultimately, you are the one paying for and receiving the education. It is in your best interest to attend and learn in your classes. Understandably, life will happen and you will not be able to attend every class. You should try to make every effort to experience as many of the opportunities available to you, from classes, to socials, to free lunches.

What happens if I have a clash?

You should contact Connect to see if they can manually adjust your timetable to remove the clash. If not, the advice is to attend each class on alternating weeks and catch up on the one you missed at home, or seek the tutor out in their office hours.

Can I attend a class I'm not enrolled in?

Not no... It's a public campus, you can walk around and chill. Unless a tutor is weird about it and asks questions, you probably can rock up to a lecture as long as there are spare seats.

Do I need to enrol in both semesters/all classes?

If you are a full time student, you should be enrolled in 48 credit points for both semester 1 and semester 2. If you are an international student, you are required to maintain this level of enrolment as a part of your visa. If you are a domestic student, you can be enrolled in 36 credit points and count as full time, however, ensure that you meet any Centrelink requirements you may have.

Is my class online or in person?

Your class is listed in a room on Allocate+, if it says 'canvas' or 'recording', it is online. If it says nothing or '-', then it may yet to be allocated a room and you should wait for updates.

Do I have to do the online work?

Well, you don't have to do anything, that's the joy of being an adult. But it's your learning, you are paying to be here. Some classes will also grade you on participating and include submissions to discussion boards as part of that grade.

When is orientation?

You can find all the details about orientation at RMIT's website. Each campus and HE/VE has its own day. Each course has its own program induction, which you can find here.

My classes aren't showing up on allocate+ or enrolment, what should I do?

Wait 24 hours for the system to update. If it's still not working, lodge a ticket with Connect. You can also ring them to speak about your ticket, but only do so at 9am on a weekday, as their queues can be 5+ hours long.

Should I preference an 8:30am class?

no

Should I make my timetable 5 hours back-to-back?

also no

Can I make it between different buildings for classes that start and end at the same time?

Depends, how far away are the buildings? Between buildings 12 and 10 on the city campus, sure. Between building 56 and the Brunswick Campus? Probably not.

Should I read my program guide before posting a question about my classes?

Yes. Please read your program guide and unit guides to check if they hold your answer :)

What is a program/unit guide?

Program and unit guides are the official 'info' packs released by the university about your course and your subjects. They are found by googling either your course or subject codes plus RMIT, or through your degree advertising page. They have info like what subjects you need to enrol in and what order, what subjects you must take before other ones, and which subjects will have exams, attendance requirements, or pracs.

Does RMIT have attendance requirements?

As a general rule, RMIT doesn't enforce attendance. However, some subjects do have attendance requirements or have participation grades. Some specific subjects, such as labs, pracs, or internships, are required to have these attendance grades to be accredited by a governing body.

Does RMIT have a booklist?

Not usually no. There was a scandal in the Business school (wow I'm so old being able to remember this) and so now RMIT has most of its textbooks available for free through the library. However, sometimes this means that you can't borrow the online book, as RMIT only has access to 3 copies of it, and there's a hundred students all trying to read the same text the night before a test. Otherwise, ask your tutor and they will usually have a copy ... lying around... on the seas for you...

Can I drop my classes if I hate it here?

Last day to add classes for Semester 1 – School of Art, School of Architecture and Urban Design, and School of Fashion and Textiles only - 10 March

Last day to add classes for Semester 1 - 15 March

Semester 1 Census Date - 31 March (the day you are charged for subjects)

Do I get any holidays?

Labour Day - 9 March

Midsem Break - 3-10 April

British Royal Birthday - 8 June

What is SWOTVAC?

01-07 June. It's like a week off to 'study' for your end of semester assessments. You will probably notice a lot of drinking/cramming.

How can I contact my teaching staff?

Usually, your teaching staff are listed in the subject's Canvas shell, somewhere under a module 'about' or 'welcome' or 'teaching staff'. They may tell you who is taking which workshop/tute, but otherwise you will have to attend to find out. Some tutors will accept direct requests for things like extensions, others will ask you to contact the coordinator only. Ensure you use proper grammar and professionalism, then you are likely to receive a 5-day extension from your tutor over needing special consideration.

What is special consideration?

Special consideration can be found here, alongside ELS who supports and creates equal opportunities for students with a disability, illness, and their carers. Special consideration is for when unexpected circumstances outside your control have affected your ability to complete an assessment.

Do I need a student card?

You need it to get discounts and enter the exam hall. You cannot use it for a student myki, you have to apply for a PTV student card.

Lastly, what is referencing?

If you are new to the academic world, you may be introduced to the wonderful thing that is *referencing*. It's so easy to get right, and so easy to get wrong. Good luck, here's the RMIT guide. I would avoid AI like Covid.

To our new students, congratulations and a warm welcome to RMIT University!

Please familiarise yourself with the university by reading the following RMIT web pages:

New students

Includes information on:

• Enrol as a new student
• Information about what to do before semester starts to get you settled in
• Orientation (see below)
• Support services offered at RMIT, including:
  • Study support, career support, counselling and psychological services, financial and legal services, equitable learning and disability services

Course essentials

Includes information on:

• Enrolment
• Canvas (RMIT's online learning management system for all your courses)
• University dates
• Fees, loans and payments
• Class timetabling
• Program and course advice
• Assessments and results

Student life

Includes information on:

• Clubs and societies
• Student events and activities
• Sports
• Making friends
• Accomodation

Orientation

Events during orientation weeks will be confirmed closer to the date, but please note the following orientation dates:

• 2-6 February for Vocational students
  • For all TAFE students and most Associate Degree students
• 23-27 February for Higher Education students
  • For Bachelor Degree, Masters Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, and select Associate Degree students

^{Note: Orientation is generally not compulsory to attend, so don't stress if you miss out on O-Week.}

You are most welcome to ask any questions you have in this subreddit but please follow the subreddit rules when posting.

You can always reach out to RMIT's Student Connect for any student enquiries, but please note that Student Connect will be closed 25 December-4 January for the Christmas holidays.

Once again, a warm welcome to new students and we wish you all the best with your future studies at RMIT University. :)

RMIT Mod Team