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Sydney is an incredible city to live in. The weather is perfect and the people are friendly. If you live at UNSW your dorm will be a short 20 minute walk from the beach or a 10 minute bus ride into the middle of the city. Get used to going to class (jk you'll probably just skip), grabbing some beers, and heading down to the beach for the day. Everyone in Sydney is super fit so you can get in shape by walking from Coogee to Bondi and eating your weight in Acai Bowls. With so much to do in so little time, you better get ready for a busy few months.

The Big Things to See:

I recommend going to see the touristy things as soon as you get there. Before you know, the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge will stop phasing you and you'll probably mock those silly tourists taking cliche pictures. It feels good to feel like a local!

The top things to see are:

Sydney Harbour (Opera House and Bridge)
Royal Botanic Gardens (right next to the harbour)
Museum of Contemporary Art (also in the harbour; free admission)
Bondi Beach and Bondi Iceberg Pool
Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk (start at Coogee)
Darling Harbour (check online for the fireworks schedule)
The Rocks (close to the harbour)
Manly (you take the ferry to get there and you'll get amazing views of the harbour)
Taronga Zoo

Other cool places:

Once you've done the big things that you can't miss when you're there you can spend some time visiting:

Grounds of Alexandra (go on the weekend - it'll be busy but there will be more to see)
Surry Hills
Newtown
Glebe and Paddington Markets
Manly to Spit Bridge Walk (start at the Spit Bridge and bring a swimsuit so you can chill out in Manly after)
Chinese Garden of Friendship (you can pay to dress up in traditional clothing - so fun!)

Nightlife:

There are things to do every night while you're there. Here are the popular places:

Monday - Scubar
Tuesday - Silent Disco at Scary Canary
Wednesday - El Topo/The Sheaf
Thursday - Ivy
Friday - Argyle
Weekends - Vary (Marquee, Ivy, other local bars)

The Regents Hotel is near UNSW campus and is a popular place for students to go especially because they don't have lockout laws. There are lots of events at Sidebar, a backpackers bar in the CBD.

There are a lot of secret bars in Sydney. One of the most famous is The Baxter Inn. It's fun to get drinks there with friends.

Sydney has lockout laws. This means that you can't get into any bars after 1am. They also stop serving shots and doubles early (11 or 12am). In general the security is pretty strict. Don't be surprised if you get kicked out or not let in.

Food:

There are so many places to try your best bet is to check TripAdvisor or just walk into any restaurant that looks good. My personal favorites are:

Cali Press
Trio Bondi
Bondi Wholefoods
Grill'd
Coogee Pavillion and Coogee Bay Hotel (for drinks)
Soul Burger
Bare Naked Bowls Manly
RiveReno Gelato

Side note: Brunch is the overall best meal in Sydney.

Day Trips:

Even though you have a lot to do in Sydney you should take some day trips to explore more of the area. Here are the best ones:

Hunter Valley Wine Tour
Royal National Park
Morisset Park
Blue Mountains

You'll live here for so long you'll figure out your favorite places. Don't take advantage of how much time you have because I promise it flies by and you'll be scrambling to do things your last few weeks!