Final answer:
To solve the student's problem, the average speed is computed by total distance divided by total time, while average velocity is calculated by total displacement divided by total time. If the trip is a round trip to the starting point, the average velocity is zero. These calculations apply to constant and varying speeds as well as to different modes of travel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves determining the constant speed, average speed, and average velocity of a trip. To calculate the average speed, we divide the total distance traveled by the total time taken. For average velocity, we consider displacement (the change in position) over the total time taken. If a round trip is made to the starting position, like in one of the examples provided, the displacement is zero, hence the average velocity is also zero. However, if there's a net change in position, as in the trip to the university example, the average velocity would be the straight-line distance from start to finish divided by the total time of the trip. To solve problems like these, we would typically use formulas: average speed = total distance / total time and average velocity = total displacement / total time.