Studying at university can be difficult for both online and on campus students. And given the tricky circumstances that are going on in the world, having a quality circle of friends and peers can make a huge difference.
Finding students to be friends with can also be tricky, but luckily there is now a place where you can go. The Social Club on Facebook is that club, and I spoke with the Founder and President Vishi Peters about her club and passion. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Laws Online at Charles Sturt University as well as being a Sydney based artist.
- You are the president and creator of the club, what inspired you to create the CSU Social Club?
“In my previous Uni I was part of the SRC and was actively looking to be part of the CSU student community. As I am an Online student here, I couldn’t seem to find a club that specialised for Online students. I thought that this was a bit of a disadvantage as there are a range of students studying online but probably don’t know how to get involved and meet their peers.
I contacted Luisa from Online SRC and it began from there. I was surprised to see how many people really enjoyed the idea of the Online Club. I am very much a people person and enjoy bringing people together and having fun. I draw this from my 3 years experience as a Manager in the events industry where I built conferences and large-scale events. I dealt with over 200 people at a time and as such I wanted to bring people together online. COVID-19 really put things into perspective how technology can bring separation together. I wanted to capitalise on this and so I began talking to students on social media to gauge their interests and ideas for the club.”
- How many members do you currently have and how long has the club been active?
“We are currently a Group on Facebook – Search for us at The Social Club (Charles Sturt Uni). We are very active on Social Media and as we are still a very new club we still are putting processes in place. At the moment, we have 89 members. We began the Club in April 2020.”
- Why should students join the Social Club and what is the main role of the club for students?
“The Social Club (Charles Sturt Uni) is a free online student club. We don’t charge people membership as we don’t believe people should pay to have fun or meet their peers online. Ideally, we are the platform that binds the students together. The Club is a safe online space for all Charles Sturt students to connect socially regardless of location and cohort. It encourages active online participation to bridge the gap between students from different units and faculties. The club hosts trivia nights, pop quizzes, art sessions, sharing sessions (achievements/goals) and themed dress up nights with prizes.
The Club aims to create positive experiences through fun organised activities. With meetings focused on social online activities, study support and knowledge sharing The Club is designed to create an online student support community by bringing together people through fun and friendship.”
- Are there students from all different backgrounds in The Club?
“Oh Yes! Most definitely, there are. We pride ourselves in diversity. I am an Indian Australian so I don’t even believe in excluding or discriminating anyone based on gender, culture, ethnicity or background. The more diversity in the club the more we know how beautiful the student community is. We learn so much from each other. Being born and raised in Australia, I have seen the multi-culturalism grow to new heights. The Club is an embodiment for all people and shouldn’t be tailored on specifications. If you are a student at CSU – GREAT! That’s all that’s required and now with COVID-19 making all classes online, there is now more of an online audience than before. So why should we alienate ourselves because of no-campus study, lets get with it online!”
- What activities have you done in the past and are there any activities coming up in the near future?
“We have run a few activities consistently and it’s been really fun! We have run Kahoot Nights, Trivia Nights, Jack-Box Games Night and Bingo Night. And last Tuesday we hosted The Social Club’s FIRST EVER themed dress up and trivia night – HARRY POTTER. There’s always prize giveaways at the end of every games night! These prizes include CSU merchandise like a mug, cap, hoody, etc. So you gotta be in it to win it! We are hosting weekly games nights on Tuesdays during the session breaks so we don’t lose touch with our new friends. We are always here if anyone wants to join!”
- Is there anything else you would like to say?
“Yes, The Club holds a lot of values and strives to ensure that the student community is not isolated. Although it may look like we are just a club who has fun all the time, sometimes the quality time with other students can help you feel a bit better about any hardships you are going through. As they saying nowadays WE STAND TOGETHER – that is exactly what The Social Club (Charles Sturt University) is here for. I really can’t wait to see how we grow and to welcome more students into the club with open arms. There are more exciting times ahead!”
So search for The Social Club (Charles Sturt Uni) and join in on the fun.
