Written by Mel Hazell
If you are anything like me, the whole thought of university is extremely foreign and very intimidating. It’s a whole new world yet to be explored, however, the orientation team helped to make it a whole lot easier.
I moved from Sydney to Charles Sturt Bathurst with little to no one I knew here so I figured to make the best out of the orientation period, I would simply go to everything.
Course Sessions
The course sessions were so helpful in creating friendly faces before class started. The ones I attended were on-campus, but they also have them for online students.
They helped give me a little insight into my course and ultimately what I would be expecting over the next few years which I found extremely useful. They gave us outlines as to when our sessions and placements were and who the important people were in our course that we will need to speak to.
It was super easy to navigate and overall, I thought it was very beneficial.
Social Events
Any social events are recommended as they’re a great place to meet friends be social! They can be fun, creative and informative.
I have met so many amazing people including some of my best friends to this day at on-campus and online social events.
Support Services
The Orientation team also ensured that first-years knew where they could go if they needed help. They outlined help for mental health, sexual assault, financial, academic and many other needs. They encouraged us to seek help early – you just need to ask!
They helped to break the stigma around reaching for help and ensured us that Uni is not easy, and a lot of people actually get help. I found this extremely useful and comforting as it ensured that I didn’t feel alone, especially being in such a foreign place and atmosphere.
Campus Tours
The campus tours helped me especially navigating around the campus during the first few weeks.
It helped me to figure out where my classes were, where the library was and (most importantly) where Rafters café and bar was.
The tour showed me sights that I would never use, AKA the gym, but also showed me really cool places such as the radio station. It definitely sparked a flame in my creativity and also ensured that I felt at home.
Make the most of it
I had the best experience during Orientation and made the best group of friends. We comforted each other from being away from home for the first time, shared easy recipes, had dinner parties, helped each other decorate our rooms, encouraged each other to attend these events and ended up having a blast.
Whether you are online or in person, make the most out of Orientation and put your foot into all of the workshops and events. You won’t regret it.
