Written by Bronte Jolly
Hey there!
My name is Bronte and I am in my final year studying a Bachelor of Pharmacy on the Orange Campus.
In 2021, I moved from Wollongong to Orange to start my degree, knowing no one in the area.
The drive to Orange on move-in day was one of the scariest days of my life; I was so anxious that I felt sick the whole time. My biggest worry, like many others, was that I wouldn’t make any friends.
However, this fear couldn’t have been further from the truth. Within the first few days of Orientation, I had met what seemed like a million people and made friends who I am still close to today.
During my first and second years of study, I lived on-campus, which was amazing for meeting new people and making friends.
However, for the past two years, living off-campus while still being involved in SRC and orientation events, I can confidently say that you will still meet people if you throw yourself into these experiences and get involved.
This is where SRC events come into play. I have been involved with the Orange SRC for the past two years as the secretary. I also love doing social media for the committee!
Initially, I joined because some of my friends were joining or were already on the committee, and I wanted to hang out and help them.
My close friendship group in Orange is tightly knit, made up of current and former SRC members.
There are a few major SRC events in Orange that are yearly traditions, including the first bar night of O-Week, our Cocktail Party and the annual May Ball.
These events, in my opinion, are critical to having the full Orange Charles Sturt student experience.
The Cocktail Party in the first week allows all students to come together, dress up, and discuss how their first week of uni went.
It’s great because returning students are always eager to meet new students in a social setting. Then, a few months later, we had our May Ball.
This is the biggest student event of the year on the Orange campus and one you don’t want to miss.
A highlight of organising this event this year was seeing the seating tables at the ball being occupied by students from different years, courses, and backgrounds.
It was great to see everyone dressed up and enjoying themselves.
I cannot recommend joining the SRC enough! It has been one of the most rewarding things that I have done as part of my time at Charles Sturt.
Not only does it allow you to contribute to life on your campus, but it has provided me with amazing opportunities for skill development and personal growth.
The lifelong friendships that being on the SRC fosters, as well as advocating for students on our campus, make the SRC definitely worth joining!
Nominations for the 2024/25 SRC close soon, on Wednesday 31 July. Don’t miss out and nominate now!
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