Coming to university alone? Don't be afraid!

- By Erzsebet

When we were children, most of us went to Kindergarten before stepping into the big wide world of primary school. Although we would have been too young to remember what we did at that age, but whether we liked it or not, more often than not we found that the friendships we made at Kindergarten were no longer to be seen after we enter Prep. Entering a whole new world with several other young children around the same age as us sharing new life experiences. I remember starting school and knowing nobody. I can imagine what I would have felt: alone and lost. Reflecting on the years after Prep, I remember new girls coming and old ones leaving. I established a fairly good friendship with some of these girls but sadly, some of them had left before we reached the beginning of our secondary school days. I was fortunate in my educational journey to go to the same school for at least 75% of my school days.
Three years ago, I was in year 11. I was studying my Victorian Certificate of Education via distance education as I was too unwell to go to a mainstream educational setting. Despite there were teachers to guide you, and social networking chats, it was a really lonely experience after what I was used to! Looking back at it though, it was just what I needed. 

A lot of people I know go to university straight after they finish high school, others spend several years working before going back to pursue further studies. Many returning to study after several years have told me, and I am sure this is the case for some of you too, that you are coming to another phase in your life all on your own. You may not necessarily know anyone. It is really scary at first but I think you can get through it. If I could survive on my own to finish my high school days and two other tertiary qualifications alone, I know you can do it too! 

Coming back to study on campus was a real challenge but you know what? It is what you make of it! To ease your transition, go to orientation, you will meet people from your course or similar courses; you can meet people of all backgrounds at events that you probably never would go to under normal circumstances. You can even meet others from the different campuses! Go onto the universities Facebook page, introduce yourself; I am sure there will be other students who are just like you! You could always go to a DUSA event, and may even make a friend or two for life! The photo I have attached is of me with a friend that I made almost a year ago at a DUSA event! Ever since, we have been quite close despite the campus difference! So my advice: don't be afraid, just get out there, talk and meet people!!

Good luck!!

Friends: adding that extra zing to university life

-By Karen

Ann yeoung!
Konichiwa!
Xin chao!
Ni hao!
Bonjour!
Ciao!
Hola!

Sawadee!
Namaste!
Kumusta!

Ok, I think you get the gist by now. Those are just some of the "Hello"s of the world that I have learned so far in this journey called 'life'. The most awesome part about that is, I learned all of them from a bunch of amazing people that I had the privilege of meeting while at University.

If you're like me then you'll know that being so far away from home can really tear you apart, and that feeling can sometimes make the university experience much more daunting than it already is. I remember being so excited that I would start packing my luggage 1-2 weeks prior to the end of the semester (and this is coming from one person who hates packing with a passion!) And I did all of that just so I could board the next flight home as soon as the semester break begins.

But of course, this does not mean that I hated my time at university. I loved it and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to chase my dreams. I am also grateful for the people that I've met along the way, and they are the reason behind my writing today. Being away from home and family meant leaving my bubble world and stepping out of my comfort zone. And the further away I was, the more desperately I wanted to keep my family close. Yes, there is a never-ending list of ways I can communicate with my family but it isn't the same as being "home". And it was times like these that friends played an even bigger role in my life. They became my comfort zone and my family while I was miles away from mine. Their presence added that extra zing factor to my achievements at Deakin University.

So here's ONE tiny advice I'm sharing with you today about surviving university life, especially if you're far away from home. Establish positive and meaningful friendships with those around you. The next time you're early for a lecture or tutorial, sit next to someone and say, "Hello". Chances are they will say "Hello" back! And by the end of the semester, you might have just extended your knowledge with a few new languages.

Here's a song that I would listen to on repeat for days when I'd feel extra homesick. A beautiful song performed by one of my favourite artists and from my favourite cartoon show. Don't judge me, but I still love my cartoons. Haha!

What are your tips to surviving life at university? Share it with me and everyone else in the comments section below =)

xx Karen

Deakin rollercoaster - the ups and downs of university life

-By Ryan D'Souza


When I started to think about this blog topic, I had no idea where to start and where to end. Really speaking, the ups and downs of university life are so many that one can go on and on. You ask any student about his/her experience at university, and you can come up with a huge book.



Let me share with you my experience at Deakin. The first good thing was that I received an offer letter from the University. Being accepted by a prestigious and renowned university gave me immense pride. When people asked me, ‘Which university are you studying at?’, and I replied, ‘Deakin,’ it gave me a tremendous sense of satisfaction that I had decided to pursue my dreams at one of the best universities in Australia.

But then started week one!


The system of education in Australia  was completely different from that in my home country. During week one, I was bombarded with lots and lots of information about units, assignments, workshops etc and as the weeks kept flying, I wondered how was I surviving. There is also the cultural transition that international students have to make, and this can be a very difficult process at times. The good thing is that you don’t have to feel stressed - the university is there to help you and of course, you have friends whom you can always rely on.

Speaking of friends, I have made and continue making new friends from different countries - friendships that I will cherish forever. I have also had the opportunity to mentor new students and this has been very fulfilling for me. Doing well in exams and obtaining good grades has been very rewarding as well. Balancing studies and work has helped me to become more focussed and improve my time-management skills. Above all, my post-graduate studies have broadened my thinking and equipped me with skills that will certainly help me in my professional career.

I am waiting for that special day - the day we all look forward to! I can already visualise myself standing in a line waiting for my name to be called and then being crowned a graduate! At that moment, I will think about the first day when I started my degree at Deakin, I will think about the struggles and difficulties I faced, I will think about the hardships and the trials I went through, I will think about the sleepless nights I had, and I will smile with a tear in my eye, and say, ‘Well done Ryan, it was worth it!’

Money, money, money!

-By Tenille

Now that you’ve enjoyed your first trimester at Deakin (and might be sitting exams now), I hope you’ve all had a blast.

Most of you would have had to purchase textbooks and new stationary, which would have put a major dent in your budget. Paid for parking permits, lunches, as well as hanging out with your new mates and spending some cash. Have some of you come to the sudden realization that you need more cash, a part time job, and have no idea where to start?

Well aren’t you all so lucky that Deakin provides a service called Jobshop! The title really speaks for itself. The staff there makes finding a job much easier, especially if you haven’t had to look for a job yourself before.

Don’t worry if you are off-campus either as Jobshop is also available online, just go to http://www.deakin.edu.au/jobshop and log in with your Deakin username to access all their services.

When I headed off to Uni after High School I’d never had a job or even attempted writing a resume, and I realized I had no real savings apart from some money I got for my eighteenth. That’s when I stumbled across Jobshop.

I went in to visit them one day and they help me perfect a resume as well as helped me browse for some jobs. I’m so glad that I did it too, as now I have a part-time and casual job, which just makes costs for Uni and other essentials so much less stressful.

So if you’re strapped for cash and need a job head into Jobshop on your campus today, or simply log on online. And best of luck for your exams!

Stay classy,

Tenille

Meeting students from other cultures

-By Sui On Tang

I got an opportunity to meet new students from other cultures during Orientation Week at Deakin. I found it to be fascinating as it is a completely different environment compared to high school. At Deakin, there were students from all over the world. We were attending lectures and tutorials together. But initially, it was hard for me to communicate with students from other countries as I am an international student with my mother tongue being Cantonese and Mandarin. Also, I am really shy and feel nervous that the conversation with them will end quickly. Hence, I was anxious about making friends from different cultures. This made me feel isolated and I found it difficult to fit in.

But this situation changed after I joined a few student clubs and societies, like the Deakin Sri Lankan & Indian Club and The Australian Union of Jewish students. They gave me a new perspective on Deakin. I got to learn more about different foods, events and traditions in various countries all over the world. This helped me to connect with other students and integrate into university life. For example, now I start conversations with other people and try to find out whether we have any common interests. It provides me with the opportunity, as well as for them, to learn about foreign languages, countries and cultures. I learnt that all these students are just like me; they feel lonely sometimes. But they are all nice and friendly. So we are all in the same boat. Now, I am enjoying the life of cultural diversity at Deakin while studying my double degree undergraduate course.

Friends, fun and freebies – O’Week at Deakin Uni

-By Tenille

We’re all new to Deakin at some point, so why not make the most of it?

Orientation week (known to most as O’Week) is the week before classes start and was no doubt my favourite week of first year. It’s a time to get to know everything about Deakin that you want to know. Explore the campuses, meet some new people, relax and have some fun before you start attending classes.

The best part about it is you can do as little or as much as you want, although I’d highly recommend that you head to as many things as you can. Attend all the events hosted by DUSA (Deakin’s Student Association) such as the always-exciting Mystery Bus Tour, or catch a free movie or anything else that takes your fancy. All these events are listed on your itinerary. It’s a great way to get into the crowd at Uni and make some life long friends as well as having a few tales to tell in the future.

Things can be a little tight at Uni so why not check out the awesome Market Day at your campus and pick up some great giveaways? Who doesn’t love some free stuff? This was my favourite day from O’week in my first year because I got to collect many things from clubs and stalls, bagged some free iced coffee and caught up with some of my new friends. I went home that day with a little more than I expected, but hey it was an awesome time. It also offers you the opportunity to join some fantastic social clubs and associations that you can hang out with over the year.

Being new to it all I wasn’t quite sure what Uni life was going to be like, so I headed to as many seminars during O’week as I could. They will help you set up your whole year in the space of one wicked week. Take advantage of free seminars including things like budgeting and time management, and just trust me this will make your life so much easier and stress free at Uni. I learnt many ways to save and use my money so that I could do other things such as attend social events and participate in Uni sport.

Most of all O’week for me and most Uni students is about having a bit of fun and taking advantage of the time to celebrate heading to Uni. So I hope you all participate and have a blast!

Stay classy,
Tenille