Port Macquarie’s Charles Sturt University campus was a hot bed of activity and excitement on Monday, February 19 as hundreds of first year students had their first look at university life with Orientation Week ‘O-Week’ kicking off.
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Students from a range of courses were inducted with speeches from new head of campus Greg Linsdell and deputy mayor Lisa Intemann, before getting their first taste of university life with clubs and stalls all promoting great opportunities for students to take up during their studies.
O-Week coordinator and vice president of the Student Representative Committee, Grace Stevens, said that O-Week is the perfect chance for all students to get into the university mood and ask all their questions in a fun environment before classes begin on February 26.
“As one of the O-Week coordinators it is my job to ensure that all new students find out how fun university life can be, we are holding a week full of activities both on campus and in town so everyone feels ready to start classes next week,” Miss Stevens said.
“This is the first chance most people will have to get onto our campus and have a look around, we are running tours as well as meet up sessions so people can make some friends and find out about all the fun things they can do while studying here.”
This week new students will have the opportunity to take part in movie nights, surfing lessons and parties, to encourage making friends.
“This week is a really great chance for people, especially people who have moved to Port Macquarie to study, to come and enjoy the fun activities on offer as well as meeting new people and learning about where they now live,” she said.
Second year physiotherapy students, Blake Clarke and Ashley Elliot, said they enjoyed their O-Week so much they decided to come back as leaders, ensuring new students had the best taste of university possible.
“CSU Port Macquarie is such a small campus so I wanted to ensure all our new students felt welcomed on campus,” Mr Elliot said.
“O-Week can be daunting coming to a new place and not knowing anyone, but our campus is unique in that we are all on a first name basis with each other as well as our lecturers and new students should definitely take embrace that.”
Mr Clarke said that as a physio student being in a class of 50 instead of 500 like at universities in capital cities is a really great thing.
“For me especially it is great to know I will be able to have a more hands on approach to my studies as there is always going to be less people in my classes,” Mr Clarke said.
“O-Week is the first real impression students have of university life and our jobs this week is to make sure it is fun filled and exciting.
“We are all hosting a number of fun activities designed for people to meet people and to make friends and I hope the new students embrace that because friends made at university can last a lifetime.”
This week new students have the opportunity to take part in movie nights, surfing lessons and parties, to encourage making friends.
“This week is a really great chance for people, especially people who have moved to Port Macquarie to study to come and enjoy the fun activities on offer as well as meeting new people and learning about where they now live.”