Six Reasons You Should Get Amongst Your Uni O-Week

Because getting lost on campus just ain't it.

How good is the break between finishing high school and starting higher education? Perhaps you’ve been taking it easy by the ocean, soaking up time with your pals, or just getting your nap game down during your break. It’s what you deserve, after all.

As the break reaches its pointy end, the Uni debut is as close as ever. You worked hard, accepted your offer, and now it’s time for orientation.

An older friend or family member might have even told you that attending O-Week is pointless, and you shouldn’t bother to rock up until the first teaching week begins.

Here’s the thing, though: O-Week is a smart idea for a few reasons. Not only will it help you ease into campus life, but afterward you’ll also be across everything you need to know about your course and campus. 

So, here’s a rundown on why you should respectfully ignore your older pal, and get amongst your Uni O-Week.

First off — what is it?

Considering you've probably already started receiving a landslide of emails about it, let’s unpack what O-Week is and what it entails.

Basically, it’s the start of your transition into higher education, generally occurring the week before the start of an academic year.

You’ll see a heap of activities, music, food stalls, and campus tours taking place online and on campus.

A lot of events are not compulsory, and you’ll be able to pick and choose which ones you want to go to. On the other hand, you'll be strongly encouraged to sit in on course information sessions or welcome lectures.

1. You can suss where the good coffee, I mean, your classes are.

Logistics, baby. If you only do one thing, let it be a campus tour!

It’ll give you a good feel for the parking situation on campus and where all the good coffee and study spots are.

Plus, there is literally nothing worse than not being able to find your class on your first day. Given the size of most campuses, you don’t want to spend half an hour wandering around and completely missing your tute.

By taking part in a tour during O-Week, you will avoid being late or having to make a mad dash across campus. Your mind, body, and soul will thank you.

2. There are freebies galore.

How good’s free stuff?

Your Uni will pull out all the stops to thank you for choosing to study there and quite frankly, it would be rude not to oblige.

You’re lying to yourself if you don’t want to get your hands on some free food, stationery, study planners, or coffee vouchers.

3. Learn everything you need to know about your course.

Gorgeous gorgeous first-year Uni students start their years off on the right foot!

It’s comforting to know what you’re in for before kicking off your studies, and O-Week info sessions/lectures are great for this.

Speaking of getting ahead in your course, you should definitely get amongst the Student Edge printable Habit Tracker to form some healthy habits and slay your first year. Thank us later!

4. You’ll meet people.

It can sometimes feel a bit tough making friends after high school. But you’ll learn quickly that support from your peers is important.

You’re all in the same boat on day one, and there are so many talking points on O-Week to break the ice.

“What are you studying?”, “What classes are you doing?” and “what have you been up to these holidays?” to name a few!

Plus, in big COVID-19 energy, some Unis are even doing ‘Speed friending’ on Zoom. Speed dating, for mates. We absolutely love to see it!

5. They’ll explain what a Census Date is.

Not sure whether the course you’ve picked is right for you? You’re not the only one. You can swap courses as much as you want, but make sure you know when the Census Date is.

The Census Date is the point in the semester or study period that your enrolment is considered final, and the last point where you can apply for a Commonwealth supported place or submit a HECS-HELP/FEE-HELP form.  If you drop out after the Census Date, you may not get a refund on your tuition fees.

6. Get around all the cool clubs/societies.

Find your folks! Don’t listen to people when they say Uni clubs are lame. Getting involved is cool!

Whether its quidditch, traditional sport or you want to live your Pitch Perfect dreams, there’s a Uni club for almost everyone.

Community vibes are good for the soul, and O-Week is a great time to learn all about the different social options on offer.

If you’d still rather give it a miss, maybe this will convince you: O-Week can be super enjoyable, and it’s an awesome way to get pumped and feel sorted before you step into your first class. We reckon that sounds pretty good!

Remember Student Edge has your back through all the phases of your learning life. Check out our Back-To-Study Care Package for big savings to support your studies in 2022.

Header image: Zen Chung via Pexels / Canva