Orientation week, o week, week zero. Whatever you know it by, it is an important first step in the life of a university student.
Going straight from high school to uni can be a real culture shock. At uni you can come and go as you please and decide how much work you want to do, and no one is going to track you down to give you a detention.
This lack of structure can get a lot of people unstuck, which is why universities have O weeks. It gives new students a chance to meet each other and become involved in campus life.
O week will introduce you to what your uni has to offer. Every kind of interest group or hobbyist will be there wanting you to join their club, society or collective. All the staff will be there as well, pushing the benefits of doing everything from international relations to forensic science.
It can be quite overwhelming at times, so here's a bit of advice about what to keep in mind during O Week.
Sorting out the serious stuff
To make it through the week with your sanity intact follow these few simple steps:
Take a tour
Student-run tours will probably be on offer, taking new students for a walk around the campus to find out where all the various buildings are - not only the ones your lectures are in, but places like the sports facilities, student union building, cafeteria, and so on. Getting to know where to the library is as well as where you drop assignments off is very important.
Check out a welcome lecture
Most universities and TAFEs will run a few lectures that welcome new students to their campus and give them a rundown on what they have to offer. Attending one of these lectures is just a nice way to get to know your university.
Think about joining the student union
Union fees can seem expensive at first, but they are really important for scoring discounts (and invites to some great parties) - for more about student discounts check out our Student concessions and Student resources pages.
Think about joining a professional society
Many universities will have a society for each area of study e.g. The Law Society or the Commerce Society. In first year they will mainly give you more opportunities to socialise and meet people with similar interests, but down the track they will be invaluable as a contact to the outside world in your chosen career or field of study.
Finding all the fun stuff
The above should take care of all the formal stuff, but of course there's a fun side to O Week as well!
All the unions, societies, clubs and collectives will be offering things like free food, drink and entertainment to lure in new members. Why not take advantage of that?
For more on joining uni clubs and societies, check out roving reporter Breanna's article 'Getting involved in uni life'.
Try and secure a few 'O week friends'. They might be people you already know from school or some people you clicked with on a tour - it's more fun to be in a group than to wander around alone.
Being summer in Victoria it will be hot, and there will probably be a few big parties as part of O Week, so drink a lot of water and make sure you have fun responsibly.
It's worth a look at least
O week is a lot of fun and there are a lot of good reasons to go. You'll find out more about the place you're going to spend the next three years of your life, and you could even make some great friends as well.
To find out more about what your uni or TAFE has to offer during their O Week, check out their website or give their student information line a call.
So have fun, and enjoy the start of your uni life!
Check out our Drugs, Smoking & Alcohol section for more information on looking after yourself when you're having fun.
