Travelling to a new country and starting a degree can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be! These new experiences and memories are life-changing and can be truly enjoyable when shared with others. Meeting new people and forming friendships play a big role in making a new place feel like home and settling in, here are a few handy tips to guide your social success!
Attend your Orientation!
This seems pretty obvious, but sometimes with so much happening on campus it’s easy to lose track of your O-Week schedule. My O-Week went past so quickly, it was over before I knew it!
And just in case you didn’t know, you can register and plan the events you want to attend during Griffith’s O-week using the Orientation Event Planner.
And remember, if you’re doing a double degree that means you will have 2 Orientations!
Attend lectures and tutorials
I know that I might have mentioned this before, but without fail every exam block I see students who I’ve never seen before. Sometimes attending lectures and tutorials isn’t possible because of personal circumstances, but if you can attend – I encourage you to go along! It’s one of the best places to meet people in your course and others with interests in your field.
It’s also really helpful if you need to double-check assessment requirements, deadlines or if you’re sick and miss a lecture and want to find out what happened in class. Your classmates are one of the best support networks you can have when completing your degree. Your shared experiences, inside jokes, the early classes/exams can help bring you all closer together and can last a lifetime!
Join university sporting teams and clubs
Joining university clubs and sports teams is a great way to meet people in a social setting who share similar interests, outside of your degree. It’s also a fun way to exercise and it gives you a break from your course work.
There are a number of degree-specific clubs based at campuses across Griffith too. I joined the law society on my campus in my first year of university and have since met many, many students at different stages of their degree, and made lots of friends.
It can also be something you can add on your resume if you attend academic or corporate events, volunteer, or join the committee as it shows your interest in your industry. Employers look favourably on applicants who are well-rounded, so if you’re playing professional or recreational sport you should list that down on your CV too.
Check out the Brisbane and Logan or Gold Coast, sporting teams and other organisations available at Griffith.
This was the first part of my ‘Social Success Tips: Meeting people on campus’ series, be sure to read Part 2 to see my last few tips!
Good luck to all the new students starting this year, I hope you have the best time during O-week and that the rest of your time at Griffith is just as enjoyable!
– Erika
