Hi, and welcome to Flinders University.
I'm Melissa Veal, and I'm the Manager of Student Experience.
I'm here to talk to you a bit
about the student experience here at Flinders,
particularly for our new students.
I also wanna talk about the wide range of support services
we offer our students year round.
So starting university is an exciting time.
It may be the next step after high school,
on the path to your chosen career,
or it may be a decision to forge a new career path,
or gain new knowledge.
Whatever your reason for studying, starting university
is an exciting and life-changing experience,
but it can also be nerve-wracking,
especially if you don't know anyone at Flinders University.
That's why we offer
an extended orientation program here at Flinders,
to help you settle into uni, meet new people,
and learn the skills you need to succeed.
Our extended orientation program starts with O'Week,
and during the first four weeks of semester,
you'll also learn about all the support services you need
to succeed at Flinders.
You'll learn about connection and making new friends,
developing the skills you need,
learning about the cultures at Flinders,
and learning to support your wellbeing.
Attending O'Week is the best way
to start your university experience.
Our campus comes alive with events and activities,
and you'll get to meet our support services staff,
learn more about clubs, and tour the campus.
At Flinders, we also have an O'Guides program,
which is unique to Flinders.
Our O'Guides are continuing students,
who've already been studying at Flinders
for at least six months.
They're there to help you learn about Flinders,
they're there to show you the ropes, answer your questions,
and help you settle into your first few weeks at university.
The Flinders University Student Association,
or FUSA, as we like to call them,
run a range of social events and activities
during orientation and throughout the entire year
to help you meet other people.
They also run clubs and societies,
and we have over 100 for you to join.
During orientation, our Flinders Library
and Student Learning Support Services run events,
and they also are there to help you
throughout the year while you study.
Library staff can help you learn more
about their extensive online and physical collections,
and our Student Learning Support Services staff
are there to help you with academic writing, referencing,
statistics, maths, and just helping you learn how to learn.
The Careers team are there to help you
start thinking about the path to your chosen career,
even if you don't know what to do after university.
They run events and activities throughout the year
to help connect you with industry and employers.
They also have more than 8,000 job opportunities
posted each year through our Career Hub portal.
To set yourself up for career success,
you can also get involved
in a range of professional development activities
through the Horizon Professional Development Award.
The program is unique to Flinders,
and it will help give you the edge in the job market.
At Flinders, we're committed to supporting your wellbeing.
We have a wide range of support services
available to help your wellbeing.
This includes confidential and free appointments
with doctors, counselors, disability advisors,
and equal opportunity advisors.
Also, our Oasis Student Community Wellbeing Centre
offers events and activities such as
mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and more.
We also have a huge range
of self-help wellbeing resources for you to look at.
At Flinders,
international students from more than 80 countries
make up about 15% of our student population.
We're also proud of our rich Indigenous history.
We celebrate our diversity
through a range of cultural events throughout the year.
Our Yunggorendi Team provide support
for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,
including tutoring, a culturally safe study space, and more.
Students at Flinders can also get their questions answered
through Flinders Connect,
which is the first point of contact
for any questions about your studies.
The team at Flinders Connect can also provide
advice and support across a range of areas,
including course information, enrollment,
student ID cards, and wayfinding,
as well as fees and financial information,
including the financial support available,
such as scholarships.
Flinders Connect can also provide more information
about the support mentioned today.
They're available year round to help you,
either online, over the phone, or in person.
At Flinders, we're here to support you every step of the way
on your path to academic, personal, and career success.
And no doubt you'll make
some lifelong friends along the way.
If you want to know more, visit students.flinders.edu.au.
Thank you for visiting Flinders University.
I look forward to welcoming you on campus soon.