Get connected to the various groups or programmes provided by UWA that are designed to connect students with what they need.
There's more to Uni life than getting a degree!
University isn't just about being late to lectures, staying up all night finishing assignments and cramming for exams. Everyone has a favourite spot to meet their friends for lunch and has seen other students selling tickets to an odd-sounding event or running around in costume/ body paint/ shaving cream. University is the time to embrace your individuality, try new things and make a whole bunch of friends doing it. The Guild provides a range of services for you to use and also supports a huge range of clubs, departments and interest groups that you can get involved in. The student representatives elected by you each year, run the Guild and represent your interests at all levels of the University and advocate for your rights both on campus and externally.
To find out what is going on at any time, check out the Guild website, pick up the Silver Guilder (a newsletter produced each week during semester) or read 'Pelican', the monthly Guild magazine. You will also receive emails weekly from the Guild (G-News) that will keep you up to date on issues, events, support and competitions. Drop into the Guild Student Centre in the Guild Village to make contact with the Guild, access services and find out what is on.
Especially for First Years
Feeling part of uni life is really important. For most first year or commencing students the introduction to university can be overwhelming. Loads of people in lots of lectures, new faces, tutorials in out of the way places and how come everybody else seems to know where they are going and what they are doing? UWA has staff whose job it is to look after first year students. These people help you settle in to uni, connect you with others in the same boat and can even organise a mentor or a study group. Check out the Uni Start website.
Uni Mentor gives First Year students the opportunity to meet with more experienced students (mentors) in the same or similar course. Your mentors are students in second year or above. Your mentor will help you settle in, listen to your questions, provide support and advice on getting around and organising yourself. They are full of tips and tricks that they have learnt that make uni life easier like:
• what to take to the first lecture
• how to activate your university email account
• how to access past exam papers online
• who to ask about changing courses or units
• where to get help on studying at uni/writing assignments/preparing for exams Uni Mentor is open to all commencing undergraduate students at UWA so get in quick and register your interest when you enrol.
Check out the Uni Mentor website.
Uni Skills is designed to assist first year students to make the transition to university study as smoothly as possible. To come to UWA have you had to move out of home and into an area closer to university, relocate from the country to the city or have you come back into formal education after a long break due to work or family commitments?
As Uni Skills is an equity programme, there are specific selection criteria students must meet to be eligible to join. You could be eligible to join Uni Skills if you are:
• receiving or likely to receive Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy
• from a family with a low income
• from a rural or isolated area
• from a school under-represented at UWA (check this out with the Uni Skills coordinator)
• likely to have little family support whilst studying
• going to be responsible for looking after other family members
• coming from a family where neither parent has studied at university
• facing any other significant barriers to transition Uni Skills incorporates a number of activities and support services such as the "Flying Start Orientation Programme", study groups, personal counselling and social activities. The programme operates throughout the student’s first academic year of study. Uni Skills students are free to participate in as many aspects of the programme as they wish. Nothing is compulsory.
Find out more about Uni Skills here. If you do not think you will fit the criteria outlined above, you should definitely check out what is on offer from Uni Mentor and Uni Start. Taking place in the third week of first semester, Link Week is for students who are new to UWA. By the third week of semester you may be looking for some extra help as the reality of the day to day life of studying at UWA sinks in. During Link Week, all over the campus, Faculties and administrative departments (like Student Administration and Student Services) hold activities designed to connect staff and students so that you can ask questions in an informal and easygoing atmosphere. Staff all around campus will be a part of Link Week, so keep an eye out for events and publicity, and get involved.
Check out the Link Week website.
Especially for Post Graduate Students
The Post Graduate Students Association or PSA is run by the UWA Student Guild. The main purpose of the PSA is to improve the life of postgraduate students at UWA. A PSA representative sits on a variety of UWA Committees or Councils including the Teaching and Learning Committee, Academic Board and the Research Committee. The PSA also organise social events (quiz nights and sundowners), and run an electronic newsletter comprising useful information about relevant goings on, news and events that pertain to research students at UWA and other organisations.
The PSA is an active group and an integral part of a post grad student’s life at UWA.
Check out their website.
Language and Cultural Exchange (L.A.C.E.) helps new international postgraduate students settle into their environment. L.A.C.E. is friendly, collegial, fun and which brings people together from diverse cultures and languages, from across the uni and the globe. Sign up online.
Uni Access is for any student who has a medical condition or disability that is likely to impact on their performance at UWA. Any enrolled student can contact Uni Access at any stage of their degree. Prospective students can also get in touch and are encouraged to do so. The Uni Access office is staffed by qualified allied health professionals who have a wealth of experience in managing the practicalities of succeeding at university. Some of the issues Uni Access can help out with include:
• finding the accessible route or the accessible toilets
• what to do about extended periods of illness or hospitalisation
• what or how to disclose your condition to teaching staff
• alternative arrangements for examinations
No medical condition is too big or too small. If it is a concern for you then it’s a concern for the Disability Office. Contact them as soon as you feel things might be going off the rails.
Check out the the Disability Office website. If you think that you are being treated less favourably because of your disability, you may also wish to speak to an Equity and Diversity Adviser. These Advisers are specially trained members of staff who can provide advice and may be able to assist you to find a solution. A list of the current Advisers and their contact details can be found on posters throughout the uni or on the website.
For Students Who Would Like to Give Something Back
If you think you can help out new students by showing them some of the tricks and tips you have learnt to get your way through your first year, then Uni Mentor needs you!! Uni Mentor matches first years with second or more experienced students in the same faculty. It is a great opportunity for you to give something back and participating as a mentor in this award winning UWA programme looks great on your resume!!
Check out the Uni Mentor website.
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