‘O Week truly surpassed my expectations. I met new people, made friends, had fun and still managed to learn about the College and its students.  It was an amazing experience.’

Sunday, 1 February 2009

When I arrived at the College today, I have to admit that I was nervous at the thought of having to meet new people and figure out where everything was on campus, but all of my worries soon diminished.  I wasn’t sure what I was suppose to do as I walked through the doors of the College for check-in, but right away the RAs (the Residential Assistants, senior students who help out with accommodation and student services) helped me sign in and before I knew it I was on a short guided tour to my room. Lisa, the RA directing me to my room, told me about all the important places on campus like reception, the CYC, student services and the Sand Bar.

At first having to leave the beautiful sandstone Moran house to get to my accommodation was disappointing, but the view from my room soon cheered me up. The RAs were very helpful and told me everything about meal times and how my schedule worked.

Going to a new school is always tough. You have to make new friends and first impressions are always difficult. I was nervous walking to dinner since I didn’t know anyone, and it seemed like everyone already knew each other. But I soon discovered that no one knew each other, and everyone was just as scared as I was. After sitting down to dinner with a group of strangers, my nerves calmed and everybody was extremely friendly.  I had no problems finding people with similar sporting  interests.  This even turned into a bit of competition on the basketball courts.

Monday, 2 February 2009

Monday was a slow day for me, as I had no sessions.  I took advantage of this down time and decided to sort out my room and figure out where everything was on campus.

Tuesday, 3 February 2009

The morning course briefing was great. After meeting my new on campus friends for breakfast, we headed over to the chapel, where we were greeted by a group of enthusiastic lecturers and staff. The session combined vital College information with a more practical meet and greets activities, where I had the opportunity to meet more people in my class.  After an inspiring speech from Mr Harris, Program Head, we were all pumped for starting our hospitality course, but not before a week of fun activities!

This evening the exhilarating social atmosphere of the cocktail party provided the perfect opportunity to meet new people and to experience first-hand the diverse nationalities of students within the College.

Wednesday, 4 February 2009

Despite having to wake up early, the week was going great.  The enrolment process was speedy and efficient. All my questions about payment and courses were answered. After signing my name a couple times, I was finished with the entire enrolment process by 10 am and was able to head down to the Manly Beach for the rest of the afternoon.

The wait for uniform fitting was a bit tiresome, but, as soon as it was my turn, the professional staff fitted each student in just a few seconds and keep wait time to a minimum.  I was amazed at their ability to guess the perfect size every time.

Team building was amazing fun and gave me another opportunity to release my competitive side.  My favourite activity by far was the inflatable obstacle course. It was definitely the highlight of the week, as I could interact with my peers on a casual level.  Win or lose, I met new people and had fun time.

Since I grew up in Australia, the theoretical parts of surf safety seemed a bit repetitive to me, but I understood how vital it was for the College to teach this information to students without prior surf safety knowledge. The whole week was topped off by the day at the beach with warm weather and great surf!

Friday, 5 February 2009

The Australia party was a great end to O Week.  The catering and the variety food and drinks were superb and the stunning backdrop of Manly Beach provided a picturesque night of entertainment and socialising with my fellow classmates.  It was a fantastic send-off before commencing classes on Monday.