First day at Uni? Hope it’s the start of great things for you.

Meet Michael Williams a successful student who speaks to Angela Clewer about his experience at UniSA and provides you with his best tip for starting Uni.

(Download interview in an alternative format)

This blog will keep you in touch with people, resources and events that will help you enjoy your time with us. Our weekly postings map onto the academic calendar so you might find them a quick and easy way to support your learning.

Learning Connection @ Mawson Lakes is your online home away from home with the best study tips and advice; information about events on campus (you too can compete in the famous India Vs The rest of the World Cricket Match) and Uni links.

While you’re exploring online make sure you explore links to

· The First 6 weeks
· Your Course homepages and Course Information booklet
· The Library.

Remember we’re easy to find on the ground floor of the Library.

Now that’s a building that you must explore!

The Learning Connection @ Mawson Lakes Team

G'day to all our bright eyed and bushy tailed international students

(Author unknown, n.d. Lost and found Poster, Stobie Pole somewhere in suburban Australia)

G'day is OZ-speak for 'hi' - in the warmest possible way. It is a derivative of 'good day'.

But what does 'bright eyed and busy tailed' mean?

This is one of the many colloquialisms you will encounter in Australia. You will find the language here both colourful, funny and challenging - quite unlike any variety of English you have ever heard before. When students first come to our shores, what would normally sound like 'did you watch the cricket on television?' sounds more like 'djawatchthecricketonthetelly'? (Some Aussies speak really fast!)

Language is one of the adjustments you will make along with:

• Different food


• The weather
  
• Cooking, washing and cleaning for the first time


• Getting around Adelaide
  
• Choosing a suburb to live in
  
• Making new friends

This week we expect to meet many new arrivals (and some who are not so new) during our International Student Orientation program. We know (from years of experience) that these are just some of the challenges you will face at a time in your life which is exhilerating and rewarding but not without its frustrations.

For those of you who have been here for more than a couple of weeks, please contribute to our discussion on:

• Things you have noticed which are different in Australian language and culture
• The best places to go in Adelaide and its surroundings

(You can post anonymously or use a nickname - you need to click on 'comments' which is in rather small print just below our sign-off)

Please vote on our poll and watch your link list grow.

We'll leave you with a question to ponder: What does 'Bright eyed and bushy tailed' actually mean and to what type of Australian animal does it refer?

The Learning Connection Team

@ Mawson Lakes

The mountaineer on conquering fear

Patrick and Kim both share a sense of trepidation when it comes to universities.

He (the university lectuer) and she (the mature age student) have much in common.

The difference is, Professor Patrick James (mountaineer, environmentalist, geologist and Head of School) is able to manage his fear (and that of others') from the vantage point of veteran - having taught as a university for over 30 years.

Patrick made the transition from geologist to university lecturer with three infants in toe - then 2, 3 and 4 years of age.

Now, like Patrick, Kim is embarking on her career as a university student with three young children 7, 6 and 2.

If one of Patrick's many passions is teaching, Kim's burgeoning passion is teaching and maths, after having worked at her children's school. Now Kim - like the other 40 or so participants of the Early Preparation Workshop at Mawson Lakes - is returning to study as a mature aged student to follow her dreams.

This is no mean feat (as any mature aged student will atest) and Kim decided to come along to UniSA Mawson Lakes' early Preparation workshop to help quell her 'fears'.

Although Kim has studied as an external student on and off for a few years, she came to the Early Preparation Workshop because she felt 'scared' and 'wanted to know what this 'university' thing is like'.

However, while anxiety is commonly experienced among returning students, Patrick is quick to dispel the need for fear, pointing out that students returning to study after a long break are highly motivated to succeed and should therefore have faith in their abilities.

But Patrick is quick to point out that 'fear' is not just the province of the new student and he questions who is the more nervous - the student or the lecturer?

He reflects on his own experience when he was first thrust in front of 50 students and told to go 'teach them'. 'Those days', said Patrick, 'I used to get so nervous that I couldn't eat breakfast in the mornings'. This was compounded by the pressure of having to continously present as 'the expert' and to be 'lecturer, actor, researcher and write the script'.

Patrick's best advice to new students is to not to underestimate their abilities.

Now that Kim has completed two days of the Early Preparation workshop, she can sagely offer her singlemost best piece of advice.

'There IS help if you are willing to ask for it. The internet (amongst other things) at University is baffling, but you CAN talk to people'.

Andrea Duff

Learning Adviser

Returning to study

Congratulations on joining the UniSA community - especially to those doing an Early Preparation program at Mawson Lakes this week.

Clearly you’re determined to make a good start to the academic year and your new program.

Possibly you’ve already made big changes in your life just to be here. Some of our past students attending early preparation workshops have told us:

• they never expected to be a uni student
• they’re hoping to change career
• they left school before finishing Year 12
• they have full lives without adding study on
• they’re excited but also a bit concerned that they might be biting off more than they can chew..

And it’s only a fortnight until orientation and then the start of regular classes!

Staff in Learning Connection are keen to work with you, your program staff and the UniSA community to make your experience here satisfying and successful.

Keep checking out our blog and we’ll provide regular access to terrific information and resources.

Here are a couple of postings or resources you might find useful:

Mature Aged Musings from Louise

Student lifestyle - creating a balance

Moving on to Uni (for rural and interstate students)

Best of luck

The Learning Connection Mawson Lakes Team