O-Week: A week to remember.

So it’s here, the return of Semester – and what a way to kick it off! O-Week, as always, saw the university come alive with energy and excitement. Thousands of students came on campus to experience university life (many for the first time). With information sessions, live music, movie nights, party nights and Phoenix Carnival, this was a jam-packed week for our students.

The week kicked off at Alison Dickson Lecture Theatre with the VC, Mrs Jan Thomas, giving an inspiring welcome speech. Students then broke into faculty sessions and had the opportunity to attend workshops such as time management, university services, library tours and many more. And of course, where would O-Week be without some live music, Red Froggers and Free Stuff?

Throughout the week students could take part in Bush Dances, a movie night, an under 18’s Café Crawl and of course – a themed Party Night at The Spotted Cow. The week ended with the first annual Phoenix Carnival – which included live music, market, food stalls and lots of games and activities.
However, I wasn’t sure if words could really re-create the vibe of this week, so I have created a video which showcases the O-Week Journey for our students and staff. Enjoy!

- Amanda

You Can Pass gO Week

It’s that time of year again. The holiday hangover is about to kick in and the stress of exams and assignments will begin. So, why not taken a whole week to settle into uni life, either for the first time or possibly the last? O Week, or as us Concannonites are calling it this year, gO Week, is all about easing back into study and settling into uni life in style. So this year, we have organised the week around a monopoly theme.

At Concannon we devised a set of challenges and points system for the freshers (first years) to complete by the end of the week. The challenge of picking a flower for one of the returnees is proving a little more difficult for some. The challenges and riddles given to the freshers is just an easier and more fun way of getting to know everyone and easing them into the college atmosphere. There is also a special incentive. With an overall prize including an exercise ball, gift voucher and a few extra goodies, the competition is getting heated. 

gO Week is jam-packed with uni events, including Market Day (better known as Freebie Day) and the upcoming Phoenix Carnival, as well as college events such as inter-college Toga Trivia and an Olympiad, just to name a few. In saying that, the planning of college O-Week events is not an easy task, I can tell you first hand.

As part of Concannon’s Residential Student Club (RSC) this year, I get to see the hard work and patience it takes to organise all the inter-college events or even just a movie night on college. So please, think of the hours put in to make all this possible for YOU and enjoy the week!

This week will be a week of ‘firsts’ for many. Not only will it be the first week of uni life and possibly college life, but this week friendships will be made and careers kick-started. For some it may even be the first (and maybe last) time that they will ever do the Chicken Dance while riding a mechanical bull. Yes, that happened. 

Pre-semester-lack-of-motivation-for-study-itis

Welcome!! 

Well, this is the first ever USQ blog…being written by the first ever USQ blogger. It also happens to be the first ever blog this blogger has ever written! My name is Amanda Smythe, and I am a student at USQ Toowoomba. I am a first year business student…. and a part-time waitress…and also, now, a blogger (my resume is looking good).

A new semester is dawning and it’s time to start buying new textbooks, collecting miscellaneous pens and waking up before 11am again – all things which had been lost and forgotten since the end of Semester 1. Coming up with the enthusiasm to do such tasks, however, is pretty hard. I have found my only bit of hope in the realisation that my textbooks stacked together would be an excellent footrest (and/or small table for resting drinks) and therefore will get me through another four courses of study this coming semester in comfort. I think I am not alone in experiencing pre-semester-lack-of-motivation-for-study-itis. In fact, I think it may be a common symptom of the holidays. I have pondered on this new concept, and decided that there is surely a cure for the terrible disease which seems to have infected students across the nation.

CURE = ISOLATION, QUARANTINE AND CHOCOLATE.

After testing aforementioned cure, I have concluded that the suggested regime to cure pre-semester-lack-of-motivation-for-study-itis does definitely not efficiently cure the disease. However, further testing may be required.

After failing to gain motivation during the quarantine and chocolate-eating process, I turned to other methods. I decided to go on-campus during Orientation Week in order to find some inspiration.

The first thing I saw was this sign. A clear indication from USQ that they are happy to see their students again!!! Yes, this little sign brought bright, yellow sunshine to my day (ps. it also happened to be raining this day). I continued my adventure through the campus buildings, only to find more inspiration….

Ohh how much the sight and smell of coffee in The Hub Café reminded me of studying in the USQ Hub. It has helped me through so many hours of assignments, so many lectures and tutorials, and so many days of not feeling like doing either. Once again, my motivation was rising and I started looking forward to those days again. I ventured into the Hub Café (possibly with the intention of purchasing coffee), and the building was buzzing with Orientation Week excitement!! There was live music (see below picture) and friendly faces at an information booth (see the picture below the below picture) – all bubbling with happiness and bright coloured hair. To me, a student diagnosed with pre-semester-lack-of-motivation-for-study-itis, this was very strange for me. Perhaps it was….USQ fever…

The final stop upon my journey was a group called ‘Community Building’ (see picture below). Until my journey this morning, I never even knew this group existed. However, as the brightly decorated sign caught my attention in the middle of The Hub, I had to find out more. I am so glad I did. This small voluntary group meets with people within the USQ community to make them feel more welcome, especially those with international backgrounds. One member said they aim to engage these fellow USQ students in “meaningful conversations to build the sense of community”. WOW!! If this group wasn’t enough to motivate me to return to my USQ Community and get stuck into my textbooks…then nothing would!!

So as I write this blog, and count down the days until classes begin, I can safely say that I am ready – and even excited – to begin study again. Have I now caught the ‘USQ fever’??…it’s possible. But most importantly I hope that I have shared with you a little bit of inspiration to cure you from a case of pre-semester-lack-of-motivation-for-study-itis.

Lastly, I would like to thank you for being part of the first blog, by the first blogger, of USQ. I would love for everyone to read, share, like, comment, re-blog, print, re-read, post the link, save the page…whatever you have to do to let everyone know about USQ’s new blog. Most importantly, I would love to hear…what you want to hear. Comment and let us know what you would like our bloggers to talk about!! We are all students, just like you. We are all at USQ, just like you. And together, WE ARE THE USQ COMMUNITY. Help us make it great.