Transition support at Melbourne
Transition and Orientation Programs was developed to assist first-year students to adjust to life at university and contributes to the enhancement of the academic and life skills development of students through targeted programs in association with faculties and service units.
We also aim to:
- Increase students' satisfaction with the first year experience of their Faculty and of The University of Melbourne.
- Increase the awareness and understanding of transition issues in the University community, the larger Australian and international contexts.
- Maintain and enhance relationships with the school sector to facilitate a more effective transition to university.
With so much focus on 'becoming independent' at university, many students (and their schools and families) sometimes assume that this means students are on their own. In fact, academic and services staff are available to support students with all aspects of their lives: the difference is that students must now be more proactive to identify their need for help and then seek it out.
Every course at the University of Melbourne has programs to assist transition into first-year undergraduate study, including mentor schemes, study groups, first-year learning centres etc. For an outline of these, see Transition in Courses. Most transition programs begin with introductions during Orientation.
The University of Melbourne and the Student Union have a full range of student services to support academic and personal transition, and staff from the services often work closely with teaching and faculty staff to ensure integration of transition support. Many of these even provide information and resources for prospective students. For example, Housing and the Disability Liaison Unit encourage future students to contact them for advice about early preparation for these aspects of university.
A note about accessing services as a prospective student: While some services, such as Admissions are designed for prospective students, the work of most services is concerned first with currently enrolled students. The best way to access these services is via their websites or publications, or by speaking with them at events such as Open Day or other events for future students.