Simran Jain revisits her Orientation experience, albeit as a Student Ambassador. She shares her reflections on how the university experience has changed in an online environment.
A year on, I am returning to Orientation week, this time as an Ambassador. Then, I was excited to meet my peers at Orientation. This time round, I am just as, if not more excited, to meet the new cohort of commencing students as I don’t feel shy about saying hi anymore.
A shift from in-person Orientation to virtual orientation might sound weird at first, but believe me, the University of Melbourne left no stone unturned in making sure the student experience was phenomenal for our commencing students.
At this semester’s 2021 Melbourne Business School (MBS) Orientation, I got to welcome our new students to the MBS community through social activities including Simon Says, Scavenger Hunt and Make a Shape, to name a few. It was a perfect opportunity to meet peers and make friends in an online forum.
It was a great experience talking to new people from different parts of the world and sharing my online experience as an MBS student. I caught a glimpse of the challenges and opportunities open to the new student joining a global community, regardless of where you were physically based.
A significant role of being an MBS Student Ambassador is helping new students feel welcome. I spoke to the positive student experience I maintained, and ways in which I continued to develop myself - even in an online setting - through the wide range of extra-curricular programs offered by the Student Experience and Experiential Learning (SEEL) team.
Reflecting on this semester's orientation experience delivered in a vastly different setting, I have come to understand that while times are changing, learning is constant, and that should be a motivator for any MBS student.
My advice to students, new or current, is to make the most of the opportunities the University has on offer to support you to feel welcome, adapt to the changing times and grow as a professional, online or offline.
- Simran Jain, Master of Management (Marketing)