Plan your Orientation week
Orientation week is your welcome to the University, an introduction to how key systems and services work, and an opportunity to make friends and have fun.
What to do
During Orientation week, get started with campus tours, find out how to use our online learning platform Nuku, and get some advice on managing your finances. To set yourself up for a great year of study, head along to the UNI101 events and the degree information sessions. Brush up on your academic and study skills at sessions run by our Te Taiako—Student Learning team.
Orientation week is also a great opportunity to get involved in your student community, meet new people, and have some fun. Throughout the week, our friendly student ambassadors will be on hand to show you around, share handy tips and tricks, and answer any questions you may have.
What to expect
At the beginning of each trimester we run a programme of events to help all of our new students get off to a good start. There'll be sessions for you if you've recently left school or are starting university studies as a mature student, and if you're enrolled in your first degree or are starting a postgraduate qualification. New Students' Orientation is also where you will be formally welcomed to the Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington community.
Where to go
Most of the Orientation sessions for first-year students take place on our Kelburn campus. The Hub is a good place to start—on Level 2 (the mezzanine floor) you'll find a Get Sorted hub and the student ambassadors info table.
Plan your week
We'll publish the timetable for the next New Students' Orientation week about a month before it starts. We recommend that you plan which sessions to go to before you arrive on campus. If there are two sessions that are on at the same time, look to see if one of the sessions is offered at a second time or on a different day.
Sessions to look out for:
- Degree information—join other students studying the same degree for session led by lecturers from the relevant faculty. They'll cover what you need to know when starting your degree, provide important information, and you'll be able to ask any questions that you may still have.
- Services and support—come along to these sessions to find out about the many University services that can help you during your studies. These services include Mauri Ora—Student Health and Counselling, Student Finance, Careers and Employment, and Student Learning. You can also find out about the support that is available to you on our website.
- Study skills and learning technology—throughout the week our Student Learning team will be running sessions about what to expect when studying at university. They'll cover how to analyse assignment questions, manage your time, and plan and write essays.
- Student communities—join one of the University's many supportive student communities, including Rainbow, refugee-background, postgraduate, Māori, Pasifika, and international students. WGTN Locals is a community for students who aren't living in a Hall of Residence.
- Tours—take a guided tour of our campuses, libraries, and Recreation Centre to help you get your bearings.
Get Sorted hubs
Not sure where to start? Come along to one of the Get Sorted hubs, where you'll find teams including Digital Solutions (for IT support), Justices of the Peace (for document verification), members of our Careers and Employment team, and advisers from StudyLink.
During New Students' Orientation, you'll find the a Get Sorted hub on Level 2 of the Hub on our Kelburn campus.
Student ambassadors
Student ambassadors are current students who are on hand to help you make a smooth transition into university life. You'll find them at Get Sorted hubs during Orientation. They can help you decide which sessions to attend, supply you with a campus map, and answer your questions.
