Welcome to New Students' Orientation
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.
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, and the Hub is a good place to start—on Level 2 you'll find a Get Sorted hub and the Student Ambassadors info table.
Plan your week
Look at the timetable and decide what sessions to go to. 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.
Services and support sessions
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, Student Learning, and Manawa Ora—Student Wellbeing. You can also use the find a service tool to explore the support that is available to you.
Study skills and learning technology
Make sure you go to a session that covers Nuku, our digital learning environment. Nuku is where you'll find all the information you need for your courses, including recorded lectures, assignments, and schedules. 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
We run sessions during New Students' Orientation week for many different student communities, including Rainbow, refugee-background, postgraduate, Māori, Pasifika, and international students.
Tours
We run tours of our campuses, libraries, and Recreation Centre during each New Students' Orientation week.
Get Sorted hub
Not sure where to start? Come along to our Get Sorted hub at Kelburn campus—located at The Hub, Level 2.
Student services, including Digital Solutions (for IT support), Justices of the Peace (for document verification), members of our Careers and Employment team, and advisers from Student Learning, Student Finance, and StudyLink will be there to help you get settled in and answer all your questions.
Student Ambassadors
Student Ambassadors are current students who are on hand to help you transition into university life. You'll find them at Get Sorted hubs from 9 am to 4 pm each day during Orientation. They can help you decide which sessions to attend, supply you with a campus map, and answer your questions.
