7 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went To Orientation At Monash University

You’re almost in uni and you’ve signed up for your orientation at Monash University. You probably have hundreds of questions. Don’t worry! These are some of the things I wish I knew before I went to my orientation. Follow this advice and you’ll be ready for orientation at Monash University.

1. Nobody has any idea what they’re doing.

Seriously. The other jaffies around you that seem to have hit it off right away? They probably won’t see each other ever again. The student tour guide who is answering all of your questions? Odds are they’re hungover or still drunk, and are freaking out about giving you the wrong information. Nobody really knows what’s happening at uni, but we all get better at pretending that we do.

2. Most of the info you’ll get will be available online.

I’m not saying it’s a good idea to ditch the O-Week activities your faculty has planned, but don’t stress about the avalanche of info coming your way. You can talk to older students about it later, or if you’re really worried, send a question to ask.monash ASAP. They’ll get you in touch with the right people.

3. Referencing isn’t as scary as they make it look, and you’re not going to fail for getting it slightly wrong.

If you follow the guide Monash has here, you’re set. Make sure you check your unit guide for what referencing format to use, but from my own experience, your lecturer and tutor will mention it about a hundred times before your essay is due.

4. Clubs and societies are your friends.

I once got told to sign up to a minimum of three clubs during O-Week. I probably signed up for more than that, but let me be real with you – I went to three events total throughout the whole year.

Having said that, by my third year I’d found that the best way to meet new people, jaffies or otherwise, is by getting involved. Monash has a club for every niche interest out there, so check them out here and try one that takes your fancy.

5. Don’t touch the revolving Menzies doors.

Don’t. Do. It.

6. We mean jaffy as a term of endearment… mostly.

Despite the crude acronym, everybody who looks at you and grins when saying it is just relieved that they’re not in your shoes. In truth, you remind us of ourselves back in the day, so clueless and naïve. Just wear it for now. At the end of the day…

7. You won’t be a jaffy forever.

Your first year is your hardest, perhaps not in academic rigour, but in every other way conceivable. That reality hits us all during O-Week. You have no clue where the buildings are, you have no friends (except for the two people you awkwardly added on Facebook), you’re tired all the time, and you’re wondering why you decided to go to uni in the first place.

But it does get easier. You’ll find your footing, you’ll find your friends and you’ll find your classes (thank God). Nobody’s a master of uni life, but you’ll get good at faking it to the point that you’ll be the one taking next year’s jaffies on a tour.