October 27, 2021

Message to students - 27 October, 2021

Dear Students , as we enter the final week of teaching for our spring session, before a busy period of exams and assessments, the weather report is looking ideal for getting out and about! I know your study is a high priority, but balance is also very important. And nothing beats fresh air to reset after a long study session.  

Community events and venues are coming back, slowly but surely 

The arts, community and cultural event scene were hit hard by lockdown, so please support them as best you can over the coming months, as they make their long-awaited return. The Illawarra Mercury’s What’s On (or your local equivalent) is a great resource for keeping up with the latest.  

I was very happy to see the news this week that the Yours & Owls music festival is back for 2022, which I’m sure will be exciting for many of you! It’s great to see local events and venues returning after mainly being on hold for the last 18 months. I know the team at the UniBar have a lot of great entertainment currently in the works. Watch this space! 

Still a little apprehensive? You’re not alone.  

I know many of you will be feeling mixed emotions as we emerge out of lockdown. Friendships might have faded, social anxieties might feel stronger than ever, and genuine concern may still linger about the ongoing fight against COVID-19. To those of you feeling like this, know that you are not alone. We’ve all had these experiences to a varying degree. I encourage you to reach out to the friends you haven’t connected with during the lockdown, find out what’s happening on campus with UniActive or UOW Pulse and invite friends along to something fun. Slowly but surely, we will adapt to this next phase, and life will start to feel fuller again. If you need any help talking through this adjustment period or for other reasons, please seek it here.  

Exam and assignment prep 

As we approach the end of the semester, so too do we approach exams and final assessments. Here’s another helpful . This feels like particularly insightful information that I could have utilised during my time as a student. 

Climate change – students taking action! 

Our best wishes go to the UOW students travelling to Glasgow for the upcoming 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), where world leaders and climate activists will come together to discuss and agree on urgent climate action. Please take the time to read the story of inspirational UOW student Moemoana Schwenke, one of the student delegates currently flying the flag in Glasgow for the Pacific Islands and her country of Samoa. We are incredibly proud of Moemoana and all of our UOW students. 
 

Enjoy the rest of your week, and I look forward to the time in the not-too-distant future when we’re all back on campus together! 
 
Trish