Student Affairs

University Student Clubs

2009-09-17T03:06:53Z

Student Clubs are a great way for students with common interests to meet. For those who are far from home, this can make the difference between success and failure. It’s hard to study when you feel alienated. Here is a brief overview of the types of clubs you may encounter on an Australian college campus.

International Student Societies

Sometimes people of minority ethnicity or national origin feel out of place on a college campus. For instance, there are student associations for those from almost all countries, as well as ethnic groups. Often they accept people from outside their group who are interested in their cultures, giving the students a lifeline to other groups as well.

Career Clubs

Are you looking at a profession in accounting? Many colleges offer accounting and commerce societies, which give the student a chance to mingle with like-minded professionals as well as present guidance in the profession from local sponsors of the organization. Almost every profession has a corresponding occupational club.

Sports Clubs

If you like a certain sport but are not good enough--or don’t have time--for a sanctioned college team, try a sports club. Australia is home to many great sports, especially water sports, so you are bound to find something that appeals to you. A sports club is a great way to stay fit and healthy during your college years.

Social Clubs

You may already have a lot of activities and just want to join a club where everyone enjoys the company of the others. A spirit club is a great way to meet new people and have built-in groups with which you can attend sporting events. Other social clubs might revolve around community service, tutoring, or orientation of new students. Whatever social interest you might have, you will probably find a club to match it.

Helpful Student Tutoring Guide

2008-11-12T05:08:15Z

Student Tutoring can be extremely beneficial when having difficulty with learning a subject or you might just want an extra boost to set you apart from the rest of your classmates. Below is information for private student tutoring.

1) One of Australia’s biggest and well known private tutor companies is tutoringforexcellence.com.au They Provide a range of different tutoring services are located in:
•   Brisbane
•   Melbourne
•   Sydney
•   Wollongong
•   Canberra
Tutoring for excellence covers a range of subjects such as the following:
•   Math
•   Reading
•   History
•   Physics
•   Chemistry
•   English

They also offer different types of test preparation such as the following:
•   Ambulance Officer test
•   Scholarship Preparation
•   Nursing Entrance Exam
•   Tertiary Admissions test

2) University Tutoring – Most Universities will have their own tutoring departments or services. Students should take full advantage of tutoring services offered from their university. A lot of the tutors might have taken the same subject that you are requesting help in. Graduate students or upperclassman are common tutors within University tutoring and often charge less money then you would pay for getting outside private tutoring from a private company.
Some Universities offer free tutoring services for certain subjects. For example their might be a free tutoring session two times a week within the Math department where students can walk in and ask questions relating to their subject. These free tutoring sessions are usually taught by teacher assistants and are worth the investment to work closely one on one or in a small group to increase your knowledge or answer questions your might have concerning your subject.

3) Self Advertised Tutors- look on bulletin boards for flyers that might be advertising tutoring services from self advertised tutors. These can be undergraduate, graduate, professionals who are trying to make extra money by tutoring students. Most of the time these tutors have taking the subject or fill confident that they understand and can teach the subject to other students.

Thing to look out for when looking for potential tutors:
•   Make sure they are creditable
•   Cost effective and is within your budget
•   What is your goal for getting extra help
•   Has your potential tutor taken this subject
•   How long have they been tutoring for
•   Try and avoid upfront cost
•   Cost per hour or by session

Know that you have a good understanding of private tutoring services you can accomplish your objective whether it’s increasing your grades, getting into an institution, obtaining a scholarship, learning a language, or just saving time.

Class canceled while South Australian teachers are striking

2008-09-23T12:09:59Z

South Australian teachers, who are part of the Australian Education Union (AEU), went on strike and classes were canceled for tone week! They demanded that they see progress from the government to make changes in a pay and conditions dispute.

Teachers protested in front of the Adelaide office of Education Minister Jance Lomax-Smith. 93 schools were closed and another 21 operated on a modified adjustment program due to the teachers strike.

The teachers were fighting for a 21 percent pay raise over the next three years plus extra funds to cut class sizes and to attract higher quality staff members.

AEU state president Correna Haythorpe noted that they have removed the contentious funding issue from negotiations, allowing the negotiations to be cut down and focused at the most important thing which is the pay and conditions dispute.

The Australian government had offered 10 percent over the next three years and noted that 20 percent was unrealistic and unaffordable.