Amber Colbourne

Fourth year, Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Laws
Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus

To point out the obvious, for all new students, university can be a little daunting at first and this new-found lifestyle may take a little bit to get used to. There are no longer any hand-outs, or teachers telling you what to do – you’re on your own now, and it’s time to stand on your own two feet! I remember being in your exact position four years ago, it was scary, and I really had no idea where I was going to start.
 
My passion, evidently, is law. Thus, first off the block, I decided to get involved with the Law School as much as I possibly could. In my first year I became my year level’s Law Student Society’s representative. This gave me an opportunity to get to know my fellow class mates a lot better as I was responsible for liaising with them and informing them of what the year had install for us.

Another significant benefit of being on the Law Society in my first year was that it gave me a chance to ‘mingle’ with students in more senior years and being able to ask them when I needed some guidance. Now in my fourth year, I am proud to say that I am still very heavily involved with the Law Society and Law School – I am now the president of the Law Society and I may be the one providing you with some guidance!

First year flew by in just a blink of an eye; afterwards I was loving uni life. I had met some amazing people, had formed a lovely friendship group, and to be honest, had a laugh to myself at the fact that I was ever worried about starting uni. I was now able to comfortably find my way around the Campus without getting lost, and came to the realisation that I was so relaxed at uni that I felt I should assist in making future first year students just as comfortable as I was.

A program was advertised on the Deakin website asking students to become involved with the Host Program. This program gives first-year students a chance to meet other new students in their course, ask questions about the uni and have a tour of the Campus before they begin classes. I felt that this was an ideal way for me to share my experiences, knowledge and the challenges I faced in my first year with other students.

I have continued to be involved with this program for the past three years now, which has also lead to me being involved in assisting at Open Days, running tours around Campus  and generally being an ambassador for the university in trying to help new students feel less nervous as they commence this new chapter in their lives.

In concluding, I would like to leave you with some advice – embrace each day that comes, as your degree is only what you make it. Maintain a healthy and structured study routine. Stay on top of all your readings, regardless of how hard and strenuous they may seem, come exam time you will claim the rewards! Trust me! Most importantly, be bold, be brave and enjoy each and every moment of your new life here at Deakin.