O’Week changes depending what year you’re in…

Uni’s all over Australia are about to kick off their O’Week’s, and if you’re just starting uni, now would be a good time to pencil it in to your calendar. O’Week is about starting the year with a bang, by introducing you to clubs and societies, meeting new people and completely immersing yourself in campus-culture. Depending on what year you’re in, your opinion about O’Week will change, and you’ll notice it.

Yes, that’s you. You are the puppy. You’re a fresh-faced school-leaver with a clean slate, so O’Week is the place to be if you plan on jumping in with both feet – which you should. You and the rest of the newbies will run around campus eating free food and collecting bags of freebie pens that you definitely won’t use, but hey, free stuff. You’ll also join a bunch of clubs and then unsubscribe a few weeks later when the novelty starts to wear off, but you’ll stick with one or two and get involved with them. This is a good thing! O’Week for 1st-years is about throwing yourself into the thick of things and finding out what you enjoy. Go forth, young padawan.

By the time you hit your second year of uni, you’ve had enough time to realise how precious food is, and how difficult it is to manage your money if you’re doing it for the first time. O’Week is a 2nd-years freebie heaven – free food, stationery, lollies, coupons, discounts, giveaways, raffles – if it’s a tangible object and it’s less than full price, you’re probably about to swoop on it. There’s no shame in it, take advantage of every student discount and free packet of noodles available to you – student budgets are real, so take a big bag with you and reap the benefits of societies trying to recruit you through handing out Mi Goreng. That’s dinner sorted&nbsp;

You’ve been here for three years now, and you’re aware of what happens at O’Week – the question is, can you be bothered checking it out? I mean, you’ve got work in a few hours, and uni starts next week so you want to make as much extra money as you can before you have to cut down your work shifts for classes. Your friends are keen to check it out, but you know it will be the same as the last time you went and you’ll walk away with a free pen and a uni-bar coupon that you’ll forget to use because it only lasts for one week. Eventually you’ll pick a day to look at the stalls, get a free chocolate milk and go home. You’ve done this all before.

Group chat: Wanna go check out&nbsp;campus?

By now, a school-leaver looks like a toddler with a smartphone. You forgot it was O’Week and showed up to campus to buy your textbooks, only to realise you’re well into your early-twenties and first-years are&nbsp;ev-ery-where. Luckily, you know your way around campus so weaving through buildings to get to the bookshop is easily done and you won’t get side-tracked. You might check a few things out if it suits you, but you’re not focused on it. You know what clubs you enjoy being a part of, so the novelty of trying new things has worn off. You’ll probably head home and get a head-start on your readings.

Everyone is different, and O’week is for everyone, no matter what year you are in. Your priorities just shift over time, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But still, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of free ramen either, if you can get it&nbsp;

Uni’s all over Australia are about to kick off their O’Week’s, and if you’re just starting uni, now would be a good time to pencil it in to your calendar. Depending on what year you’re in, your opinion about O’Week will change, and you’ll notice it.

O'Week: How It Changes When You're Not A Newbie

Starting university is an exciting, overwhelming and unique experience for everyone. From meeting new people to living in new places and a completely different learning experience—there’s so much on the table.&nbsp;

One area that should be given attention, is your approach to finances. For many, university is the stepping stone towards becoming a proper adult. You have more responsibilities and are more accountable for taking care of yourself. So, here we have some useful, insightful tips on budgeting and managing your finances as a university student.&nbsp;

The first step is knowing what you want to do. Do you have a savings goal? Do you just want to ensure you’re not spending more than you have? Set yourself realistic and achievable financial goals and then go about planning how to meet them.&nbsp;

Spreadsheets are a great way to create a visual picture of your cash flow. Record your monthly earnings and overall balance. Set monthly, weekly or even daily budgets. Give yourself some rules to follow and start listing ways you can fulfil those rules.&nbsp;

Tip 2 | Take Advantage of Your Student Card&nbsp;

Having a university student card brings many great benefits. Places at your university as well as franchises and stores outside, offer a range of discounts and savings for university students. It can be something as simple as a 10% discount on coffee or savings on textbooks and other study material.&nbsp;

Any small amount you can save, will definitely go a long way. Don’t be afraid to check which places offer student discounts and do research into what type of savings you are eligible for with your student cards.&nbsp;

Tip 3 | Keep Track &amp; Analyse Your Spending&nbsp;

It is also important for you to be aware of where and how you’re spending your money. Create a little expenditure section in your spreadsheet to keep track of spending.&nbsp;

This is great for visual accountability, but it also gives you the chance to analyse your spending and make improvements for the future. If you notice you are spending a bit too much on eating out, you might need to make more effort with taking packed lunches to University. If you notice that you’re needing more university supplies than you expected, you can move your budget around to increase spending in that area.&nbsp;

This is a great method to help you understand your spending habits and give you insights into how you can better manage your day-to-day finances.&nbsp;

Tip 4 | Plan Your Grocery Shopping &amp; Look Out for Specials&nbsp;

It’s easy to go overboard with the grocery shopping sometimes. To make sure you are not buying more than you need, it is better to create a grocery list before you head to the shops. Whether it’s a physical list to hold as your browse through the aisles, or just a note on your phone that you can cross check before paying at the counter, it’s better to have a plan.&nbsp;

Many grocery stores also have sales and specials on at various points of the year. Follow their social media or subscribe to email alerts, so you know what these specials are. It’s always a good idea to stock up on non-perishables when there’s a sale for significant savings.&nbsp;

Another great way to save money, is to opt for second-hand items instead. From textbooks, to clothes and even furniture, there’s many choices even when going second-hand. Your local op-shops are a great place to check out for clothes, books and homeware items. Websites like gumtree and giveaway Facebook groups, are great for second-hand furniture. Plus, there’s always garage sales and second-hand markets that pop up from time to time.&nbsp;

Buying items from these places can save you anywhere between 20-70% off retail price so it’s definitely worth going a bit off the beaten track.&nbsp;

Start small and work your way from there&nbsp;

Budgeting can seem like a huge task and you can feel slightly out of depth. However, the key takeaway is that you should start somewhere and be diligent about maintaining thrifty habits. Even if it’s just limiting your weekly spend or committing to takeaway food only on the weekends. Any start is a good start. And before you know it, you’ll become a budgeting whizz.&nbsp;

Starting university is an exciting, overwhelming and unique experience for everyone. Here are have some useful tips on  managing your finances as a university student. 

Tips for Budgeting Finances as A University Student

We are so fortunate to be living in the era of technology. Knowledge, information and the ability to observe many different perspectives are available right at our fingertips. As students, now is the best time to immerse yourself into a range of different realities and use this opportunity to learn more about the world around you.

Numerous movies across all languages and cultures allows you to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and teach you to empathise with those you might not have met yet. Here are some fascinating movies to broaden your perspective.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind | English

This science fiction romantic drama film explores themes of love and loss, as well as the fleetingness and resilience of our memories. The film centres around a couple who went through a painful breakup and have decided to erase all memories of each other. It explores the depths of the human experience of love and emotions. Why do we try so hard to forget pain and hurt? Is it worth getting rid of all your memories of a person—even the happiest ones? If you do have a spotless mind (no memories of the times your heart hurt, or your fists clenched, or moments where all there was to do was cry), do you get eternal sunshine (happiness always)?

If you’re in the mood to explore the joys of romance and the sorrow of break-ups, this is a great watch!

This movie won four awards at the 2020 Oscars, including the esteemed Best Picture Award. Well-written, well-shot and with fantastic acting—this movie explores class discrimination and greed in Korea. The film centres around the destitute Kim family as they try to worm their way into well-paying jobs from the wealthy Park family. This movie portrays class struggles in an eye-opening way, really showing how money affects people’s thoughts, behaviours and actions. It’s a great perspective into how capitalism functions and how it hurts those at the bottom of the hierarchy.

This movie takes you on a roller coaster of emotions, from laughter and tears to anger, heartbreak and fear. The entire spectrum of human emotions neatly wrapped up in 2 hours and 12 minutes.

Her, is a science fiction romance film that explores humanity’s ever-growing attachment to machines and things. The plot follows a sensitive man that is going through heartbreak and loneliness after his marriage ends. During this time, he becomes fascinated with a new operating system that develops a unique and intuitive identity—think an extension of the Siri and Alexa programs we have today. He eventually starts developing feelings for this artificial intelligence (AI). This film does a great job at navigating our deeper reliance on technology, especially AI. When we talk and converse with technology, how does it affect our relationship with this inanimate object? Can we still get attached to something that isn’t human, but talks, responds and makes you feel like you are interacting with one? Is this a potential reality given the rapid development of AI and other human-like technology on the horizon?

A beautiful movie with a lovely score to match, this film will have you rethinking your relationships with your smartphones and other smart devices.

Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth) | Hindi

This beautiful, feel-good movie explores the importance of having good educators and the struggles of having different learning abilities. The movie follows a young boy, Ishaan, who has dyslexia and is constantly being put down for not being able to do things ‘normally’ at home and at his boarding school. A newly transferred art teacher, Ram Shankar, notices his struggles and starts helping him discover his potential despite his differences. This emotional drama shows you how our societal structures can be so ingrained that we forget to make room for those that are different. Something simple for some can be a monumental and difficult task for others.

Laugh, smile and cry as you watch Ishaan break barriers and help those around him learn to understand and embrace him for who he is.

A never-ending supply of exciting experiences

These are merely some of the thousands of movies created by the artists and creatives of our world to help inspire and teach. We love hosting movie nights at <a href="http://groupclv.com/">all our village campuses</a>! So, if you have a particular movie that you’ve been wanting to watch, why not make it an event and get some friends to join in so you can learn, grow and laugh together.

Movies are more than just entertainment. You can learn so much and get a broader perspective of our world and the many different experiences we have in it.

Learning Through Entertainment: Movies to Broaden Your Perspective | Campus Living Villages

Learning Through Entertainment: Movies To Broaden Your Perspective

Everything you need to know about studying, campus life, CLV News, student culture and more.

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O'Week: How It Changes When You're Not A Newbie

Tips for Budgeting Finances as A University Student

Learning Through Entertainment: Movies To Broaden Your Perspective

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