Welcome Festival orientation
All international students new to La Trobe University are invited to attend a five day International Student Welcome Festival Orientation.
What is the International Welcome Festival Orientation?
Success in your studies can depend on your adjustment to study at La Trobe University and to living in Melbourne, Bendigo or Albury-Wodonga. The International Welcome Festival Orientation is designed to assist you in the first days and weeks by providing a range of important information sessions for new international students as well as opportunities to meet many other Australian and international students and make new friends. The week includes many activities, and several essential sessions designed to make your adjustment to Australia, university life, and your study at La Trobe University as successful as possible. We encourage you to take advantage of all the orientation has to offer, by planning your arrival to be at least in time for the International Welcome Festival Orientation, and some days earlier if you also need to search for accommodation.
Information regarding subject selection and enrolment is provided during the International Welcome Festival Orientation. This includes a faculty or school-based information session as well as discussions with course advisors. Other sessions include information relating to accommodation, Australian culture, part-time work, travel, how to find your way around campus, safety, and your rights and responsibilities as an international student in Australia - so don't miss out!
Melbourne
All commencing international students are required to attend the Orientation programs. The schedule for Semester 2, 2012 is as follows:
- International Enrolment and Welcome Festival: Tuesday 10 July until Saturday, 14 July 2012.
- General Orientation: Friday, 20 July 2012. To find out more about Orientation, please check the Orientation website.
Pre-departure briefings
All commencing La Trobe international students and their families are invited to participate in a live one-hour pre-departure webinar, to help them prepare for study and life in Australia. During the briefing you will be able to ask questions and receive immediate answers from our International Student Services staff. You can access the webinar from the convenience of your own computer at home.
Topics covered at the briefings include:
- preparing for departure
- accommodation
- living in Australia
- arrival and settling in.
When: Tuesday, 5 June (11am – 12pm AEST) and Thursday, 7 June (5pm – 6pm AEST).
An invitation and further information will be sent to you via email in May 2012.
Transition at La Trobe
This program will open from 1 June 2012. You will be invited to join the group via email. Search: “Transition @ La Trobe” (Facebook and reneren).
For more information, email studentsupport@latrobe.edu.au.
Bendigo
The Semester 2, 2012 Welcome Festival will be held on 20 July. The International Welcome Festival and general (all students) Orientation are integrated on this campus. International students should attend all appropriate sessions within the general Orientation program, and in particular, the special day for international students – Friday 20 July, 2012. To easily find your way around the campus, check out the Bendigo campus map (PDF 508KB). For more information about the program, check out the Bendigo Welcome Festival Program (PDF 144KB).
Albury-Wodonga
For students attending the Albury-Wodonga campus, the Semester 1, 2012 Orientation Program will be held from Tuesday 21 February to Friday 24 February. This program is for international and local students combined.
Please see the General Orientation website.
Students' feedback
'The Welcome Festival at the beginning of the semester helped me make friends from the first days I was here and the sessions they ran also helped me feel comfortable in my new surroundings pretty quickly.'
Alex Baker, South Africa
Bachelor of Biomedical Science
'The international community is absolutely fantastic at La Trobe! The Welcome Festival at the beginning of the semester is just the best idea in practice by La Trobe University; I definitelymade friends for life thanks to the different events I attended during that week.'
Guillaume Feraud, France
Master of International Relations