Courtney from New Zealand, Studying Film & Television
When you’re part of the community, everyone treats you the same. It’s also really fun having everyone doing lots of different subjects, different studies, going to different schools, because you get to find out what everyone’s up to.
Courtney from New Zealand, Studying Film & Television
Courtney's Experience:
Hi I’m Courtney, I’m 20 and I moved to New College two years ago from New Zealand.
New College was recommended to me through my university, so I came over to Sydney and I had a tour and an interview here. The Dean was extremely welcoming straight away, so I didn’t really bother looking for anywhere else because I knew that this would be a great place to live.
So, for someone that had moved countries and knew no-one, and known for getting home-sick, it was super important for me that I felt welcomed and comfortable in the environment I was moving into– and that is exactly what I got.
O’Week has been my favourite week in both my first and second year. It’s just filled with so many fun activities, non-stop. I loved it! I made so many friends in O’Week. The people I had met on the third day felt like I had known them for 3 months.
The rooms at the college include a bed, a cupboard and a desk. They’re very bare but the great thing about that is you get to decorate however you want. I did many trips to Kmart and Ikea, which was so much fun. And the other thing about the rooms is that you’ve got a room to yourself, which is really lovely to have your own space, because there’s always something going on in college.
The Resident Advisers in College play a huge part in making everyone feel comfortable and cared for, which is really nice. My RA in my fresher year was my touchstone. I went to her for everything. I’m lucky enough to be part of the RA team this year, which is really lovely being able to give back to the community and help care for everyone.
Sports is a huge part of college. There are so many different sports and the great thing about it is that you don’t have to have ever played it before. Everyone’s going to support you, especially if you’ve never played it before. Even just going down to support sports is great...
When you’re part of the community, everyone treats you the same. It’s also really fun having everyone doing lots of different subjects, different studies, going to different schools, because you get to find out what everyone’s up to.
Before I came here I was very shy, very introverted and had a very small group of friends back home and now I’m an RA caring for an entire community. It’s a huge growth for me. And I know the leadership skills I’ve learnt is something I’m going to be able to take into the future…