On Saturday 26 October, Swinburne Online held our very first networking event for online students at the Swinburne Hawthorn campus. Students came from all over Australia to hear informative presentations from notable alumni, participate in discipline-specific group sessions and connect with Swinburne staff and fellow students.
During the free event, students who had only ever interacted online were able to meet in person and build relationships with those in their course. As they spotted others with the same-coloured discipline name tags, students were able to share and compare their experiences of online study.
I’ve met heaps of people today. I’ve been chatting all over the place, so it’s been fantastic.
– Christine, Business student
After collecting their complementary Swinburne gift bags and having a chat over a coffee, students moved into a lecture hall to hear from notable Swinburne Online alumni, including professional soccer player, Steph Catley; Chief Product Officer at SEEK, Nicole Brolan; and founder and Creative Director of Astara Creative, Lütfiye Tahseen.
It was so helpful. In particular, Lütfiye, I thought she was amazing, very inspirational.
– Sophia, Media and Communications student
After the alumni panel, students were divided up into their discipline groups to hear from experts and professionals working in their field of study.
That was more specific to my course, so more questions around what we’ll do after we graduate and career options and stuff like that. It was good to be able to hear from some industry professionals that are already working in the field.
– Damian, Social Science student
Lunch offered students the opportunity to refuel and continue to network, before heading back into the lecture hall for the final presenter of the day, keynote speaker Emma Murray. As a mindfulness coach, Emma spoke to students about her experience working with elite Australian athletes, and how mindfulness techniques can be used to improve personal performance in everyday life.
This was a particularly special moment for Psychology student, Cynthia, who had driven 600 km to attend the event.
It was just overwhelming; I nearly cried! She was so inspirational.
– Cynthia, Psychology student
As the formal part of the event wrapped up, students were invited to have a glass of wine and enjoy some live music in the foyer as they exchanged details with new friends and reflected on the day.
We would like to thank all of the presenters and attendees for making this such a successful and enjoyable event. We hope to host similar events in the future, so stay tuned for more networking opportunities. In the meantime, keep an eye on our blog for upcoming events and webinars for more current and prospective student sessions and functions.
