Top 3 Questions about Opportunities
Your Top 3 Questions about Your Opportunities here in HASS at UQ!
Got questions? We've got answers!
1. Life on Campus
1. How do extracurricular activities improve your uni life and employment prospects?
This is SUCH a good question, and maybe one of the most important you can ask in today’s Uni environment!
More and more evidence shows that it is actually outside of the classroom that successful graduates develop some of their most important skills – soft skills. Increasingly, employers are saying that what they REALLY want in students is well developed soft skills (teamwork, problem solving, people skills, etc).
Therefore, not only is getting involved outside of classroom FUN, but it actually goes a long way toward making you more employable on the other side of your degree.
So what kinds of things really work or make a difference? Passion and Experimentation!
a) Follow your passion! Seek out things you enjoy doing. Finding ‘your tribe’ is one of the most important things you can do at Uni. They will be your on-sight “in the trenches with you” support mechanism for the next 3-4 years of your life – so find them by getting involved.
b) Do things that let you get your hands dirty. What we mean is, things that let you experiment, create, express, try, maybe fail, and try again. Trying to create something (even if you fail) is one of the best experiences you can have because it is an PRACTICAL experience – not a theoretical construct like the majority of what you’ll focus on in class. Student Clubs and Societies, Volunteering on campus or in community, and International Exchange all rank highly in building soft-skill development that helps graduates get an edge on the competition!
Pro Tip: There are heaps of opportunities for this in HASS. Make sure you get to know the Current Students section of the HASS website to see all the cool opportunities in the faculty and by the HASS Student Future team.
2. Where do I find clubs that are on offer?
If UQ where a town it would be the 7th or 8th largest town in Queensland. Given that, you can imagine there is a LOT going on – it’s like a small city waiting for you to discover.
The UQ Union supports over 200 student clubs, a large number of which are affiliated with HASS. You can find almost anything you want and if you can’t find it, you can probably create it! Sometimes the best way to shop around is to do so on Market day – when the great court and beyond will be swarming with all the clubs and activities for you to do on campus. Its’ a sight to behold and a quintessential UQ experience, so be there for O-Week!
Pro Tip: Missed Market Day? No worries! The UQ Union keeps a great Clubs & Societies site live to help you find all the clubs you could dream of!
3. What is the best way to make friends at Uni?
Sounds funny, but it’s on everyone’s mind. Your HS friends are awesome and all, but if they aren’t here living your experience with you, there will always be limits on how much they can walk alongside you on your journey through this stage of your life.
Getting out to O-Week and the first weeks of classes and club meet ups are hands down the best way to meet people.
Pro-Tip: If you missed the early semester opportunities (‘cause life) or find yourself needing people-power mid-semester, check out what other opportunities there are for you to find people in HASS through the digital community on Instagram or facebook.
2. Exchange
1. What tips do you have if I am interested in going on exchange?
- Get started early! I know, you just got here… why would you think about going somewhere else. But seriously, the best time to go on exchange is almost always in your second semester of your second year. So to do that, you should get the process going early. Don’t worry, there’s no commitment, so just put in an application early, forget about it and wait for the Global Experience team to hunt you down with deadlines as you get closer to next year!
- There is a lot of support available, even financial! A lot of people don’t think they can afford exchange financially. That may be true, but quite often there are funds available for you to help this experience be part of your reality. Plus short-term experiences are an increasingly popular and affordable option. Either way, check out the Global Experiences site for more details and ask ask ask!
Note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions global experiences are currently on hold in 2021. There may be some opportunities to undertake a virtual exchange or short term local/virtual experience. Check out the Global Experiences site for more info.
2. Can dual degrees or other highly-structured programs go abroad?
Usually, it just takes a lot of advanced planning and may require re-organizing your degree. Again, a great reason to get in as early as possible for an appointment with a Global Experiences Advisor.
3. Employment
Does the Uni provide assistance with preparing for employment? How do I find these opportunities?
Yes, there is an entire central UQ department dedicated to it! More locally in HASS, the Student Futures team helps to make this happen and have lots of information about opportunities for you on the UQ Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Facebook page.