We’d like to introduce our O’Guides in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. Read on to find out more about the team. If you’d like to join an O’Guide group, find their sessions in the registration form here.
Any questions? Reach out to our O’Guide coordinator, Indy, by emailing indianna.marrone@flinders.edu.au.
Kassidy
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
“My hobbies are all over the place. I’m the kind of person who loves to try everything a little and then go back and forth between activities as I please. However, I won’t lie, Animal Crossing took a strong grip on me during Covid, and it has not let go! Other than that, I love cooking and wellness/mindfulness. I also thrive on studying and learning about anything and everything!
I joined the O’Guide program as I am originally from a small town that is three hours away from Flinders, so starting university was very intimidating and I was never sure of what was accessible to me. I want to be able to help you engage with the facilities, resources, and opportunities that Flinders University provides so that your experience can be as beneficial and enjoyable as possible!
This will be the second year that I have participated in the O’Guide program, and I am very excited to meet you all!”
Nicci
Masters of Social Work; Previously studied Bachelor of Psychological Science
“I have an undergraduate degree in Psychological Science from Flinders University (2020). I joined the O’Guide program last year to help first year students find their feet and feel comfortable studying at Flinders University. During 2021, I started volunteering at the Flinders Community Market where students can access free and low-cost food held every Thursday during the semester at Oasis, the Student Community Wellbeing Centre. During my undergraduate degree, I volunteered as a Wellbeing Ambassador and collaborated on a mental health campaign called the “Good Vibes Experiment,” which helps students develop, improve and maintain positive mental health.
As a student with Dyslexia, I understand that starting university can be a nerve-racking time for new students especially students with learning difficulties. Therefore, I’m more than happy to help new students with additional learning needs navigate Flinders Disability Services.
As for hobbies, I’m not sure if it counts but I love to walk my dog!”
Amber
Bachelor of Social Work
“I love food, food always brings joy to my life. I love to try all different food, and food contains culture and history with it! My values of life are respect, empathy, and empowerment!
I am passionate about human rights and social justice, which led me to study social work and become a student of Flinders. As an international student, Flinders provide many different services and activities for me. I’ve finished my placement with The Smith Family and AnglicareSA… the experience was amazing! I’d love to share my experience with you. I grew up in China and lived in Australia for almost 7 years, moved from Melbourne to Adelaide and enjoyed living here.”
Mengxin
Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)
“I love reading, journaling, baking and workout. I like to read books from many genres: thrillers, rom-com, art appreciation, you name it. Journaling is not only a way to let my thoughts out, but is my ‘me time’ for de-stressing. Baking is similar. It is so soothing when I see bread are tinge with crispy golden in the oven! I also fell in love with the stay-home workout in this special era. The combination of cardio, weights, HIIT and stretch is the insurance of my everyday energy. I am a language lover; besides English and Chinese, I can also speak Japanese and a bit of Korean. I work as a volunteer translator during holidays.
As an offshore international student, I hope to meet more people and help new students to receive a sense of belonging through the O’Guide program.”
Chloe C
Bachelor of Education (Secondary), Bachelor of Arts
“I love studying at Flinders University. I am a third-year student conducting an Education (Secondary) degree to teach teenagers in my majors Biology and Drama. Having the opportunity to study is important to me, for I am the first person in my family to go to uni. When I am not studying, I work for Camp Australia as an Inclusive Support Educator/Assistant in vacation care and OSCH. In my free time I like to volunteer, watch movies, make illustrations, or play video games.
I decided to join the O’Guide program to welcome students who are new to Flinders University. Living 8 hours away from my family, I am familiar with the difficulties of having to study far from home. Hence, I want to give new students a great start and help them feel connected to Flinders.
I can’t wait to connect with you soon!”
Bianca
Master of Social Work (Graduate Entry)
“Hey hey!
Having grown up in the country and being the first in my family to attend university, it was all a bit daunting, to begin with. However, I am stoked to be back studying and have come to truly love the university community and life.
This is my first semester on campus, as I was studying online last year while living in regional SA. Nonetheless, I have plenty of experience in the university setting as I already have a Bachelor of International Development and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Politics and International Relations. I went on a Study Tour to Vietnam during my undergraduate degree and have my fingers crossed that COVID settles down soon, so I can study abroad again.
Outside of university, I work as a Disability Support Worker and have recently joined an AFL women’s team which I am pretty excited about. I tend to spend a lot of my free time outside, either at the beach or out hiking.
I can’t wait to help you navigate university life and get the most out of the epic Flinders community!”
Jessica H
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
“I am a huge bookworm, if anyone knows Sarah J Maas, I’ve re-read her books more times then I can count. Any time I go into a bookstore its dangerous, I want to take the entire store home with me! I also love swimming and I live and breathe the water any second I have.
I am the first in my family to attend university and even changed my mind in my first year and swapped both universities and degrees mid-year. I completely understand the stress of feeling like your course isn’t for you and the stress of navigating a new campus as I have had to do this twice in first year.
I’ve got a casual job bartending at my local pub and I volunteer for Allergy Life Australia where I help to facilitate and run online support groups for youth.
I joined the O’guide program as I know how many questions I had when I started and no clue where to direct them or how to go about it. I want new students to feel comfortable settling into Flinders and be able to provide some support in helping them connect with each other, as I know I met some incredible people who made my start less daunting knowing they were feeling the same too!”
Monica
Bachelor of Psychological Science
“In my spare time, I enjoy watching a wide variety of content ranging from scrolling mindlessly on TikTok, random YouTube videos that pop up on my feed (I do enjoy some true crime), and other shows that cover genres like comedy, psychology, and the occasional romance.
The main reason as to why I chose Flinders was because I had heard of the university’s renowned Psychology course and research, making the decision quite easy. Another major selling point is the wide-open Bedford Park campus, surrounded by plenty of nature, allowing the walks (or runs) to each class to be quite enjoyable. The many quiet study areas also allow for plenty of productive study sessions (as someone who cannot focus at home), making coming to campus definitely worthwhile.
Since I started studying at Flinders during the very start of the pandemic, I found it initially difficult to transition from the already intimidating unfamiliar university responsibilities in-person, to online. I joined the O’Guide program as I wanted to help make this process of adjusting to the new environment as easy as possible for students, while meeting some great people!”
Caitlin
Bachelor of Education (secondary) & Bachelor of Arts
“My name is Caitlin I’m 21, and I have been at Flinders for three years. I’m the first person on my mum’s side to go to university. I enjoy going on beach walks, cooking and reading, when I am not busy you can find me spending time with my friends and family.
I joined the O’Guide program because I remember what it was like as a first year, in my first week of uni and how nervous and anxious I was, and I want to help new students feel comfortable when it comes to starting University. I met some amazing people when I first started here, which really helped me to settle in, and want to be able to help others have a great start here too!”
Yatong
Master of Social Work
“Hi everyone, I’m from China. I have found there are many stresses in the journey of studying social work, especially for international students who come from completely different cultural backgrounds and who speak different languages. Some challenges I have faced include finding a good study-life balance and managing 1000-hour placements. In the process of learning social work, I learned more about self-identity, self-awareness, and about changing my view of the world.
I sincerely hope that I will be able to share and share my knowledge and experiences with the new students who will be joining us in this program. I hope that I will be able to share my genuine feelings with you, and that I will be able to assist you as much as possible in your studies and daily life.”