First in the family

[abbeyrose]

I hope this is the right place to ask (please feel free to move or remove if otherwise  )

As I was eligible for the Access Guarantee and I exceeded the required ATAR and prerequisites, I'm pretty sure I have been guaranteed a place to study at Monash University (Clayton campus). I will be the first (and only) person in my family to attend university, alongside moving from a regional and rural area to Melbourne. Ever since I was in year 10 and beginning to comprehend tertiary education, Monash University has always been my dream university. However, Monash isn't a uni that many people in my school go to post year 12 nor is it a university that my school actively encourages students to attend (i.e. I don't think they've ever had uni reps/student recruiters to the school like they have with other unis), and I believe I will be the only person from my year level going to study at Monash. Thus, I don't really know what to expect and (amongst the excitement) the prospect of university is appearing slightly daunting.

Reading previous threads on here and exploring the Monash website, I've discovered that there are programs aimed at helping those in similar situations to me transition and adapt to university life. So, I was wondering if anyone here who had experienced these firsthand and could offer me some insight. Alternatively, if any current or past students at Monash have been in a similar situation as myself, I'd highly appreciate and welcome any insight. Thank you! Also, I'd be studying a Bachelor of Arts (hoping to transfer into LLB/arts after first year as my achieved ATAR just fell short of the law/arts pathway)

[Coffee]

Hey abbeyrose!

Fellow first in the family student here! Congratulations on getting into Monash.

There are two programs you might be interested in.

1. Peers Ambassadors Leaders (PAL)
PAL is open to all Arts students. As a first year, you will be assigned to a mentor, usually someone in their second or third year, who can help you with transitioning, and navigating university life.

I was assigned a mentor this year. We emailed back and forth a bit, and also met up for some coffee and a chat. We were both interested in studying abroad, so, we mostly talked about that. But, they’re really there to guide you on anything.

There are also a lot of events held throughout the year, such as barbeques, study skills, and exam preparation sessions. It’s a good way to meet other people, especially since Arts is such a broad degree and you often don’t share multiple classes with people.

2. First in the Family Network
You can read more about this one here.

But, essentially, it’s similar to PAL, only that it’s for students who are the first of their generation to attend University.

There also lots of events you can attend for this one too. Some past events have been Coffee and Cake sessions, where you chat to other first in the family students, exam preparation sessions, and workshops, such as business etiquette and assignment aid.