Let’s start getting prepared

Important decisions lie on the shoulders of Year 12 students. It is daunting enough entering into the university lifestyle, let alone finding a new place to live.

Open day at Mannix gives future residents the opportunity to be immersed in the everyday atmosphere of living on campus. Speaking to four current first year students from regional Victoria, they give us some insights to how spending a day at the college last August cemented their choice to make Mannix their new home. From hearing about the college for the very first time, to already being adamant they want to call Mannix home- these very different students’ first impressions all came to a very similar conclusion at the end of the 2018 open day.

And with this year’s open day fast approaching, these students gave us some pointers on how to get the most out of our visit:

Embrace the chance to take in the atmosphere of the college.

From speaking to many of the current residents, the main census I gained was open day gave them the opportunity to really understand what makes Mannix unique from other accommodation facilities.

‘Seeing the interaction among each of the residents sold it for me. A big concern for most people when moving away for university is whether they will meet their close friends- that was me. Touring around the college on open day, I witnessed how friendly everybody was to one another. It made me want to be part of that community spirit.’ –Lauren, Sale

‘I think it was the friendly culture and atmosphere that you could feel around the college while on the tour that really stood out.’  –Octavia, Shepparton

You are given the ability to hear firsthand experiences from current students- use it!

Tours of the college are conducted by current residents. This creates an intimate opportunity for you to voice concerns or ask questions that can be answered by someone similar in age to yourself, and has been through the moving process recently.

‘I think hearing about Mannix from a student, rather than reading about it in a brochure, was really beneficial. It offered a first-hand perspective. The tours made it easy to ask students questions relating to their personal experiences, such as how things work, and the support they provided was awesome.’ –Brigitte, Kialla.

Become part of the everyday lifestyle of the college.

Open day gives future residents and their family members a chance to rewind, and take in their surroundings over a meal in the college dining hall.

‘The food, having the ease and convenience of a meal daily, was a massive draw card for me. Also, the community and group events really made Mannix feel like a home, and not just a place to stay- I felt welcomed from the very start.’ –Hamish, Sale.

For more information about open day, details can be found at https://mannix.monash.edu/open-day-advice/

Words by Ava Kelly