Another O-Week presented by Arc is coming to its close, welcoming thousands of new and returning students to UNSW, both local and international, through a five-day festival of fun. From the hustle and bustle of the Main Walkway all the way up to the Main Library, a whirlwind of activities has taken place to introduce students to their life on campus and the myriad of opportunities that exist outside the classroom.  

The very helpful O-Week volunteers, Yellow Shirts, have been giving tours around campus several times a day; student representatives from Arc Clubs have been advocating for their passions in an aim to recruit new members; the helpful staff from Arc Sports have guided students in their search of a new sport to join; there has been free food and stationary around every corner; and an array of social events have created blossoming friendships.

Kickstarting the campus nightlife, the International Night Markets on Monday night served cuisines from countries all around the world reflecting the many cultures on campus and catering to the over 20,000 international students; which was followed by Movie Night with blockbuster ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ later in the evening. The Comedy Night on Tuesday with Australian comedians Neel Kolhatkar, Matt Okine and more, brought many a laugh while Wednesday’s Boardgames Night was nothing but of fun and games. 

From Speed-Friending to Dodgeball, Campus Idol, Water Fight and Trivia, there has been a wide range of daytime activities to choose between as well, with something for everyone.

The week has also provided new students with the opportunity to see with their own eyes what the fuss is about with the newly renovated Roundhouse, which has been the centrepiece of student life at UNSW for the past 50 years. The Brisbane native Jungle Giants did a great job at showing the venue from its best side on Wednesday night with a sold-out house and taking full advantage of the new sound system. 

Not to mention, O-Week would not be complete without a proper party and so tonight offers students another opportunity to enjoy the refurbished venue, with Sydney DJ's Jesse Bloch, A-Tonez and Mowgli May turning it up for a boogie.

While there is still one day left to take part of the O-Week excitement, current student and Coordinator of this year’s O-Week, Catherine Rich, calls the week a success and says it is incomparable to orientation events at other universities:

“It has been a fantastic week greeting students back to campus through the biggest orientation week in the Southern Hemisphere! I think the main reason why it is so popular is because O-Week is organised by students who knows what other students wants and needs, making us unique to other universities who organises these events themselves."