VU Kick Start Program

Get the best start at Victoria University (VU) with Kick Start!

When you first start university, it's normal to not know anyone and to feel uncertain about where to turn.

VU Kick Start is a free program during Orientation Week for first-year students who are of the first generation in their family to attend university. If neither of your parents attended university, you are eligible to join – even if you have siblings who have been to uni ahead of you.

The program is designed to help familiarise you with university life and undergraduate study, so that you feel more confident as a student, develop better study habits, and build a strong support network from the moment you start at VU. The workshops are run just like VU classes, so you will know exactly what to expect on day one.

Our program is the week before classes begin and includes two sessions on campus.

Eligibility

This free program is open to domestic students of all ages who are in their first year of a university degree.

It is specifically for students who are first-in-family, which means that neither of your parents attended university (but you may have a sibling at university).

Unfortunately, we are not offering the program to international or TAFE students at this time.

What happens

If you want to know what classes will be like, this is your chance. The workshop involve small groups of students, and have a similar format to standard classes. There are presentations, group discussions, campus tours and other activities.

Topics include:

• how classes, written assignments and tests work
• building academic connections and getting the most out of your developing network
• how to figure out your timetable and how blocks at VU work
• how WiFi works
• strategies for balancing study with other parts of your life
• where everything is on campus, including food and coffee
• how to find your classrooms
• student services that are available and what support they provide.

Kick Start has a supportive atmosphere, with helpful staff, and students who have 1-2 years of experience at uni. You'll get a chance to ask a lot of questions and meet other first-year students, just like yourself.

You will be working with student mentors and teaching staff and there will be plenty of time for personal questions and support.

Dates

To be confirmed

Find out more

VU Kick Start began in 2019 and was developed and run by Dr Laurie Chapin and Dr Bert Oraison.

VU Kick Start was recognised with the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in 2020.

VU Kick Start has been featured a number of media outlets:

• The Australian: Victoria Uni Kick Start Program lends a hand to first-in-family students (article requires The Australian subscription)
• The Age: Jasmine is part of an under-recognised group. Now her university is tackling the stigma
• ABC Radio National: Being the first university student in the family.

VU has a 5-star rating for First in Family admissions (Good Universities Guide 2019) and almost 40% of our domestic undergraduate students are the first in their family to go to uni.