Orientation at USC’s Gympie campus was a family affair for Michalie Astill and her mother Rachel.

“I talked Mum into enrolling together,” said Michalie, 18, who plans to complete USC’s Tertiary Preparation Pathway (TPP) before starting a Nursing Science degree.

Rachel, 51, said that after many years raising a family and working in hospitality, she has a new career goal of becoming a qualified counsellor.

“I decided that you can teach an old dog new tricks,” said Rachel, who has also enrolled in TPP to upgrade her skills and qualifications to gain entry into USC’s Bachelor of Counselling.

They are among more than 60 new students who have opted to start mid-year study at USC Gympie.

Today many of the new students joined in a fun and informative Orientation program to introduce them to university life.

The day included music, market stalls, games and a free lunch as well as essential information sessions on study programs and USC’s library, IT and course management systems.

As part of Orientation activities, USC is also running workshops this week on research fundamentals and academic writing to help students develop skills and strategies to enhance their learning.

Michalie and Rachel said they were both nervous and excited about starting their studies when Semester 2 gets underway next week.

“I am really looking forward to studying together,” said Michalie. “We will be moral support for each other.”