Students enjoy first year at Noosa
More than 50 first-year Bachelor of Business students at the University of the Sunshine Coast Noosa Centre recently completed end of semester exams in what was a big year for them and for the University’s presence in Noosa.
The first-year study centre was this year temporarily located at Bicentennial Hall, Sunshine Beach, to help make the start of university life easier for Noosa Shire residents.
It has found a permanent home at the new youth and community centre, The J, on the corner of Noosa Drive and Grant Street, Noosa Junction, and will offer three first-year programs in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business and a Graduate Diploma in Education for first semester 2007.
The purpose-built centre will have two tutorial rooms, a 24-hour computer lab linked to the USC Campus at Sippy Downs, a library booking service and use of The J’s auditorium. It will be staffed by full-time administrative assistant Julie Hobbins and a student counsellor.
Many of those who attended the Noosa Centre this year were mature age students, including mother-of-three Diane Schultz who said she enjoyed the convenience of studying close to home.
"I loved it. It was so close to home and to the kids’ school,’’ she said. "I also liked the hours – from 9am to noon – which meant I could do my study while the kids were at school."
Diane will continue her first-year studies part-time at The J next year, while many of her classmates will move on to second-year studies at the USC Campus at Sippy Downs.
USC Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said the first-year study centre was opened to give Noosa residents an easier introduction to university life through allowing them to study close to home.
"One of the things that prompted us to do this was the information we received from Noosa students that they found the first year to be the toughest for them academically and also in terms of travel," he said.
"I was quite impressed with the Noosa Centre this year. The students seem to have been a cohesive group. They’ve achieved well and judged the experience well."
Business lecturer David Gration said the proximity of classmates in the Noosa area meant students worked closely on projects, which often made the presentation of projects more interesting.
"They seemed to have great enthusiasm for it and they were almost theatrical in the presentation of their case study tutorials," he said.
"I think the Noosa Centre was extremely successful in many ways," Mr Gration said. "It brought in new people who may not have studied otherwise and I think the Noosa Centre will go from strength to strength."