Hi {{first_name || BSOC Community}}! 👋🏻

Hope you all enjoyed your holiday because we’re now just over halfway through it. That’s roughly nine weeks and four days to reset after Term 3 results landed. Plenty of time to spiral reflect, recover (emotionally or academically) and convince yourself that this year will be different.

With O-Week and the new semester creeping up, whether you’re returning for another term or starting uni for the first time, it’s a clean slate. It’s the best chance to reconnect, meet new people and actually experience on-campus student life - the kind you don’t get by commuting in and leaving straight after your last class.

We’re also announcing our ongoing partnership with The Aussie Corporate and Pick & Scroll team for our fortnightly newsletters. This month, we’re kicking things off with some practical career advice, how to actually make the most of O-Week, and a spotlight on some of your very own BSOC team members. Consider it your gentle re-entry into being productive again.

The BSOC and Aussie Corporate Team

At some point in January, it quietly hits you that you are no longer a first-year student. The holidays are still there, but the sense of distance from real consequences has gotten smaller. January has a way of doing that. It always lands with expectations, especially if you are in a three-year degree or a four-year degree, telling yourself there is still plenty of time.

This moment matters more than it’s often given credit for. January is not just downtime, it is the only window where you can step back and plan without competing deadlines. Marks can be improved later, but being proactive beats being reactive every time. Many students think that spamming internship applications and calling it progress is acceptable. In reality, that is the bare minimum. You’re already behind if you think these companies really consider applications anywhere near the deadlines (they hire based on a rolling basis for a reason!)

Where this period becomes useful is in identifying what is missing. Skills, exposure, confidence, or simply clarity. The fastest way to work that out is not by thinking harder, but by trying more. That means being honest about whether your current role (or what you’re doing in your spare time) adds anything beyond income and whether it gives you something credible to speak about when asked who you are and what you do. If it doesn’t build a skill, teach you something new, or move you forward, it may have served its purpose.

Early university is for jobs that fund your lifestyle. Very quickly, it should also fund your future. At minimum, learning must be non-negotiable. We have a big year ahead and plenty more to cover, but January planning is where it starts. And if you need help, a resume review, a sense check, or a nudge in the right direction, please reach out!

O-Week means different things to different people. For some, it’s running a stall as an overly enthusiastic subcom member, powered by equal parts caffeine and the belief that this is how you meet people and get noticed. For others, it’s a carefully executed powerwalk past the sign-up sheets and straight to the free barbecues. Either way, we can all agree O-Week isn’t a one-and-done experience reserved for first years only.

From first years to final years, postgrads to serial society hoppers, O-Week is for all of us. It represents new beginnings, new opportunities, and this nostalgic way to reset how you approach uni life, regardless of how long you’ve been here.

It’s easy to assume that societies are easy ways to pad your resume or LinkedIn. On paper, that’s definitely what they do. But for many students, societies are ways to participate in a cult community, build friendships and avoid feeling isolated or overwhelmed. With over 300 clubs and societies at UNSW, spanning faculties, careers and niche hobbies, O-Week is the easiest time to test what actually fits you, rather than what you think should.

So consider this your reminder not to drift past the stalls on autopilot. Stop at the one you’ve been meaning to check out “next time.” It might lead to events, career opportunities, competitions, a subcommittee role or simply a group of people that makes campus feel smaller and more human.

For many, walking up to the BSOC stall in their first O-Week genuinely changed the trajectory of their university experience. Every single one of us are glad we didn’t keep walking.

Make sure to come say hi to us at the BSOC stall to see what we’re up to this semester 👋

Event Details:
When: Monday 9th February - Friday 13th February 2026
Where: UNSW Campus

Hi! I’m Jenny and I’m one of the BSOC IT Directors for 2026, responsible for the newsletters, website, photography and emails like this one getting sent to you! I’m currently in second year studying a Bachelor of Commerce; I love visiting cafes and doing nails in my spare time.

A Little About Me!

For questions and feedback, contact us at [email protected]