PeerPod - a podcast by students, for students

When you first start uni, you'll probably hear your lecturer mention their office hours in week 1...but what are they actually for? What can you talk about? How can they help with your coursework? Our PLA host, Helia, sat down with Dr Abdul Razeed, from the Sydney Business School, and Assoc Prof Nial Wheate, from the School of Pharmacy to ask these questions, and theorise about the secret tunnel under the Quad. Want to know more? Listen now!

When preparing to study at an Australian university, students from a non-native-English-speaking background are taught to focus on developing their ‘Academic English’ skills to best succeed in their learning environment. Once they commence their study in Australia, they soon discover how complex it is to understand and communicate in English on a day-to-day basis – from colloquial language to unique Australian slang, to the nuance of tone, pronunciation, and body language, and how this can be received by the people you’re speaking to. In this episode, our host, Zakwan, sits down with fellow PLA Helia, and Avin from the Centre for English Teaching, to discuss the difficulties faced by students from non-native-English-speaking backgrounds and what support is available for students looking to develop their empathetic English skills.

Uni life is tough, especially after COVID! You have to adjust to on-campus life, make friends, balance your course workloads, pass your exams, and still somehow manage to sleep and eat. It's not surprising that mental health is impacting so many students!! In recognition of R U OK? Day, PeerPod is back with an all new episode about managing your mental health at uni. Our new host, Helia, sat down with the amazing Professor Ian Hickie, from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre, and Batyr Student Ambassador Risha to share their advice, experience and resources to help set you look after your mental health and get the best out of your time at uni! Resources mentioned in this episode: - The Brain and Mind Centre - https://www.sydney.edu.au/brain-mind/ - Innowell - https://www.innowell.org/ - This Way Up - https://thiswayup.org.au/ - Headspace - https://headspace.org.au/ - Head to Health - https://www.headtohealth.gov.au/ If you're having a hard time with your mental health, and you need support, you can reach out to: - Lifeline - Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 - NSW Mental Health Line - 1800 011 511 - Head to Health pop-up services -1800 595 212 - BeyondBlue - 1300 22 46 36 - Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467

Have you thought about how you'll succeed in moving into work from uni? The transition from university into the workplace is a process not many people give attention to, even though it is one of the most significant changes a person can go through. For the final PeerPod of 2021, we sit down with Tina from the Careers Centre and Tanzin, a University of Sydney Engineering and Information Technology Alumni, who now works for Australia's largest steel making company. Tanzin shares with us her story of transitioning from uni to work and everything in between you need to know. Resources mentioned in this episode: -Finding jobs: https://www.sydney.edu.au/careers/students/finding-jobs.html -Writing a job application: https://www.sydney.edu.au/careers/students/applying-for-jobs/writing-a-job-application.html -Interview tips: https://www.sydney.edu.au/careers/students/applying-for-jobs/interview-tips.html -Careers Centre contact: https://www.sydney.edu.au/careers/contact-us.html

Australian Universities strive to create an inclusive community for all students, but are their strategies working? In a special edition of PeerPod, Devanshi is joined by a co-host, Nicholas, from the University of Technology Sydney, who has worked as part of a collaborative project team exploring this issue. They're joined by Damien, a Sydney-based international student from Vietnam, who reflects on the intentions of his University's inclusion practices and how they have impacted his experience living and studying in Sydney. This episode was created with the support of Antara Narayan (UTS) and Victoria Bonilla-baez (USYD)

October is Mental Health Month, so we sat down with two counsellors from the University's Counselling and Psychological Services about what to expect when you attend your first appointment, as well as discuss some of the reasons why people hesitate reaching out to a support service, and what other services are available for students. Resources mentioned in the episode: University of Sydney Counselling and Psychological Services: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/counselling-and-mental-health-support.html The Pomodoro Technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNBmG24djoY This Way Up: https://thiswayup.org.au/

Adjusting to uni life can be tough; and feeling connected to your university community is now harder than ever - so what does it take to overcome these challenges and build a faculty culture that brings people together? We sat down with Nikki and Sam, from HealthSoc, and Angelina, from SASS, to explore how faculty societies work to enhance student life and the university experience, as well as uncovering what it takes to be a leader!

Imagine you are the creator of your career story. It is true no one can live your life better than you; it can only come through you. So how would you craft your own professional narrative? It all starts with self-awareness. In this episode our PLA Devanshi sits down with Tina, from the University Careers Center, and Amy, a fourth-year Law and Commerce student, to have a close look at what is self-awareness and the opportunities that are available for us to learn more about ourselves in the context of Career Development. Career Development is a journey, it requires you to live fully through every moment of discovery. At the same time this is not a lonely process and today you will discover the possibilities and services to support you in your solo journey. All you need is your commitment to yourself to start the exploration. https://www.sydney.edu.au/careers/

Ever feel like your study effort isn't quite giving you the results you want? Learning is different for everyone, and working out how you learn can be tricky when you don't really know where to start. PeerPod is here to help! Our PLA Devanshi sat down with second-year Law-Commerce student, Jacob Thai, and third-year Medical student, Sebastian, to talk through their strategies for maximising the effectiveness and efficiency of their study. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Sebastian Pirie's Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/SebastianPirie Forest App - https://www.forestapp.cc/ Pomodoro timer (web browser) - https://pomofocus.io/

Uni can be really intimidating, especially if you have no one close to you who can help you to prepare and let you know what to expect. With so many young people being the first in the family to go to uni, Australian universities have only recently started trying to understand the unique support needs of this growing cohort, and there's still a lot of work to do. In this episode of PeerPod our host, Devanshi, is joined by Victoria and Jenae, first-in-family students from the School of Social and Political Sciences, who share with us their experiences as first-in-family students, including the struggles they faced, the resources they utilised and the need to better engage first-in-family students to better develop support for their unique needs. Jenae is in her third year of a Media and Communications degree with a major in Politics. She identifies low SES, rural and is the first in her family to go to University. Victoria is a graduate of a Bachelor of Art and Social Sciences and an Anthropology and Psychology Project Facilitator. Additional resources: First in Family: http://www.firstinfamily.com.au/ Helping first-in-family students students navigate their university 'journey': https://educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au/teaching@sydney/helping-first-in-family-students-navigate-their-university-journey/ University of Wollongong's First Generation Students Initiative: https://www.uow.edu.au/student/support-services/first-gen/

Many students transition from familiar educational institutions such as high school and TAFE to an unfamiliar university setting. This transition is by no means simple. Issues of the “hidden curriculum”, being bombarded with information, and new organisational structures can often leave students, and particularly Equity students (low-SES, Indigenous, first-in-family, remote and rural etc.), feeling isolated and unsupported at university. Students of the University of Sydney discuss their involvement in Get Prepared, an open access website, aimed at improving the often daunting, mysterious, and exciting transition to university experience. Tune in to our podcast to hear three student co-designers, current Senior Equity Student Leaders and members of the Get Prepared team, talk about the Get Prepared site, as well as their experiences working as student co-designers. Names of guests: Christine Hindeleh Michelle Cheung Mahmoud Al Rifai Get Prepared site: sydney.edu.au/canvas/get-prepared Get Prepared email: get.prepared@sydney.edu.au

In this episode of PeerPod our host Sayan is joined by USyd students, Vivian and Jordan, to tell you all about where you can have the best low-budget adventures in Sydney. We hope this episode of PeerPod helps you in having a well-deserved semester break on a student-friendly budget!

In this episode our Peer Learning Advisors, Sayan and Keerat, are joined by Alex, the Learning Hub Lead, to discuss their tips, tricks and advice for doing effective and efficient study! Tune in to learn how to identify and overcome unhealthy study habits to give yourself the best chance as you prepare for exams! Resources mentioned in the episode: The Learning Hub: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/learning-hub-academic-language.html Flora: https://flora.appfinca.com/en/ PLA workshops & events: https://usyd.libcal.com/calendar/library/?cid=3560&t=d&d=0000-00-00&cal=3560&ct=32967&inc=0 PeerConnect: https://library.sydney.edu.au/help/pla.html Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS): https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/counselling-and-mental-health-support.html Other support services: https://www.sydney.edu.au/study/why-choose-sydney/student-support.html

In this episode, our Peer Learning Advisor, Devanshi, is joined by international students and Peer Support Advisors, Benny & Alisa, to talk about their experience with homesickness, how to stay connected with family and loved ones, how to deal with the difficult times and what you can do to bring a bit of home with you when you're studying so far away from what is familiar. Resources mentioned during the episode: University of Sydney resources for international student support: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/support-for-international-students.html University of Sydney Union: University of Sydney Union - Home (usu.edu.au)

Psst! want to know one of the best kept secrets to transforming your university experience?! Student leadership! (okay, well it’s actually not that secret - but still let this be your reminder to get involved) Join your host Life Coach Leyla and student guests: Benny, Priya, Vrishali, and Zoe as they reveal one of the most impactful experiences to their student world. Tune in and discover the art of volunteering and student leadership, where to get involved and how it will transform your career, and everything you know! But..how you say? press play to find out.

Recorded live at the USU pop-up on Eastern Ave, our Peer Learning Advisors Tom and Juan are joined by current students Rifah, Lukas, Katie, Joe, and Lucy to find out what students think about online vs face-to-face teaching: what's been gained, what's been lost and how students in both camps are planning to make the most of the new hybrid model of learning.

In this episode, our Peer Learning Advisor Devanshi is joined by Taylor (University of Sydney Quidditch Club), Jack (University of Sydney Food Adventure Society) and Matt (Sydney University Astronomy Society) to talk about what a student society is, and how joining one can enhance your student life. Links from the episode University of Sydney Quidditch Club Website: https://www.usydquidditch.com/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/USydQuidditch/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usydquidditch/?hl=en University of Sydney Food Adventure Society Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoodAdventureSociety/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodadventuresociety/ Sydney University Astronomy Society Website: https://www.usydastro.org.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usydastronomy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usydastro/

PeerPod is back for 2021 and we're kicking off with a trip down memory lane as we discuss 'What I wish I knew as a first year' For this ep, our Peer Learning Advisors, Tom and Devanshi, are joined by two current students, Jasmin from History and Advanced Studies, and Emily from Engineering and Architecture, to reflect on first year studies and pass along the advice they wish they'd had as new University students. Services mentioned in this episode include: Unit of Study outlines: https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Faculty Peer Mentoring services: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/peer-mentoring-programs.html University Student Union: https://www.usu.edu.au/ Student societies and clubs: https://www.usu.edu.au/clubs-societies/list.aspx Lost on Campus: https://studentvip.com.au/lost-on-campus Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS): https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/counselling-and-mental-health-support.html The Learning Centre: https://www.sydney.edu.au/lc Mathematics Learning Centre: https://www.sydney.edu.au/mlc Other helpful resources Sydney Uni app: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/student-it/apps.html#suapp

PeerPod is back for 2021! We are the University of Sydney Library's Peer Learning Advisors! Postgraduate students who are here to help our peers get the most from their student life! This year we're looking for real students to join us on PeerPod! Do you have a unique student experience you'd like to share? Maybe an idea for an episode you'd like to pitch? Write to us at peerpod.pla@sydney.edu.au Don't forget to subscribe!

End of semester, end of year, and we want to focus on what’s coming next! This week, we take time out and check in with some of the PLAs and PSAs, to see what they have planned for the break and what you could do with a summer in Sydney, NSW and hopefully Australia in general! Links to places & events mentioned by PLAs: Manly NorthHead - hiking + conservation projects for bandicoots. https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/north-head https://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-north/manly/attractions/north-head-sanctuary Blue mountains https://www.bluemts.com.au/ Minnehaha falls - https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g261618-d9859475-Reviews-Minnehaha_Falls-Katoomba_Blue_Mountains_New_South_Wales.html Royal National Park – figure 8 pools https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/royal-national-park https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/figure-eight-pools Regional NSW towns along the coast or inland Dubbo – museums, observatories, western plane zoo https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/country-nsw/dubbo-area/dubbo Coastal walks - Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra https://www.bonditocoogeewalk.com/ https://triptins.com/coogee-to-maroubra/ http://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/explore-randwick-city/coastal-walkway NYE fireworks https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/covid-safe/major-events/new-years-eve https://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-city/sydney-harbour/new-years-eve-fireworks Glebe Markets https://www.glebemarkets.com.au/ Surfing at Bondi https://letsgosurfing.com.au/ https://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/beach-lifestyle/surf-beaches Lillipad café Glebe – brunch https://www.lillipadcafesydney.com/ Jervis Bay https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/south-coast/jervis-bay-and-shoalhaven/jervis-bay https://www.jervisbaytourism.com.au/ Photo by Nicholas Doherty: https://unsplash.com/@nrdoherty