USC welcomed a record number of new students to its Fraser Coast campus following a surge in interest in studying locally.

About 300 new students were treated to an Orientation program filled with social and academic activities to help acquaint them with university life before the start of Semester 1.

The first-year students will take the total number enrolled in almost 20 degrees and pathway programs offered through the Fraser Coast campus to about 650, up 17 percent from this time last year.

Among the crowd were 10 new international students who attended a ‘Studying in Australia’ session designed to help them make the most of their USC Fraser Coast experience.

Live music, market stalls and games are the not-so-serious side of Orientation along with program information sessions and workshops on IT, research fundamentals and academic writing.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said Orientation provided great opportunities for students to meet and to learn academic skills to assist them throughout their studies.

“It is also a chance for them to find out about the various groups on campus that can help make their student experience here even more fulfilling and enjoyable,” he said.

Applications are still open to study at USC in 2018.

— Clare McKay