Thousands of new students will get their first taste of university life on Monday 18 February when Orientation Week begins at USC.

The University’s main campus at Sippy Downs will be abuzz with about 4,000 first-year students enjoying market stalls, live music and social activities while learning what to expect from campus life through various workshops and presentations.

Formal celebrations will begin at 9.30am on Monday with a Welcome to Country by the Gubbi Gubbi Dance Troupe, an official welcome by Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill, and an enormous group photo of new students.

The USC Student Guild has organised the market day from 10am to 2pm, a trivia night from 5-9pm, and bus trips later in the week to Australia Zoo, Noosa National Park and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

These trips are particularly popular for the hundreds of new international students, who will have an additional orientation session on Tuesday morning.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said he was looking forward to welcoming the new cohort of 4,000 students at USC Sunshine Coast and almost 1,000 more across the university’s other campuses.

Professor Hill said the week ahead would equip first-year students with the knowledge and skills to start their studies on the right foot when Semester 1 begins on 25 February.

“Orientation provides great opportunities for students to meet each other and their lecturers, and to learn academic skills that will assist them throughout their studies,” he said.

“It offers a chance for them to find out about the various sporting, social and cultural groups on campus that can help make their student experience here even more fulfilling and enjoyable.

“We also focus on familiarising students with the free wellbeing services they can access at USC, including counselling, study support and practical help with accommodation, finance and budgeting needs.”

The full orientation program can be viewed online at www.usc.edu.au/orientation