Page status: 

First-year flailing

Goal: halp me

Motivations

Had a bumpy start to university. Was struggling in class as a result of some over-ambitious course planning decisions. A month in: Bright enough, but didn't have much direction coming out of school. Made some bad course planning decisions and is really struggling with his university workload. First assignment results are a shock. Knows he needs to get some help from someone but is a bit embarrassed. We can help by making it easy for him Lecturers don't care, right? Needs to find out who to talk to .Six months in, he has dropped and where to get help.

Start of Trimester 2: Has dropped/changed some courses and connected to the Awhina programme. Doing better academically and feels feeling more at home at universityuni - considering getting into some extracurriculars. Will see what opportunities pop up. Likes hearing about big Victoria 'wins' as this reinforces his decision to come here. Getting interested in student politics. . Having vague thoughts about careers - but that's still years off. Next hurdle: re-enrollment. Wishes course information was better - especially after last time.

Persona based on

Current student interviews: So, T and R. 

SAS persona: Tim.

Gen Y tribe: Solitary saver

Scenario

• Male
• 18 17 years old
• 1st year, studying Bachelor of Science, with a double major in physics and philosophy
• From Nelson
• Halls
• Shy and quietLikes playing computer games in his spare time. Not quite earnest
• Working part-time, not a party animalWorking part-time
• Self-development aspect of university life important to him
• Mainly influenced by his family - dad in particularand really wants to make them proud.

"My dad knows me better than anyone, he can tell me what things are best for me and give advice."

"I expected that university would be hard. That everything would be hard - meeting people, learning how the city worked. Everyone told me that lecturers don't care about you. I was a bit worried about the workload."

"I’m still finding my feet with my studies and work really hard in my courses/papers. I know my shortcomings so I seek help from a support staff member that I feel I can trust.

"I worry about not passing or progressing further."

...

The first semester was a nightmare."

Challenges:

• Found it a bit daunting finding his way around campus in the first trimesterCourse planning. Found the points system really hard to understand.
• Is intimidated by lecturers so seeks help from his peer group insteador, if he can find the right person, school/faculty staff.
• Stressed about not achieving as well as he thinks he should.

...

• Enjoys finding out about things through word of mouth or at lectures.
• Emails are fine too.
• Checks Blackboard but is nervous about participating in conversations.
• Signed up to a course FB page but only reads the discussions - he's too shy to post anything. Follows another page - might be the main Victoria one? Or might be the facutly one. Not sure.

Social media: Occasionally checks his personal Facebook page,  Browses Facebook but is a bit sick of Facebook - and worries about Facebook privacy.Favourite sites: Downloads most of his music and also uses Spotify. Downloads moviesnot a heavy user.  Watches YouTube a lot. Also goes on Vimeo.

Technology: Laptop, Android smartphone.

Tertiary education and career goals

...

New student - getting into the swing of timetables, study, assignments. Getting around the campus. Orientation, social events.Making friends - joining groups and developing new interests. 

Key dates - wants to plan trips home.

Staff - who to talk to about what. Is also a little curious about some of his lecturers and what else they do.