Page status: 

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Name

Tim

Based on:

First-year flailing

Motivations

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. Lecturers don't care, right? Needs to find out who to talk to and where to get help.

Start of Trimester 2: Has dropped/changed some courses and connected to the Awhina programme. Doing better academically and feeling more at home at uni - 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.

Image Added

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 computer science.physics and philosophy
• From Hastings Nelson
• Halls
• Shy , not very independentLikes playing computer games in his spare time. Not and quite earnest
• Working part-time, not a party animal
• Self-development aspect of university life important to him
• Influencers are Mainly influenced by his family and friendsreally wants to make them proud.

"Coming to university was a big deal for me and my family as I’m the first in my family to attend university.

"Being involved in orientation events has helped introduce me to other students from my course. I value the relationships I have made.

"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."

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"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."

"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.

Technology and internet

Communications preferences:

• Enjoys finding out about things through word of mouth or at lectures.
• Emails are fine too.

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• 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 movies.

Technology: Powerful laptop. Phone: Samsung not a heavy user.  Watches YouTube a lot. Also goes on Vimeo.

Technology: Laptop, Android smartphone.

Tertiary education and career goals

Aims to do the best he can with his study and his degree. At this stage, not really considering postgrad study.Not sure what he'll do after he finishes.

Tim has started thinking about his future career, but not that much. There's three years to go before that's going to be a problem!

Information needs from Victoria

New student - getting into the swing of timetables, study, assignments. Getting around the campus. Orientation, social events.

Living away from home. What's life like in the Halls? Getting around Wellington.

Making friends - overcoming shyness. 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.