Semester 2 volunteering at Curtin

A short reflection on sem 2 2025 vollies in July.

Semester 2 2025 Volunteering

As I had already participated in Curtin volunteering activities during Semester 1, such as being a mentor and assisting with Orientation Week, I signed up again in Semester 2 for a few reasons.

Why I Volunteered Again

Usually, Curtin’s Orientation Week (O-Week) is packed with events, useful information sessions, and campus tours to support new students. This time, starting from 14th July, I applied for both Science and Engineering Faculty Volunteering and O-Week Volunteering.

Honestly, waking up at 6 a.m. during Perth’s winter was a real challenge 🥶, but I’m so glad I pushed through. The experience was incredibly rewarding and beneficial in ways I didn’t expect.

Looking back, I wish I had been this active earlier in my degree, especially during my first and second years. This semester marks the final year of my undergraduate studies (unless I pursue Honours or a Master’s), and I wanted to make the most of it.

What I Did

The volunteer tasks themselves were simple:

• Helping new students navigate the campus and find their buildings
• Counting attendance at events for statistics and feedback
• Setting up tables and moving boxes and supplies to storage …. etc.

Yet, through these small tasks, I had the chance to talk to many different people from diverse fields. As a Computer Science student, most of my social circle was limited to my computing peers. But this experience allowed me to chat with students studying Actuarial Science, Nursing, Engineering, Finance, and more. Those led me to broaden my perspective.

Personal Growth

The main reason I started volunteering was to overcome my introversion. I often find initiating conversations difficult, especially in unfamiliar environments. However, volunteering placed me in situations where I had to engage with others, and through repetition, it gradually became more natural.

I’ve learned that most people are kind and open, and the key is simply finding a reason to start talking. Volunteering gave me that opportunity, and it’s made a big difference.

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📝 This might be my final semester as an undergraduate, but experiences like this remind me how much growth happens beyond lectures and labs. I’m grateful for the memories, the chats, and the warm smiles. I haven’t had the chance to chat with everyone on the O-Week volunteering team, but I want to thank everyone.😊