St Hilda's excursion

St Hilda’s College is one of many (and from what I heard on Monday 3 September, one of the best) residential colleges of Melbourne University. The student populous is tight enough that it feels like a community but not sparse enough to be rural Victoria. The dorms are very open -and not gendered!- and whilst we were taking the tour you could definitely see the pride the students took in their living space. 

Before the dinner, Ms Mel Erwin asked us which areas of study we were interested in. She then organised our tables based on our preferences, so that we would get to talk to students who could translate our hopes into real experiences. I was next to Ciara, a funky, blue-haired Psych major, who gave us the intimate details of uni life. We kind of interrogated her about things that we thought were important - like uni clubs, dating and parties - whilst also gaining an insight into the practicals, like her courses, the components of her degree, and all that important stuff. The food was also really, really good, and apparently St Hilda’s provides the students with jobs in the kitchen (and I hear the money is good). 

After dinner we had a cosy little chat in the tutors' lounge with the Principal, Dr Brenda Holt, who really seems like more of a loving southern grandma than Ms Erwin’s boss. She answered our questions and endeared us further to the college. Particularly, she answered my question about the support available to students experiencing mental health issues. The environment around that sort of thing seemed very open and supportive. She made it clear that there were many supports available to students, including counselling from other students.

All in all, the atmosphere of St Hilda’s College was very friendly and welcoming, and definitely seemed like a place anyone would be able to call home. 

Dessy Turk (Year 11)