Orientation
Orientation Week
O week is normally held in the first week of February with classes beginning the following Monday morning. The program includes orientation to the Worldview property, lifestyle and program. Each student receives a student ID which also serves as a library card. Worldview’s IT personnel ensure that you has access to the intranet. International students will have support to open a local bank account. There is a tour of Launceston to familiarise you with local services, shopping precincts and recreation areas.
Living In Launceston
Worldview is located in St Leonards, a rural suburb of Launceston, Tasmania. Launceston is Australia’s third oldest city, founded in 1805, and has a population of around 90,000. But don’t let our picturesque setting and historic facades fool you. Our central business district offers plenty of contemporary shops, malls and restaurants to explore and enjoy. Other recreational facilities include the art gallery and museum.
Launceston is considered the gateway for touring the scenic north of Tasmania with all its mountains, waterfalls, gorges, lakes, bush and beaches. It has a newly refurbished airport with good flight connections to mainland Australia.
The campus itself is set on a 22-hectare property, adjoining the North Esk River. The original house dates back to 1870 but is now surrounded by a number of modern buildings that comprise the academic and residential facilities.
Weather And Seasons
Launceston is located in the Tamar Valley in Northern Tasmania and enjoys a cool, temperate climate. In the warmest months (January and February) temperatures range from 12°C to 25°C (54°F to 76°F). During July, the coldest month of winter, average temperatures are 2°C to 12°C (36°F to 54°F).
Due to the topographical effect of the Tamar Valley, Launceston winters are renown for foggy mornings and can be frosty but snow falls are rare. The average annual rainfall is 665 mm (26 in).
Time Zones
Launceston’s time zone is GMT+10 without daylight saving and GMT+11 during daylight saving. Daylight saving begins on the first Sunday in October (clocks are moved forward from 2am to 3am) and ends on the first Sunday in April (clocks are moved back from 3am to 2am).
Getting Around
Public Transport
Visit www.metrotas.com.au for timetables of buses within Launceston and ticket prices. Bus numbers 28 & 38 travel from St Leonards to the city centre. Buses provide the most inexpensive way to travel around Launceston.
Taxis
Taxis are a convenient way to travel to destinations which are not on bus routes but the service can be costly. ‘Taxi Combined Launceston’ can be contacted one 132 227 or 131 008 or visit www.taxicombined.com.au for more information.
Student Cars
Worldview has some vehicles available for student use. Please refer to the Student Hire Cars policy for more information.
Bicycles
Bicycles are a popular and cheap form of transport and Launceston has a number of tracks provided specifically for cyclists. All riders and passengers (eg: child in child seat) must wear an approved helmet securely fitted and fastened. The following website has helpful information on road rules which apply to cyclists www.amygillett.org.au. It is also legal for cyclists to ride on footpaths in Tasmania. Worldview has a number of old bikes which can be used by students and their children.
Living At Worldview
Things to Keep in Mind
Your Worldview accommodation unit will be assigned to you for the academic year. We trust that you are comfortable. If you have any questions about your accommodation please see the hostess.
Living with a unit mate
Worldview’s two bedroom units are designed for two single students or one married couple or one couple with children. Some three bedroom units are available for larger families. The person or persons with whom you live can affect the quality and productiveness of your experience at Worldview. The following are some things to talk about as you learn to live together.
Food
Do you and your unit mates expect to share the costs of buying food for weekends and holiday periods and share in the preparation? Do you have specific food needs (allergies, preparation needs)?
Cleaning
Who will clean what? How often? Decide exactly what “clean and tidy” means to you.
Personal Habits & Individual Needs
How much privacy do you need? What hours do you usually sleep? Study? Relax? Socialise? Shower? Wash clothing?
Music & Television
What are your musical likes and dislikes? Do you watch TV everyday or just once in a while? Do you like to study with or without music/TV?
Personality Traits & Communication
How do you perceive yourself? How do others perceive you? Do you enjoy being around a lot of people – or just a few friends Are you more comfortable by yourself? When conflicts arise, how do you go about resolving them? How do you behave when you’re happy – angry? What are the things that bother you most?
Worldview Phone Service
All Worldview accommodation units have phones. These can be used to phone other Worldview numbers for free or to dial outside numbers, both locally and overseas. A billing system is in place to log the calls you make outside of Worldview and you will be issued with this bill each term. You will need to keep your own record of personal calls and divide the bill if you share your unit with others.
Internal Worldview numbers have three digits. To dial an outside number you must first press ‘0’ to obtain an outside line. Then dial the number you want.
To make international phone calls:
Dial – ‘0’ for an outside line + international access code (0011) + the country code + the area code (if required) + phone number (when adding a country code to a number, any leading 0 (zero) on the area code following it is NOT dialled
To make domestic phone calls:
Dial – ‘0’ for an outside line + the area code + phone number
Area codes for Australian states are:
(02) Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales
(03) Victoria, Tasmania
(07) Queensland
(08) South Australia, Northern Territory
Visit www.whitepages.com.au and www.yellowpages.com.au for directories of residential, commercial and government phone numbers in Australia; and for a list of country codes and area codes for international calls.