Preparing to start

Follow the steps to accept your offer, check important dates, organise your finances and accommodation

New to Australia?

Starting life in a new country is an incredible experience, but one you will need to be prepared for. Find essential resources for international students preparing to arrive here.

Accept your offer

Step one is accepting your offer and enrolling in your course

If you haven’t yet accepted your offer, check your offer email or letter as it will tell you how to do so. Once you’ve accepted, you can enrol in your course - either online, using the how to enrol page or in-person at a live enrolment session.

Once you are enrolled, you’ll be able to access your Student Hub, check your course and unit details and sign up for classes. You’ll also be able to print exam timetables, see results, re-enrol and pay your fees.

Check important dates

Know when you start and when key milestones are

It sounds obvious, but check when your first day of university is! Remember, Orientation starts the week before classes and it’s very important that you attend.

Another important date is ‘census’. After the census date, you can no longer change your mind about units without being charged tuition fees. Census occurs at the end of Week 4 of classes, but make sure to check the date in the Student Portal and write it down so you don’t miss it.

Exam timetables are also published on the Student Portal during the trimester. Exams are held on campus the week following the end of the trimester.

Once you know all your key dates, we recommend you keep track of them in your diary.

Check key dates now

Organise your finances

Make sure your finances are in order before you start

Getting your finances organised before you start your course at Deakin College means you can stress less about money and focus on your studies. 

Here are a few things to do before you start:

Soudalath Lengsavath

"Deakin College is a good start for international students to start their journey as a pathway to Deakin University. Deakin College provides students with Palm Mentors who offer help and support. This provides students with more time to prepare and adapt to the larger environment and society such as Deakin University."

 

Diploma of Commerce

Laotian student

Find a place near campus

Choose to stay on-campus or nearby

Deakin College students can find accommodation on-campus at Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waurn Ponds or Geelong Waterfront. If you would prefer to live off campus, we’ve got some handy tips on where to start your search.

Learn more about on-campus and off-campus accommodation.

 

Make your way to campus

Campus directions and transport options

As well as finding a place to stay, it’s equally important to make sure you know how to get to the right campus on your first day!

Find your campus directions and transport options below.

  • Melbourne Burwood

  • Geelong Waurn Ponds

  • Geelong Waterfront

It’s important to note that Deakin is a completely smoke-free university. This means you’re not able to smoke on any Deakin campus at any time.

If you do smoke, you can find free information and advice about quitting at all campus medical centres.

Find out more about Deakin Medical Centres.

Safety and security

Your safety is our number one priority

We have Deakin security officers on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can easily identify them by their uniforms, which display the Deakin security badge. If you ever feel unsafe on campus - particularly at night - you can contact Deakin security and they will escort you to and from your car or public transport.

Find out more about safety and security at Deakin.

Connect with other students

Meet new people and make lifelong friends

Deakin College’s mentoring programs and Student Committees are the perfect way to meet new friends from day one. Look out for Orientation mentors during your first week - they will be able to help you by providing important information about studying at Deakin College and answering any questions you might have. 

Connecting with our Student Learning Mentors or being part of the Student Committee are also great ways to meet other Deakin College students. If you’re into sport or you have a special interest, why not join DUSA and be part of a student club? 

Find out more about: