With all that is going on in 2020 Benalla's Year 12 students could be forgiven for being sidetracked in their pursuit of tertiary education.
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However, a new initiative from Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) aims to help regional students choose, and prepare for, a suitable course of study.
This month SUT is re-defining the traditional university open day experience by launching a gamified, virtual campus in the form of an interactive and immersive “open world” called Swintopia – a virtual university world accessible to all prospective students, anytime and anywhere.
Inspired by the rapid uptake of gaming during the global lockdown, Swinburne’s innovative open-world experience is a first-of-its-kind for an Australian university and takes its cues from popular games, such as Animal Crossing, giving prospective students from far and wide the opportunity to experience Swinburne’s environment in a fun and engaging way.
Swintopia will showcase everything Swinburne has to offer by guiding virtual visitors through an interactive tour of Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus – along the way users will be able to discover and experience life at Swinburne from courses to clubs, labs, student life highlights, favourite hangouts and more.
SUT student Arabella Houghton is originally from Benalla and is staying on a farm in the rural city.
“I am studying media and communications, majoring in advertising and marketing,” she said.
“I had originally started at a different uni, but I hated it.
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“I have a couple of friends who were students at Swinburne and I watched them doing a group project and thought it looked like a lot of fun.
“So I applied to move to Swinburne and got onto the course I wanted.”
Arabella said while she loved growing up on a farm in Victoria's north east, she was eager to have new experiences when she went off to uni.
And as such a city campus has provided her opportunities she feels she might have not had at a regional campus.
“There are a lot of similar people around, and I made friends really quickly,” she said.
“Since COVID we have actually been doing a lot of work online, and that has worked really well.”
Arabella said she thought Swintopia was a great idea, and had it been around when she was first looking she might have picked SUT initially instead of starting at a uni she did not enjoy.
“I'd never heard of it until I was contacted about this article,” she said.
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“But I did have a look at it and I think it's a great idea, especially for students in the country.
“I guess when you are in Year 12 you will want to go and look at different unis
“But for people who can't get to Melbourne and back easily it will benefit them in making their choices.
“Half the time in Year 12 you have no idea what you want to do.
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“I didn’t even know media and communication was a thing when I was at school.
“And If I did, I could have started a year earlier.”
Swinburne University of Technology chief marketing officer Carolyn Bendall said despite the unprecedented times, it was still important for anyone considering going to university to immerse themselves in the university environment just as they would when travelling to Melbourne to attend a physical Open Day.
“Typically, we see approximately 18,000 prospective students and their families come to open day,” Ms Bendall said.
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“However, with university campuses closed to visitors, this year’s Swinburne Open Day will be very different.
“At Swinburne, we are increasingly looking at ways to boost regional student uptake and participation at open days.
“Swintopia allows prospective students from across the state to bridge geographical divides by providing them with unlimited access to all of the information and experiences they need to help them make an informed decision about their future.
“Known for being a leader in innovation and technology – and one of a few universities in Australia to offer a range of gaming courses – Swinburne is delighted to be at the forefront of digitally-led experiences, overturning the idea of open days being a one-day event and changing what it means to get a taste of the university experience.”
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Throughout the Swintopia experience, visitors will see some familiar faces including some of Swinburne’s renowned lecturers and alumni as well as Richmond AFL star Jack Riewoldt and current students like 21-year-old Holly Dalton – all sharing advice and information, which will allow potential students to get a sense of what to expect if they choose to study at Swinburne.
It is also not an open day without a free tote bag – Swintopia visitors will have access to a virtual tote bag where they can store all the guides and useful information they come across throughout the experience.
And just like at a "physical" open day, visitors will also have the chance to score discounts and vouchers redeemable in real life at stores and venues around Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus - all they have to do is interact with Swintopia characters, keep an eye out for hidden tokens and complete set quests along the way.
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SUT has more than 200 degrees, diplomas, and certificates in 17 study areas including IT, science, business, engineering, arts, design, health and more.
Swintopia is set to launch to the public on August 12.
● For more information and to pre-register for early access, visit this link.