By Yadilitta from Peru, Studying in Australia, Master of Business at Griffith University
As a GI Mate (Griffith University International MATES program) one of my duties was giving campus tours, so people can get familiarized with the Uni facilities. It is funny how you discover new things from your own Uni, while giving these tours.
I guess you never stop learning….
The World Famous GI Mates at Griffith University
Well, these tours are given to new students, potential students, international student agents and since everyone has different needs and interests, the tours are customized.
Since I’m Latin and attended the Griffith Business School, I gave tours to people from Latin America and Business students. This experience was so much fun. I learned about my Uni, but also had the opportunity to meet very nice people who recognize me today when they see me at Uni and also meeting up with people I had already met before.
Once I gave a campus tour to a group of Latin American student agents and it was a big surprise to find among them the agent who had helped me in coming to Griffith!
I couldn’t believe I was seeing her and neither could she. It seemed to me that it was yesterday when I was at her office talking about studying in Australia and now there she was. Besides taking pictures of Griffith Uni, she was also taking pictures of myself to show when back in Lima.
I think I became part of her marketing plan.
Every single campus tour has been special, but maybe the most special one was the one I gave to my own family.
Yes, that’s right, my family came all the way from Peru just to visit me and attend my graduation. So I wanted to show them around the place that was now like a second home to me over the past year.
It is never the same to talk than to see with your own eyes. My experience as GI Mate was very helpful, since I was able to arrange a nice tour including the most meaningful parts of Griffith Uni for me.
Giving a campus tour does not only depend on the GI Mates and the information you can share, but how you do this.
I suggest to the other GI Mates who will be giving campus tours, that they try to find out some information about who the people are you will be guiding and what they would really like to find at about the Uni. The study areas and lecture theatres or what the Student life is like and where and what students can do in their spare time. Also, get information about interesting facts of uni – like who was Sir Samuel Griffith or when the hospital will be ready – so you can give a good impression.
But most important in order to make the tour goes nicely, talk about your own experiences at Uni, the places you like the most and recommendations or tips for the new students to be aware of before they arrive.
Griffith University is constantly changing , and there are always new buildings popping up here on the Gold Coast campus all the time… So I guess maybe the next time when I visit, I will be needing a campus tour with a GI Mate myself.
See ya!
Yadi
