The mid-year semester break is drawing to a close and students are preparing to return to their studies, but there is still fun to be had and plenty of events coming up, so here is a quick primer for what is on in Semester Two (or at least the first few weeks).

Like every semester the first big event is O-Week and this time it is running from 17 to 21 July. It is meant to ease new students through their transition into university through workshops, information sessions, and events that try to capture what life is like at Curtin.

But for you veterans out there, let’s be real. It’s about the free goodies and making memories with your friends (but mostly the free goodies).

Schedule of O-Week giveaways. Credit: Curtin Student Guild.

For the duration of O-Week, the Guild Undercover Courtyard will be turned into the Welcome Village where all free activities and giveaways will take place between 10am and 2pm.

A list of what’s on offer for each day can be found here, but rest assured the Guild has you covered with hot donuts, chocolates and pasta. When it comes to the food, giveaways will start from 11am but only “while stocks last”.

The Guild will also be hosting Friend Speed Dating events, one on the Tuesday (18 July ) and the other on Friday (21 July ), both hosted in building 106B. Participating students will be put in groups and discuss icebreaker questions in a casual environment meant to foster new friendships.

A double movie screening at Curtin Stadium on the Friday will close out O-Week, showing Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick back-to-back. While this is not a free event, all proceeds from the night will go towards funding Curtin student athletes with travel costs for interstate UniSport competitions.

Once semester begins, we have the Guild O-Day on the Wednesday of Week 1. The Guild run activities will last from 11am to 2:30pm and will see campus foot traffic skyrocket as over 100 clubs will set up stalls and activities to stave off those post-holiday blues.

Y2K FEVER poster. Credit: Curtin Student Guild.

Members from the Electronic Music Appreciation Society will be performing live outside the Ken Hall Lecture Theatre, opposite the Gmart shop, and finalists from the Talent 4 Tomorrow competition will be able to showcase their talents ahead of their upcoming Grand Finale on 2 August.

Your very own student publication will have a stall giving away copies of the Semester 1 Grok Magazine full of great reads from a variety of contributing writers centred around the theme ‘Passion’. The Grok stall will also be handing out Volume 1 of Grok News, the debut print copy of our online stories, showcasing the team’s personal favourite articles from Semester One.

The Start of Sem Party will be held on the Friday of Week 1 (28 July ) and is throwback to the turn of the millennium with Y2K FEVER. The free event will see a return of themed drinks and food specials, and will even feature a ball pit.

Guild’s Vice President of Activities Athina Hilman championed the ball pit saying, “I love ball pits because they take you back to being young, playing with your homies, full of childlike wonder.”

Beginning at 6pm and ending at midnight, the event will see more collaboration between the Guild, The Tav, and student clubs with members of EMAS starting off the So Fresh Stage, to be followed by artists such as JAMILLA.

Attendees at the most recent End of Semester Bash: The Rave Cave. Photo: Curtin Student Guild.

Curtin eSports will also be making a return by setting up the best console video games of the 2000s, and there will be hell to pay if Halo doesn’t make an appearance.

This 18+ event will be free and Curtin students can bring up to three guests each, with the first two hundred attendees receiving some giveaways.

Stay tuned for more updates on upcoming events.