The Survival Guide: A Toolkit for Thriving at Deakin

The very first project I initiated as a DUSA Councillor was something deeply personal and close to my heart: the DUSA Survival Guide.

So what exactly is the Survival Guide? Included is a video in the Survival Guide series on International students healthcare cover, which is a huge decision for Deakin students to make!

https://youtu.be/wGXKmm55AAA?si=IwDSay3Lg8_WEIM3

Survival Guide: Healthcare OHSC Cover

In simple terms, it is a series of 35 short, emotionally engaging videos that cover the most important things new students need to know when starting their journey at Deakin University. It is designed as an all-in-one survival kit, and every single part of it was made with one goal in mind: to make students feel less overwhelmed and more empowered.

Starting university in a new country is scary. You are hit with a flood of information; policies, portals, forms, rules, and it is easy to miss something important. As an international student myself, I have experienced how lengthy, text-heavy documents on Deakin’s website can be hard to process, especially if you are a first-year student, an international student, neurodivergent, or simply overwhelmed. The reality is, information that is important often does not stick when it’s delivered in long blocks of text.

That is where psychology comes in. As a psychology student, I have read countless research papers that show how emotionally stimulating content, like videos, significantly improves memory and information retrieval. If something makes you laugh or feel understood, it stays in your brain and lingers quietly until the moment you need it.

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  Vi is the person on the left

Survival Guide Shooting Day

For example, if a student watches a funny and relatable video about extensions or special consideration, they might not need it at that moment. But, let's say, six weeks later, when something happens and they are struggling, that video replays in their mind, faster and less effortfully. It gives them direction without forcing them to decode a new PDF while under pressure.

The Survival Guide project has taken over seven months of planning, filming, editing, consulting, and collaboration. It will be officially released on the DUSA and Deakin website in August.

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  Vi is the person on the left

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Vi checking on the shooting sources

This has not been an easy journey. I spent weeks consulting with student communities across campuses to ensure our content is inclusive, and culturally respectful. I also worked closely with the DUSA website management team, the DUSA advocacy team, Deakin copyright legal office, Deakin Student Central, and a team of brilliant student scriptwriters, videographers, and reviewers.

I personally led the student team behind the scriptwriting. I reviewed every idea, cross-checked facts with Deakin support teams, handled the production setup, and took part in directing scenes and managing shoots. I was in the room for nearly every conversation, every email thread, and every filming day. This project is a product of my passion for education, for service, and for helping students succeed. I am incredibly proud of the Survival Guide, and I cannot wait to see how it grows from here.

Through the Survival Guide, I led a cross-campus, multi-stakeholder project from concept to launch, coordinating a team of student creatives and university staff to produce 35 accessible, culturally inclusive videos. I applied evidence-based communication strategies from my psychology studies to ensure the content was not only informative but memorable, supporting students long after orientation. This initiative responds directly to a key student need — clearer, more engaging information delivery — and will serve thousands of students each year through its permanent placement on DUSA and Deakin’s websites. By combining strategic planning, creative direction, and community consultation, I demonstrated my ability to lead complex projects that deliver lasting, large-scale impact.