AUSU PEER SUPPORT OPTIONS
Study Buddy
AUSU Discussion Forums and Chat
AUSU Clubs
AUSU Mentor Program
The AUSU Study Buddy Program
Study Buddy is AUSU’s longest running program, and it's offered exclusively by your students’ union.
It provides a secure online meeting place for students to locate others taking the same course. You can search the online
listings to locate another student in your course, or place your own listing so that others can find you. Users must be
logged in to access the system, so you know you will not be contacted by anyone who is not an AU student. Our system also
stores your email address in a database, so it won't be added to spam lists. Once you find someone you would like to get
in touch with, simply click on their username to have the system automatically send an email to both yourself and your
selected Study Buddy, which will allow you to then contact each other directly. Share study tips, keep each other on
track, and share the experience of being part of a study group. It's up to you! To access the system, visit the
Study Buddy landing page. Remember, you must be logged in, and you can set up
an account by visiting our front page and selecting the registration link from the login box.
AUSU Discussion Forums and Chat
Discussion Forums
The AUSU Discussion Forums are a great place to get in touch with other AU students. They are asynchronous, which means that you
can read messages left by previous users, or post a message, log off, and return to check for replies. You can even set up the system to
notify you by email when there is a reply to a post you are interested in. The forums are a great place to read about students' experiences
with AU courses, or just to talk about what interests you. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the different areas in the forums
so that you can visit the section most relevant to your interests. To access the forums, visit the
Discussion Forums and Chat landing page. Remember, you must be logged in, and you can set up an account by
visiting our front page and selecting the registration link from the login box.
Chat Room
The AUSU Chatroom allows you to talk to other AU students or student councillors in real time. Drop in frequently to see who is
online and chat by typing messages just as you would in an instant messaging client, like ICQ or Microsoft Messenger. The difference is that you
don't need to add people to your contact list and the room can accomodate a number of users. The chatroom is a synchronous communication tool, which means
that you chat in real time, and messages from previous users are not saved. AUSU Councillors often schedule chat times to be available for
student questions, so watch our home page for details. To access the chat room, visit the Discussion Forums and Chat
landing page. Remember, you must be logged in, and you can set up an account by visiting our front page and selecting the registration link from the login box.
AUSU Student Clubs
AUSU Student Clubs allow students with similar interests to come together for support and fun. Each club has a website with
information of interest to members, and a private discussion forum where most interaction takes place. To access our clubs, visit the
AUSU Clubs Information Page. You do not need to log in to view this page, but you do need to log in
to visit the club websites. You can set up an account by visiting our front page and selecting the registration link from the login box.
The AUSU Mentor Program
We regret that the AUSU Mentor Program has been closed due to a very small number of requests. We found that most requests were for
contact with other students in the same course, which is the intent of the Study Buddy program. We are currently working on a new program that
will help students form study groups online, possibly through closed email lists. Watch our site for updates. In the meantime, please try
any of the options above and do not hesitate to contact us with suggestions. The Contact Us link on the left menu will help you get in touch.
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