Old school friends discover each other at QUT

When Sheoni Stainwall and Elysia Roebig "met" each other at uni this year, it wasn't for the first time.

The two QUT students had been best friends back in pre-school at Narangba State School but then lost touch with one another for 12 years after Sheoni changed schools in year one.

Natural leaders, they both went on to become school captains at their high schools (Narangba Valley and Dakabin) and then both joined QUT's student ambassador team after they started degrees at the university's Caboolture campus. "Our paths crossed again at a student ambassador training session back in March," Sheoni said. "We couldn't believe we were back in a classroom together again after all that time - it's a very small world."

According to the head of QUT's Caboolture campus, Robert Craig, the campus is becoming a popular option for local high school students and bumping into old friends is becoming more common. On Thursday, September 27, the campus will host a "Discover QUT" day for anyone interested in finding out more about local courses. "We are seeing a growing number of local students deciding to study closer to home and they are realising the advantages the Caboolture campus offers," Mr Craig said.

"Students can get the same qualification offered at our city campuses, with the benefits of studying close to home.This means less time and money is spent on transport and the smaller class sizes at Caboolture allow students greater access to QUT staff." Elysia said the friendly atmosphere at the Caboolture campus had definitely appealed to her when she decided to enrol in her education degree.

"The smaller campus makes it a lot less overwhelming, especially for students at the start of their uni experience," she said. Sheoni also said the campus size was a key factor in her decision to study nursing at Caboolture. "The lecturers all know you by your name which is a great motivator to do your best as you know it will be recognised," she said.

QUT's three-year nursing degree is growing in popularity locally, with the university set to open up extra places at the Caboolture campus in 2013.

Nursing is offered at both the Kelvin Grove and Caboolture campuses, and last year's top nursing graduate came from Caboolture campus.

QUT Caboolture will host a "Discover QUT" day on Thursday, September 27, from 10am to 2pm, for anyone interested in visiting the campus and finding out more about local courses in business, creative industries, education and nursing.

Queensland University of Technology

Brisbane, Australia