Health is important and all too easy to take for granted. Just think about the last time you were struck down by a cold, and realised that you never quite appreciated the joy of breathing through both nostrils. The overwhelming experience of university, with its exam-stress lows and victorious end-of-semester highs, means it's even easier to forget our health, right when it matters the most. That's why we have initiatives like the H.Squad and information hubs (like this on here) to help.

Mental health

University isn’t all sunshine, rainbows and late morning lectures. Sometimes it’s more like a downpour of exams, or cloudy from exhaustion with a chance of infuriating group assignment. Roughly 1 in 5 Australians will suffer from a mental health disorder each year. And uni students are even more likely to be affected. In fact, 4 in every 5 students report feeling stressed or anxious. So chances are the topic of mental health is going to come up in your time here.

To help prepare you, we’re breaking down stigma and the facts of what you need to know. Here, you can do everything from learn how to identify potential warning signs in yourself and others, to understand and action what happens next when you need help.

Headspace

National organisation providing information and support for young people aged 16 to 25. Has an online support service where you can talk one-on-one with an eheadspace clinician via an online chat, email or over the phone. Find out more.

Beyond Blue

National organisation providing information and support for all ages. Also has an online chat service (3pm to midnight), phone and email support lines. Find out more.

Black Dog Institute

National organistion providing information, support and 'self tests' for a range of mental health conditions including depression and bipolar disorder. Find out more.

Unlearn It

University is a place of learning, but while you’re here it’s good to do a little unlearning too. 

So what do we mean by unlearning? Well, humans start learning things from the minute they enter this bizarre world and some of those lessons are more helpful than others. The things you learn in school are usually very useful, but it’s the little lessons we pick up just by moving through society that are worth reevaluating. These lessons include things like which people hold power in the world and which people don’t, and what’s normal and right versus what is abnormal and wrong. 

By the time we leave school, we pretty much already have a PhD in what society expects of us based on our race, gender, ability and sexuality. If we stop to think about these things, we’ll find that a lot of it is quite harmful, fuels inequality and violence, and is mostly just plain old wrong. 

This is where Unlearn It comes in – a series where we look at different learnt attitudes in our society and begin to unpick them to make our world (or at least our campus) more respectful and inclusive. 

Sexual health and respectful relationships

Your sexual health is just as important as any other aspect of your wellbeing. Especially while you’re here. Because there’s great news: university is often a time for sexual exploration. The not-so-great news: it means students are at a higher risk for things like un-safe sex, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual assault and harassment.

We’d like to make getting frisky a little less risky, so we’ve created these pages to talk about all things sex and sexuality. Learn about the services available if you need support dealing with things like the morning after pill or an STI check. And what you need to know if you’re sexually active (or would like to be). Safe sex. The legality of dick pics. What consent is. What consent isn’t. (Hint: a ‘no’ always means no. No more to it.) We’re putting it all to bed.

Party Safe (NEW Government)

Informative website for young people providing lots of information on STIs, safe sex, general FAQs, etc. as well as on online Q&A service. Find out more. Find out more.

Melbourne Sexual Health Centre

Provides information on various STIs, and also offers STI testing and sexual health support and services via their clinic in the CBD. Find out more.

Family Planning Victoria

Offers information online, and in-person sexual and reproductive health services including contraception, pregnancy, medication abortion, and reproductive health services (cervical screening, etc.). Find out more.

Cup of tea consent

Great video outlining the principles of consent. Find out more.

Nutrition and healthy living

The vast majority of Australian uni students have an inadequate diet. It’s just too easy today to opt for salty, fatty and sugary foods rather than fruits or vegetables. Consider the 2-minute noodle: beloved dish of students the world over. Delicious, lacking in cost, cooking time and yet also… you guessed it, nutrition. They say you are what you eat, so if your entire diet consists of stuff like quick noodles, you may well be in hot water.

You see, lots of studies show poor nutritional and exercise habits can negatively affect your body and mind. And the latter you really need for university. So we’re here to help. Ever wondered what to cook, how to cook or ‘ugh, do I really have to cook?’. Here, you can find the recipes, tips and guides to help you get healthy, served up on a silver platter.

Feeling a bit more adventurous? Check out our Swinburne student recipe bible, featuring a selection of everyday, affordable meals, prepared by students for students (no fancy blenders required!). 

Australian Guide to Health Eating

Australia’s ‘Food selection guide’ – a visual representation of what you should eat for good health and wellbeing. Find out more.

Nutrition Australia - Healthy Eating Pyramid

Alternative food selection guide in pyramid form! Find out more.

Eat for health - eating well

Australia’s official dietary guidelines. Find out more.

Medibank - meal planning

Blog-style practical information and tips to help you eat well. Find out more.

Medibank - nutrition course online

Free online courses in nutrition.. Find out more.

Alcohol and other drugs

Booze is to Australian culture, what tea is to the British way of life. Popular, offered as a courtesy and regularly used as an emotional crutch. It’s the most widely used recreational drug we have. Australian universities are no exception. Although student consumption is on the decline, they’re still likely to binge like it’s the last season of Stranger Things (and more likely to be harmed by it too).

If you’ve indulged yourself in alcohol or any other recreational drug you’re probably familiar with shorter-term side effects like vomiting, bangin’ headaches and having no idea what happened last night. But the long-term effects are serious and can’t be cured with Panadol and a day in bed. So we’re cracking the lid off what you need to know before your next night out. Here you can explore everything from the basics of drugs and alcohol to the more complicated stuff, like what to do next when having a good time gets out of control.

Alcohol and drug foundation

Comprehensive website focused on providing the facts about alcohol and drugs to the community. Also provides an information hotline, help and support services, and tips to reduce risk. Find out more.

Say when

Tools to determine safe alcohol consumption including drink calculator, drink check, how to 'say when' and option to build up your own drinking profile. Find out more.

Turning Point

Provides resources and support services to help people affected by drug and alcohol addiction. Find out more.

Drug aware

Provides information on a range of legal and illegal drugs, including the potential impact and tips to help you stay safe. Find out more.

The Conversation

Four short videos highlighting what happens when you drink alcohol. Find out more.

Bike safety

Cycling is a terrific way to get around Melbourne: riding a bike is great exercise, it’s inexpensive to get started, and it’s a fun way to explore near campus and beyond. Cycling can also be combined with public transport if your destination is further than you can peddle.

As a cyclist, you can reduce your risk of injury if you’re involved in an accident by wearing a helmet (which is compulsory). Dressing in bright colours can increase your visibility – remember that you’ll be sharing the road with other vehicles, including cars, buses and trams, so you must understand and obey the road rules. (Make sure you know what a hook turn is… Even some life-long Melburnians struggle with that one!) You might need some dedicated kit too, like lights, and consider learning some basic bike maintenance to keep you safe and on the move.

Ready to get on your bike? Great! Swinburne’s Croydon and Wantirna campuses have lots of free bike parking. At our Hawthorn campus, you can access secure bike lockers as well as bicycle repair stations with tools to do basic repairs. Stay safe and enjoy the ride!

Bicycle Network

Australia's largest community of bike riders. Find out more.

Bike law

A handy booklet that explains road rules for bicycle riders in Victoria. Includes information about how to ride safely and responsibly. Find out more.

Bike skills workshops

Low-cost workshops covering key bike-riding skills and bike maintenance hosted by the City of Boroondara. Find out more.

Melbourne best bike trails

A guide to five of Melbourne's best bike paths from the RACV. Find out more.

For everything else you might need

Better Health Channel

Victorian Government-funded health website with a wealth of credible information and tools for better health! Find out more.

Health Direct

Australian Government-funded health website which also provides a wealth of credible information and tools for better health. Also provides links to other credible sources, and a handy ‘symptom checker’ for when you are feeling unwell. Find out more.

Sleep Health Foundation

A national organisation focused on helping you improve your sleep through education. Find out more.

Gamblers Help

Provides online information and online, telephone and face-to-face counselling to support people affected by gambling. Find out more.

Want to know more about our health services?

Swinburne has a range of on-campus health and wellbeing services available to students. From doctors and nurses to counselling and physiotherapy, we have a range of services to help you.

Find out more