For some time, the Library’s Research Team has facilitated social meetings for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students to support community building and peer connection. As HDR study can often be a lonely journey, these sessions have played an important role in helping students feel supported.
Recognising that mature age undergraduate and postgraduate by coursework students may face similar challenges, the Learning Success team identified a need to help these students “find their tribe”. In Semester 1, 2025, The Come Back Crew was launched, with regular hybrid (in-person and online) catch-ups designed to foster a supportive and empowering community.
Planned and partly facilitated by Learning Success Advisors Nila Tanzil and Amanda Smith, the sessions focused on developing a sense of belonging and peer support by connecting students with each other and with relevant study skills support. Over the year, five sessions were held, featuring guest facilitators from the Learning Success team. The program began with a session centred on making connections, sharing study journeys, and discussing practical strategies around organisation, study techniques and motivation. Subsequent sessions explored reading skills, generative AI, finding information and sustaining motivation. The initial session and the generative AI session proved especially popular, surpassed only by the end-of-year event.
At the final session, students were asked whether an after-hours end-of-year event would be worthwhile, and the response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. With the support of a generous grant from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Community Cohesions in Libraries program, an evening event featuring dinner and a guest speaker was held from 6–8pm on Thursday 13 November 2025.
The evening was a success on many levels. Attendance was high and feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Catering from on-campus business Simply Delicious was inclusive and lived up to its name. Guest speaker Sam Stoddart—a former underwater welder turned Curtin alumni software designer—shared his study journey and offered practical, motivating advice for succeeding as a mature age student. His humorous reflections on starting university at twice the age of many first-year students resonated strongly, drawing appreciative laughter as attendees recognised their own experiences. The audience also posed thoughtful and inspiring questions during the Q&A session.
Eighteen of the 23 attendees completed a feedback form, with all respondents agreeing that the event was worthwhile, the presenter was clear and engaging, and that they would recommend the event to others. While more than a third of respondents reported feeling isolated and having minimal community connection prior to the event, 67% indicated that the event strengthened their sense of connection—clearly meeting both the Learning Success team’s and ALIA’s community-building goals. As one international student shared, “Thank you so much for doing this event. I had no friends before, but now I have lots of friends.”
Although the event was scheduled to conclude at 8pm, conversations continued well beyond that time, with Nila and Amanda gently encouraging attendees to wrap up at 8.30pm so they could clean up and head home. Students expressed sincere appreciation to staff for hosting the event, and both staff and students are looking forward to continuing to grow The Come Back Crew community in 2026.
