Welcome to Semester 1 2021

Hi everyone,

Orientation week is here and I hope all new students are taking the opportunity to explore campus and some of the labs.
You can find the CASSA desk located on level 2 of building 18 opposite the lift.

Please sign up and join CASSA, it is not like the student guild where membership is included with enrollment. There is no fee to join however you must have a valid ECU email address in order to complete the registration.
Also be sure to join the Discord server. The link is located on the home page. Check the ‘Students Resources Guide’ located under the ‘services’ tab. It has a wide range of software and cloud storage services available to students along with some other things as well.

Keep an eye out for the announcement of the CASSA start of semester social. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow students and create that network that will help in the following weeks of study. Older students are more than willing to help new students with their transition to University studies.

CASSA Fridays will be on again this semester with Learn2Linux workshops, study sessions and lightning talks. The lightning talks are 5min presentations given by students on a wide range of subjects. Last year there were some excellent talks presented, so come along and join in. If you would like to give a talk please see someone at the CASSA help desk or contact an executive on Discord.
1 – 3:30pm Friday in room 18.419 (This is subject to change so keep an eye out announcements or swing by the help desk to check)

RedRoom will be starting again in week three. It is a Capture The Flag, (CTF), training group. Students help each other practise for upcoming CTF’s. It is held Monday nights starting at 6:30pm. If you have never competed in a CTF that is not a problem. It is exactly the reason this session exists! To help you prepare. At the end of the year WACTF is held and competing is a lot of fun.
So come along and join in. CTF’s are a great way to practise the concepts you will learn in the degree. Don’t feel like you need to complete your degree in order to compete. Flags are tiered so even a quick web search of a concept could crack one. This session is a great way to complement your learning and meet people in the security space. Occasionally industry professionals will present on a topic which is always wonderful to hear.
6:30pm Mondays in room 18.103/104

Once again welcome to ECU as a new or continuing student. All the best with the semester studies.

Cheers
Niall
CASSA President