** Severe Weather Warning – 1 July 2025 **
Severe weather is forecast for large parts of the state in the coming days. A vigorous coastal low pressure system will develop near the NSW coast today, before rapidly intensifying tomorrow.
Forecast:
- Damaging winds over parts of the Great Dividing Range and east coast, including Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong. Gusts of 100km/hr could bring down trees, damage property and cause power outages.
- Persistent rain, especially during Tuesday and Wednesday for eastern parts of the state. This could lead to localised and river flooding and dangerous driving conditions.
- Very large and powerful waves for coastal areas with the potential for inundation or erosion of beaches and the foreshore.
Keep up to date on the latest warnings via the Bureau of Meteorology website. or download the BOM Weather app.
Be supported
If you are affected by events happening in Australia and around the world, support is here for you.
Personal support
24/7 support
- Lifeline Australia provide telephone counselling via their 24hr Crisis Support Line : 13 11 14
as well as chat or text options - Mensline Australia provide a 24/7 free telephone and online counselling service for Australian men : 1300 78 99 78
Racism and unwanted behaviour
If you are affected by racism or inappropriate behaviour, and you would like to be supported or understand response options, you can report it online via our Unwanted or Inappropriate Behaviour form.
Emotional support
You can request support from our Student Wellbeing Team by submitting an online CARE form.
Find out more about emotional support at Student Wellbeing. You can also contact the GP Service at MQ Health.
If you are located outside of Australia, mental health support contacts are listed on our Offshore student support page.
Study support
Your course work
Whether you are on campus or off campus, there are many academic support options available to you. Sign up for workshops or seek help with your assignments with services such as Academic Success for help with your academic writing and study skills, numeracy support. You can also talk to your teaching staff about whatever is affecting your study and they can refer you to services that can provide you with support.
Withdrawing from units
If you are affected by events out of your control and are unable to continue your studies you can withdraw according to these key dates and processes.
If you need to withdraw outside of these key dates, you can apply for withdrawal without academic or financial penalty from your units. This means that you will not have a fail recorded for the unit, and you can apply for a tuition fee refund. To do this:
- Apply for withdrawal
- As part of this withdrawal application you can provide a personal statement which gives information about why you need to withdraw because of events happening around you
- if you have supporting documentation to use in this application for withdrawal, we encourage you to supply it
If you have questions about withdrawal, Service Connect and Student Advocacy can help you.
Unable to submit assessments
If you are unable to complete your assessments at the time they are due for submission please submit a Special Consideration request.
Taking time off from study
If you need to withdraw from your studies for up to 12 months you can apply for a Leave of Absence (Australian students only) or a Suspension of Study (International students only).
Financial Support
If you are experiencing financial hardship due to events around you, you can apply for grants and loans to assist with your studies. If you have questions about loans and grants, please contact Student Wellbeing by making a CARE form.
We're here for you
If you don’t know what to do, or where to start, submit an online CARE form and our Student Wellbeing Team will help you access support services.
International students can also email internationalstudentengagement@mq.edu.au for support from our International Student Engagement Officer.
Managing overwhelm
- Maintain a normal routine with a regular sleep schedule and structured meal times. Keep busy and structure your day. Regular exercise is also important but allow yourself time to rest if you’re tired
- Aim for a healthy and balanced diet where possible. Be mindful of avoiding caffeine or alcohol, especially later in the day
- Limit your exposure to media consumption, including social media. Timers, apps or alarms can help.
- Find something positive to do in response to distressing world events to help you feel like you can make a positive difference in the world. Volunteer in your community to help others or donate money to emergency organisations
- Separate angry thoughts and feelings about specific people who behave in cruel ways
- Share your experiences with people you trust. This may feel uncomfortable but talking to people you feel safe with, rather than bottling up your feelings, can be helpful. You can do this with our free TalkCampus app.
