accomodation while studying in Australia

[aphrodite]

hi,

would like to ask what are the pros and cons between living on campus hostel and sharing an apartment with other people.

I know for on campus, meals are prepared and it's much safer but will it be more expensive than renting a room out of campus?

Any advices?

[Bafana]

Campus is good if you are new to the city you are staying in (or the country). Its a good place to get to know a lot of people your age and shared life experiences. It is also good to join clubs and develop your connections (this tends to be lacking if you start uni by staying off campus)

After a year you can move out with some friends and have a great life as well but still have all your connections from campus.

BTW have fun.

Where are you going to study and what are you going to study?

[bushbride]

Aphrodite,

Baffy is right. Living on campus is the way to go to meet new people and get to know the local information for getting around. Everyone is in the same position as you as the majority of people who live on campus are not from the region. I spent the first year of my uni life on campus and made many friends from all over the world. I was also a member of a couple of societies too. They were definitely worth joining.

The good thing about living on campus is that you get to know people and can choose to live with some of them off campus or not later. There is a great social life and a lot of day-to-day stuff is taken care of. Like cooking (if you choose that package) and common bathroom and floor cleaning.

A couple of bits of advice from me - Beware the cleaning lady! My cleaning lady on campus just let herself into my room on Wednesday mornings. I got caught out in bed several times (she sat on the end of my bed and lectured me on being up enjoying the day rather than being lazy in bed) and a couple of times caught me out only wearing a towel!

Beware the ‘Jelly Bean Club’ on campus. If you are not inclined to fancy the same sex, but like the lollies, it could be very embarrassing if you join!

Even though you have safety in numbers on campus, it is a good idea to practice your own caution and safety on campus also (they will tell you this on campus too).

Have a great time, campus uni days are the best years of your life!

BB

[Guest]

Living on campus and an apartment with friends is that campus always charges much higer than private apartments... try doing a calculation, you'll normally see that u end up paying more for campus accomodation.

[michaeldistel]

Hey Aphrodite,

I’ve helped many Singapore students while they were studying in Australia and were even thinking about starting a business but that’s another story. I have also shared my apartment in Australia with many Singaporeans.

Can I ask where in Australia you are going to study?

There is a third option and that a private apartment setup for students.

From my point of view the three options are

Option One - Hostel
+ Fun Place with many Students
+ Some things are done for you.
- Cost a lot, it can cost more that three times as much as a very nice shared apartment.
- No freedom or very little, they don't like you having parties and they have many rules.

Option Two - Private Apartments for Students
+ Cheaper than a Hostel but still not as cheap as Shared Apartments
+ More freedom than Hostels
+ Most the people in the apartments are Students and everything is setup for students, including help and information.
- They still cost more than Shared House/Apartment by two times
- You have to look after yourself a lot more than Hostels, eg no ones going to cook or clean for you.

Option Three - Shared House/Apartment
+ Cheapest by far, with some people only paying about $70 a week.
+ Max Freedom, basically you can do what you want, within the law of course.
- You have to do everything yourself!
- You have to make sure you pick good flat mates, because it’s a nightmare if you don't.

If I was new I would pick option two first and than after finding some friends I trust would move to option three.

I think Hostels are a really pain in the ass and cost a lot for what you get. They are also the most unsafe because people will walk in and out of your room alot without you knowing. Things always go missing in hostels but I have never heard it happening in a shared house because you would know who it was.

Cheers
Michael

[aphrodite]

Thanks u guys for all the useful info.

I'll be going to queensland uni,St lucia campus. anyone of you know any good accomodation around there?

Thinking of living on campus instead of shared apartments cuz like what michaeldistel had said, it'll be a nightmare if i have lousy apartment mates and i don't really know how to cook.

I didn't know there is a Private Apartments for Students...meaning i will hav a bathroom to myself?

[michaeldistel]

Hey Aphrodite,

I have a lot of friends there..

Look at http://www.altitudeapartments.com.au/

I'v been there and still have some friends there, its cheaper than a hostel, clean, very safe and mostly students. The place is not so close to uni that you can walk but there are buses that can take you.

Altitude Apartments is an example of private apartments for students, its not on campus and is a private company that has nothing to do with the uni. In Altitude you get your own bathroom to yourself and normally have a hall and kitchen. Most the time you share an apartment with someone else, each person has a bedroom and one bathroom with a shared hall and kitchen. Yes you will have to cook and clean the apartment yourself and take away food is not easy to come by in Queensland and costs alot, so if I was you learn how to cook

I also have been to the hostels at Queensland Uni and they suck. (well thats what I think) They cost about $300 a week and you have to share with other people, yes they do cook for you but believe me the food is not that great. Atitude costs about $160 and is a lot cleaner, nicer and you will alot more freedom. With the extra $140 a week you can buy better food than you'll get in the hostel too.

Anyway good luck and make sure you have fun while your there.

Cheers
Michael

[aphrodite]

Thanks alot for your info!!

and u mentioned that i will need to travel to get to the uni..will the transport fee be expensive per trip to and fro?

Think i will most prob learn how to cook now that u said it..ha... anyway, i'm a vegetarian so i think there's not much choice for me as there is in sg

[michaeldistel]

I can't really remember because I had a car, but I think its less than a $1 per trip. Also you can get monthly tickets which are cheaper again.

I'm not sure if you know but the uni has no train station so you can only get there by bus. Altitude on the other hand is next to a train station making it easy to get to the city, it is also closer to the pubs, shopping centre and other fun things around the city. (lol you can tell I'm from Australia because put the pub first )

Michael

[aphrodite]

ohh..so they have monthly tickets too.

(lol you can tell I'm from Australia because put the pub first )

haha..australians normally go pubbing alot? hee

and how much does a car cost over there? also, how much will it take to get a license there?

[aphrodite]

oh and the prices that they state in the altitude website, the electricity and gas are not included in it right?