Living on Campus

Report by Sophia R.

Once I got my Acceptance Letter, I started thinking about where I want to live in Manly. Since I am only staying for three months, I decided to just live on campus instead of finding an affordable apartment (which is very challenging in Manly!). And it turned out to be a very good decision. The university looks like a little castle up on a hill. It is over hundreds of years old and very charming. There are two main buildings where all the students live. You can choose between single bedroom, single with view, double, triple or quad. I decided to take a single room so I have my own, private space. Every room is equipped with a bed, desk, closet, chair and some shelves. There is free Wi-Fi in the whole building. The linen is changed once a week and the housekeeping even vacuums your room for you.

Every floor has common showers and toilets and some rooms have an additional sink. Unfortunately, there is no air condition in the accommodations and it can get very hot, so it is advisable to bring or buy a fan. Another aspect why I am so happy about living on campus is because I do not have to spend any money on food – which is in my opinion quite expensive in Australia.The days start with a tasty breakfast. There is a variety of cereal, yoghurt and fruits as well as cheese, ham and some vegetables. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they have some additional eggs, bacon, beans and potatoes. Breakfast is usually from 7.30 to 8 which leaves you plenty of time to get dressed afterwards for your classes which start at 9. Here is another big advantage – you don’t have to walk up the hill every morning dressed in business attire. Lunch is between the two classes from 12 to 1. While lunch is usually very busy, dinner is way more relaxed. The meals are very varied and it is always served with some salad or vegetables, bread and for dinner with some dessert.

Everybody has the opportunity to choose between vegetarian or something involving meat. On the weekends, there is a long brunch so everybody can sleep in. But not only that is special about living on campus. It is also the experience to be surrounded by so many other students, hanging out whenever you go to the ICMS partys and just having that typical student life.