Living on Campus
Report by Katja N.
Living on campus or off campus… that is the question. I have decided to live on campus during my time abroad. Although there are some things which could be better, I am very happy with this decision.
My Home is my Castle
When I saw my room for the first time, I had to think of a house owned by old people: the furniture and the window shade are old-fashioned. But anyway, it was love at first sight because it’s so cosy. I really like the bed, because the mattress is soft and the blanket is fluffy. The room has everything you need: a desk, a wardrobe, a shelf and the lovely bed. There is also a noticeboard and some pegs for your jackets. The wardrobe is a bit small and there are too few hangers, but you can get more from the housekeeping department for free. The only thing I really miss is a fly screen.
The rooms are cleaned weekly by the housekeeping department. You share the bathrooms with the other students from the corridor you live in. But there are enough showers and toilets, so you don’t have to wait often. The bathrooms are cleaned daily as well. Unfortunately, not all the girls are very clean, so sometimes the bathrooms are a bit messy.
Price for Living on Campus
The price for the accommodation on campus seems expensive at first glance. Since you will get breakfast, lunch and dinner daily the price is acceptable. The price also includes free Wifi, which mostly works well.
The meals are fine. You can always find some lettuce and fruits and they offer a meat and a vegetarian meal. Certainly, I don’t like every meal but I think that’s normal for a canteen. There is a small café, where you can buy sandwiches, pastries and coffee. And you have a small kitchen with a microwave and a fridge on every floor, so you have some opportunities to circumvent the canteen. Sometimes I was a bit bored by the meal variations, because they often serve rice, chicken or wraps.
The BASSMENT
The last reason why it’s good to live on campus is that the ICMS has its own bar, the BASSMENT. Here you can play billiards or ping-pong with other students or just relax. Except Saturday you can also purchase beer, wine and long-drinks for a small price (in Australia a 5 AUD beer is very cheap). Sometimes there are theme parties at the BASSMENT, such as Halloween or horse race.
There are many rules you have to obey. For example it’s not allowed to have much alcohol in your room (just 6 bottles of beer or a bottle of wine). It’s also prohibited to invite non-residentials to your room. Of course, you have to make sure that you are not too loud especially in the evening or night (I think some girls forget this rule, especially on weekends).
Despite the strikt regulations and the meals, I am happy with my decision. Living on campus is the most comfortable and one of the cheapest ways to live here in Manly. It’s very nice to live next to your new friends so you can meet easily. In addition, it’s very comfortable to live above the classrooms because you can sleep longer in the morning.
