Welcome home - Top 10 reasons to move to Canberra for university

There are lots of universities to choose from, but only one ANU. There is a reason why demand is strong for accommodation on ANU campus. Our accommodation experience is renowned for being easy and free to apply, fun, supportive, and inclusive.

Why would you move interstate for uni? We have put together the top 10 reasons to help you make that decision!

  1. Accommodation Guarantee for first year interstate students!

At ANU, the Accommodation Guarantee is free to apply, and if you get an offer for academic study, you are guaranteed to live on campus in your first year if you apply by January 6 of the year you are planning to commence. You won’t want to leave! And you might be able to stay in your later study years by contributing to your accommodation community. We encourage you to get involved, such as organising events, become a Senior Resident (see #9), or represent your hall or lodge in interhall team sport competitions. These are just a few ways you can get involved, have fun, and give back to your community.

  1. Independence

A lot of students are trying to figure out who they are, let alone what they want to do. You will learn about yourself in ways that you wouldn’t get if you stayed home, in your comfort zone. If you are looking for paid experience in the university setting, apply to become a Student Ambassador for your academic college or for ANU more broadly.

  1. Living on campus ‘experience’

There is a reason that students rave about living on campus. It really is a wonderful, fulfilling experience. Canberra has been named in the top 20 Best Student Cities (2016 QS Best Student Cities ranking). Plus, the campus is located right next to the city centre with lots of wide open green spaces. At ANU, we have lots of options for accommodation such as catered, self-catered, apartment style, and dormitory style living. All of your utilities are available (some may be included in the rental cost) such as Wi-Fi, electricity, air-con, and laundry. The residences are all different, you just have to choose which option suits you best! We also have beautiful native wildlife on campus such as possums and kangaroos, and our famous resident ANU ducks with their adorable fluffy ducklings in tow are a regular sight in Spring! Adorbs.

  1. Friends for life

One of the things that we hear from students living on campus is how their social networks expand in a very short time, meaning you’ll find ‘your people’. Guaranteed you will make friends for life!

  1. ‘Canberra advantage’

If you are interested in languages, working overseas, politics, internships and more—Canberra is the perfect place to be! With opportunities to intern through the Australian National Internships Program (ANIP) in an embassy, Australian Parliament House or another government department, you will get the ‘Canberra advantage’.

You will have access to the major Australian cultural and collecting institutions and their archives for teaching, learning and research. The ANU School of Art teach at the National Gallery of Australia, and students can also undertake experience at other institutions such as, The National Archives, The Australian War Memorial, The National Museum of Australia, The National Library of Australia, The National Gallery of Australia, and The National Portrait Gallery.

In particular, the National Film and Sound Archives of Australia (NFSA) have a joint first year project whereby student's are able to use the NFSA materials and the resulting work is shown at a special screening. Read about Jeremy's experience from this project. Opportunities such as these will provide you with the chance to gain professional experience and get your foot in the door even before you graduate.

  1. Life experience

As they say­—YOLO! Get out of your comfort zone and learn key skills such as managing your time and money, and your cooking skills will be well developed if you live in self-catered accommodation. Plus living in the nation’s capital, you’ll grow as an individual and see a bit more of our beautiful country while you’re at it.

  1. Get involved with student clubs and societies

Did you know we have a Quidditch team? WE ARE THE NARGLES! We have everything from Harry Potter, to Chocolate, and Kanye West—Appreciation Societies. Like playing sport and being active? We’ve got you covered for that offering a fully equipped on campus gym, running tracks and an abundance of bike paths. Want to star in a musical or play? You can do that too.

Read about two student societies you might find interesting: the ANU Malaysian Students Organisation and the ANU International Relations Society.

  1. Your dream course

With a huge range of degrees, as well as the opportunity to study a Flexible Double Degree, you’ll find your perfect fit at ANU. You can build your own unique program through our Compare and Create tool on the Programs and Courses website. The Bachelor of Arts alone is the biggest and most popular degree at ANU, with 50 majors and over 80 minors to choose from.

  1. Take the stress of living away from home

You won’t have to find a place to live—we’ll find it for you. Plus if you live in a catered option we’ll do the cooking for you. We have fantastic facilities including study/meeting spaces, movie rooms, soundproof music practice rooms, and in some cases a rooftop garden and free secure bike storage. We also have later-year Senior Residents, who are like the cool older sibling, to mentor you and help support your transition. Another great thing is that once you live on campus, everyone else is in the same boat as you, having the same experiences, so you’ll never be without someone to talk to.

  1. Live in the heart of the City Centre

Our location on 145 hectares of beautifully maintained parklands right in the city centre, is central to everything. We are only 100 steps to the CBD! We have great coffee shops, bars, foodie culture and trendy shops in the nearby suburb of Braddon, which is right next to the main shopping hangout—the Canberra Centre. With over 5000 beds on campus (more to come!), and cheaper residential fees compared to other major universities, it’s easy to join this welcoming community of students right in the heart of the city.

Why wait? We look forward to welcoming you home to ANU. Make ANU your first preference for study next year and apply now to live on ANU campus.