5 Reasons the College Experience Is Unforgettable at UNE

Deciding to go to uni is one of the biggest new adventures of your life – from here on you get to decide what you’re going to learn, what your future career could look like and how you’re going to live in your student years. You can go in with a big plan, or start with something a bit more general and pick a major once you’ve found your passion. With planning the next few years of your life, you’re probably asking yourself where you wanna study, and where you wanna live. There are heaps of options out there, but rn we wanna put you on to why you should take a look at living in the colleges at the University of New England (UNE). 

UNE’s an excellent uni 

Obviously before you even think about where you’d like to stay when you go to a uni, you’re asking yourself if the uni’s worth studying at. Well, if you’re thinking of studying at UNE, you’re sorted. UNE is the only public uni in Australia that has been awarded 5 stars for Overall Experience 18 years in a row by Good Universities Guide. That covers everything from the quality of classes and degree programs, on-campus experience, facilities, community life, online flexibility and more. They’ve also been awarded 5 stars for teaching quality by the Good Universities guide, so you know you’re in good hands! 

A spot-on location and beautiful campus 

UNE’s Armidale campus and location has the perfect blend of having what you’d want from an inner-city university, with all the benefits of small-town living. For starters, UNE has room to spare, with over 74 hectares of campus to enjoy (almost twice as big as some capital city unis), with a mix of modern and traditional buildings. It’s built around one of the nation’s most beautiful country houses, with stained-glass windows, sandstone, and winding staircases. It's giving Hogwarts, dark academia, gothic fantasy – you get the vibe. Don’t worry though – you won’t be studying by candlelight with rolls of parchment. The Armidale campus has restaurants and cafés, libraries, research facilities, and everything else you’ve come to expect from a 5-star university. If you’re staying on-campus, you can rest assured that everything you need to work, play and rest is all here. 

The great thing about the Armidale campus is that if you’re truly looking for a bit of an adventure, and the experience of moving to a new town, you’ve got it – but you’re also not so far away from the major cities that it’s going to be a major hassle coming back home for the holidays. It’s around halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, or around 2 and a half hours to the north coast if you’re up for a beach holiday now and again. 

A thriving social life with more than enough to do 

One of the biggest challenges people have going from high school to uni, especially when you’re moving cities, is making new friends. The great thing about college living is that you basically get a whole set of mates on arrival. Everyone there’s in the same boat as you, and you’ll get opportunities to meet new people when you’re grabbing a meal, moving in at the same time as your neighbors, settling in during O-Week or getting involved in one of the many clubs, community projects, sport teams and professional experiences. Plus, if you’re after a bit of extra support, UNE’s Residential Colleges have a dedicated team of staff and students who are trained in mental and physical First Aid. You can also get access to weekly study sessions with Academic Mentors (or tutors) for some pointers. 

There’s so much to do and get involved with at the UNE Armidale Campus 

If you have a sport you love, chances are you can find it at UNE. SportUNE is rated as having some of the best sports facilities in the entire state, including a 6-lane heated pool, full gym, an indoor climbing wall, fields for rugby league, union, football, AFL, hockey, even seven squash courts! If you’d far rather be grabbing a meal than kicking goals, that’s cool too – there are plenty of cafés around on campus, and depending on your college choice, you can grab a hot meal there too. 

Something that really sets UNE’s college experiences apart from just studying on-campus are the opportunities to give back to your community. UNE wants to help you make a difference in our world, whether it’s in your area, the country or the world. That’s why each campus has awesome programs that raise money for donations, help out charities or other cool organisations. You can even design your own projects to help out with causes you care about. Think helping sick kids, supporting people with cancer, or saving lives by donating blood – UNE Colleges have helped with these and heaps more. 

You can pick a college experience that suits your vibe 

UNE has six different colleges to choose from, each designed to suit your lifestyle and what you want to get from the on-campus experience. If you’re someone who’d like to take the stress out of deciding what to eat every day, Austin Page College offers nutritious meals cooked by their head chef. If you’re moving out for the first time and you’d like your room and furniture sorted out, you can take a look at Robb College. If you’re mostly keen to do your own thing, Wright College and Village is all about independent living with that added college support. 

So, if you’re planning on going to uni, why not switch the commute for on-campus living? If you wanna learn more about what UNE’s college experience could look like for you, make sure you head over to their site at une.edu.au/colleges.