Residential Life at the University of Western Australia

By Emma Pitcher, University of Western Australia Perth, Australia

Similarly to universities at home in the UK, UWA offers several accommodation options that are near the campus grounds.

Obviously, which one you pick depends on your preferences, budget, etc… however, after my first semester I can provide my own recommendations! Something I found to be severely lacking when I initially began my UWA research.

First off, there are 5 different colleges to choose from: University Hall, Trinity Residential College, St Thomas More College, St George’s College and St Catherine’s College. All the details on costs and what services they provide can be found on their respective websites but in this blog I will detail aspects that are not explicitly mentioned.

I chose Trinity Residential College, it wasn’t the most expensive (I’m pretty sure it’s still the second cheapest after University Hall), all meals are catered for ( 3 times a day, 7 days a week), laundry isn’t charged extra, it is known for a good social life, plus it offered many different services (sports, music, etc). All in all, to me it appeared to be worth the price! University Hall doesn’t fully cater, and I didn’t think it was worth the extra time to shop for and cook food, especially in a country I had never visited before! Trin food is all served buffet style so there are always lots of options.

Fortunately, after a semester at Trin, I found it offered what was advertised plus more! I was thankful I hadn’t gone for another college. The other colleges seemed more reserved, whereas Trin was incredibly welcoming and friendly across the board. There’s a large exchange student community at Trin which made immersion easier as everyone was in the same boat, something you may doubt as you start in semester 2. In orientation week there are so many fun activities and trips (e.g., Rottnest Island, Lancellin sand boarding, and more) that they include in your rent price, which we found other colleges did not provide!

The Trin grounds are spacious, with large green spaces to sit and relax in or play sports in. The dining hall serves yummy food with occasional themed dinners (usually country themed) and hosts gala events. Furthermore, I can not stress enough how beneficial these shared spaces are for socialising and meeting people. It seems daunting at first having to meet new friends and find where to sit at meals but, trust me, before you know it, you’ll be sat outside in the warm evening sun, dragging tables together to fit all the wonderful people you’ve gotten to know. I found nearly every single new friend at Trin as you spend most of your time here compared to at UWA, e.g., in lectures.

The rooms are well furnished, with every room including a balcony and mini fridge! Every building within Trin comes with Resident Advisors, who are also students, so you always have someone for help at any time. The buildings and bathrooms are cleaned Monday to Friday, with weekly room cleans so no having to split up chores with your neighbours. Plus, there are multiple sport, music and art events you can get involved in across the semester.

Finally, while I could describe Trinity in so much more detail, with individual building recommendations… This blog provides an adequate summary of why your first choice should be Trin at UWA. I am a rather introverted person, but I found that Trin caters to everyone. So whether you are more of a party person, or prefer a quiet night in, you will find what you’re looking for here!