Answers to Accommodation/Colleges questions at UNSW

[s2ophie]

There are about a thousand threads on this topic and a lot of questions are asked over and over again so i thought i'd put them together.

The UNSW Housing Website
http://www.housing.unsw.edu.au/

This website has heaps of basic answers and links to colleges/apartment websites.

UNSW has 8 residential colleges on campus. These are:
-New College
-The Kensington Colleges which include Philip Baxter College, Basser College & Goldstein College
-Shalom College
-Warrane College
-Creston College
-International House

The University Student Apartments(Barker and Mulwaree) are not open to first years straight from school.

There are a heap of threads on accommodation. Most of your questions will be answered in these threads but if you have any more, feel free to ask.

Accommodation at UNSW

Some answers about when offers are given out at the Kenso Colleges

Info mostly about New College & a bit about Basser

When to apply

College Interviews

More Questions about Colleges in general

An old thread but with a fair bit of info

Edit: Can one of the mod's sticky this...

[Meldrum]

Are there any snobbish colleges? 'Cause after talking with a guy from Sydney's St. Andrews, I'm being wary.

[grimreaper]

Na I dont really think so though of course youll get the occaisional person that is

[toeknee]

i know this thread is old and may never be viewed again... but which college is better aka more fun/ facilities?
(at unsw)
and does unsw have 'inter-college' games? and do they compete with usyd colleges?
please answer!
thanks

[grimreaper]

i know this thread is old and may never be viewed again... but which college is better aka more fun/ facilities?
(at unsw)
and does unsw have 'inter-college' games? and do they compete with usyd colleges?
please answer!
thanks

Depends on your definition of fun I guess... but I'd definately say you cant go wrong for fun with any of the kenso colleges.

Sports are VERY competitive between the colleges - the more popular ones are played weekly while some are just competitions that run for the duration of a day. The "sports shield" is awarded to the college that has done the best overall in all sports at the end of the year however the only serious contenders for it atm are baxter, warrane and basser cause goldstein is too small to be competitive and for some reason new and shalom just dont get too many sports-orientated people even though theyre both very big. Unfortunately theres no competition with usyd colleges

[s2ophie]

Depends on your definition of fun I guess... but I'd definately say you cant go wrong for fun with any of the kenso colleges.

Sports are VERY competitive between the colleges - the more popular ones are played weekly while some are just competitions that run for the duration of a day. The "sports shield" is awarded to the college that has done the best overall in all sports at the end of the year however the only serious contenders for it atm are baxter, warrane and basser cause goldstein is too small to be competitive and for some reason new and shalom just dont get too many sports-orientated people even though theyre both very big. Unfortunately theres no competition with usyd colleges

I don't know where you get your info from but i wouldn't say its all totally correct. I would say that there is a college to cater for every person and everybody has a different idea of what fun. The Kenso colleges defintition of fun involves a lot of drinking whereas New is less alcohol orientated but still a lot of drinking is to be had if that is your thing. New promotes itself moreso as an academic college which basically means most of the people will settle down and study when they need to but they'll still have a lot of fun when the can.

In terms of sports, i really don't know where you get the idea that New is not competitive. New won the girls sports shield last year and we won the AFL the other weekend. Intercollege sport is a lot of fun and its not incredibly serious so its all good.

[grimreaper]

I don't know where you get your info from but i wouldn't say its all totally correct. I would say that there is a college to cater for every person and everybody has a different idea of what fun. The Kenso colleges defintition of fun involves a lot of drinking whereas New is less alcohol orientated but still a lot of drinking is to be had if that is your thing. New promotes itself moreso as an academic college which basically means most of the people will settle down and study when they need to but they'll still have a lot of fun when the can.

In terms of sports, i really don't know where you get the idea that New is not competitive. New won the girls sports shield last year and we won the AFL the other weekend. Intercollege sport is a lot of fun and its not incredibly serious so its all good.

Like New, its possible to focus more on academic things at the kensos (there were quite a few D averages last semester - it'd be a lesser proportion than New I'd guess though), probably just a bit harder.

In regards to sports, true, I was actually pretty happy to see new beat warrane in the afl final, theyve (warrane) won a lot already. I guess i didnt explain myself very well in my earlier post - while the sports are there for everyone to play in and have fun, theres a lot of rivalry in a few of the big ones (rugby, soccer, hockey) between some of the colleges. Oh and I'm sorry I didnt mention the girls side of things - they play all the sports the guys do though I think in their case its a lot closer in terms of competition as both new and goldstein are quite strong it seems.

[toeknee]

sweEeT!
how come theres no usyd competitions?
damn those usyds......
so many sports....so much competition....
well i know where im headed....
(how come no ones said anything about international?)
its so expensive is it full of rich preps and study hardys?

whoa wait wait how do you know which college suits you the best though?

cause i dont think they ahve it advertised on their college banner "Kensington the place for total party drinkers."

[grimreaper]

sweEeT!
how come theres no usyd competitions?
damn those usyds......
so many sports....so much competition....
well i know where im headed....
(how come no ones said anything about international?)
its so expensive is it full of rich preps and study hardys?

whoa wait wait how do you know which college suits you the best though?

cause i dont think they ahve it advertised on their college banner "Kensington the place for total party drinkers."

I think it just becomes obvious by reading about the various colleges - if someone wants to be able to go to a college with both sexes and the ability to drink in the college, they'd have to choose kenso or shalom (though I dont know how much shalom drinks as I dont know anyone from there). Equally, I guess that on average more academically inclined people end up at New for the opposite reason.

As to are most people rich\big studiers... Na I wouldnt say so. A lot of people have scholarships they use to pay their colleges fees with.

[username?]

How long does it take to walk from new to the elec eng faculty? And is new meant to be the most expensive?

[grimreaper]

How long does it take to walk from new to the elec eng faculty? And is new meant to be the most expensive?

probably somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. And no

[pyko]

hi all....
just a quick intro...this is my 2nd yr at UNSW, and I lived in Basser in my first year, and currently living at International House (IH).

here is my understanding of the colleges (plz note, other ppl may see it differently)
New College
Considered as one of the more academic colleges in UNSW - but also one of the most expensive! When I applied for New, I was told that the college was laid out so that you got to know 5 or so other ppl very well (shared a common room or something...). I know there is an alcohol ban (no alcohol in college) but I think this doesn't stop ppl drinking alcohol in their rooms etc. There is also partying etc, but when study/exams comes along people are more prepared to sit down/calm down and study. No idea about what the food is like.


The Kensington Colleges which include Philip Baxter College, Basser College & Goldstein College
As mentioned, THE party colleges. From my year at Basser, I can tell you there is alot of drinking, alot of partying, and some studying. The fees are probably the 2nd cheapest - and the best thing about these colleges(esp Basser) is that they're in the middle of campus...so wake up at 9am and still be relatively ontime for a lecture in CLB The food is OK there, Scolarest (formly known as Eurest) caters for all 3 colleges, so they cook for over 300 ppl...which does mean the quality is compromised a bit.


Shalom College
A Jewish college. Fees are quite expensive as well - but good 'service'...bins etc get cleaned DAILY!!! (weekly in other colleges).umm, don't really know alot about Shalom, but I know the food isn't great because it follows Jewish customs.


Warrane College
An all Male college, run by Opus Dei. Being a girl, dont' know that much about Warrane..but from a friend the food isn't all that good... (someone from Warrane tell us a bit more about Warrane?)


Creston College
An all Female college, run by Opus Dei. Probably one of the most 'home-like' colleges - i've been inside and it feels like a home! But the downside is that there are only about 20 or so residents, and they are very strict...have a 10pm curfew or something like that. But because of the small size, the food is suppsedly great.

International House
Living here at the moment, and must say I'm loving it The only thing is you can't apply if your a first year student. The majority of ppl at IH are asians (i'm asian myself) and I think its rather different to the other colleges. While at Basser, ppl said IH was a 'dead' college - no social life etc. but since moving in I reckon it does have a social life, just different (less drinking). Umm, so far the food is great (better than Kenso), and another bonus is that IH is the cheapest college on campus (i think about the same as Creston).

But yeah, that is my perception of the colleges - as said above, it really depends on what type of person you are. For me, i like going out with friends, socialising etc - but not in the get drunk sense. And in my opinion academic work is important. So it really depends on what you are looking for, and what you want out of college.

if anyone disagrees with me post it up afterall we're all different!

pyko

[doctordev]

Ok, someone asked about Warrane so I am here to speak more about it. I am a first year med student staying in Warrane and it absolutely rocks. Unfortunately, I can offer no means of comparison to other college cos I have never been in them except that Shalom is good but just a tad too expensive for the average guy. I am paying 262 a week at Warrane and that is among the low end ones. It isn't the lowest but it is well worth it cos together with New College, we can easily access the transport system at our doorstep. The environment is a healthy mix of academic and party. We study hard (at least most of us) and we play hard (most of us). I can't compare the food standards but it is pretty good in my opinion. The variety is good and my only complaint is that sometimes it gets too rich in carbs.
If you wanna party, there will definitely be someone going out every day. If you want to study, you will certainly find a companion. It is really a family like environment so you feel at home. Thats about all i can say now. I would gladly answer any other questions you may have although it is pretty irrelevant now cos the colleges are no longer accepting students for the session.

[7minute]

Basser College is definitely the place to go (ok, so I'm a little biased, I live there). This is my second year living here and it's awesome.

1. It's in the middle of uni (as pyko pointed out) so it's good for practically everyone location-wise (except COFA).
2. There's about 150 of us... not too many and not too few.
3. We have sinks in our rooms... this is a very good thing, you don't have to go out to brush your teeth on a freezing winter night.
4. Our college looks nice (it's getting renovated this summer, but it's ok now... nice and bright with plenty of natural light).
5. We're close to Goldstein and Baxter and can have big social events with them for a change.

A note of advice to anyone thinking of going to college next year: apply asap. I did some college tours on open day last year and apparently there are 300 fresher (1st year) places at Basser, Baxter and Goldstein and well over 1000 applicants.

[funkyj]

.......
The University Student Apartments(Barker and Mulwaree) are not open to first years straight from school.

...

I'm in my first year and living in the Barker Apartment now. I arrived in sydney a week after session 2 started but I got in pretty comfortably and without hassel on the same day that I applied. I don't know how it compares with the other colleges but from my experience so far, it's pretty decent compared with the colleges that I've seen on open day.

*The rooms are furnished and bigger than those in Basser. Probably around the same as Baxter.
*Each apartment has its own lounge, balcony, kitchen, showers and toilets.
*It is within the campus next to Shalom college and the Village Green so attending classes isn't a problem.
*It is very quite and there isn't any noise/disturbance from other apartments.
*The rent is much cheaper. Each week I'm paying 144 on rent and another 10 dollar max (on average for each person) on electricity whereas in Kenso colleges, it's about 280 a week I think.
*Each room has an internet facility where u connect to the UNSW network and pay around 4.4c/mb., or if you're a heavy user you can get your own connection from a 3rd party ISP.
*There is a common laundry and dryer facility where u pay 1.20c for a wash and same for drying.
*Security wise, it's pretty safe, much safer than Mulwarree Apartment from what I've heard (reason why I chose it over Mulwarree).

The things that u will have to compromise on for cheaper prices is that you have to cater for your own food, and you might miss out on social activities like intercollege sports and events (But if you want some fun, you can always join the various social clubs). At the moment I eat out half the time and cook my own meal the other half. Cleanliness and maintenance is up to everyone living within the apartment. Well that's about everything that I can sum up on living in Barker apartment. I hope this information helps.....

[demosthenes]

ok so im going to apply for Kenso colleges. SO EXCITED! after the open day tour and all! But does anyone have a sample of the application form they submitted? Some of the questions have stumped me....i dont want to sound cliched in my responses, but i dont want to sound like a try hard. I know you will just say to respond honestly and sincerely, but what is the REAL answer (ie what answer will get me into college....im real keen!)

[toadstooltown]

I know this is probably the wrong thread and as most of you are from the uni colleges but what's off-uni but specifically for uni student accomodation around Kensignton and Randwick like? I'm planning on still living at home (currently moving house to Asquith) for the first few months of uni to get used to it and all. But, as Asquith is pretty far away I'd like to move down much much closer in a share-house or something. I don't have much money and my parents aren't helping me with any uni costs so I'll have to transfer my job down to coogee or something, but that's okay. I might get a scholarship but I don't want it to be entirely eaten away by accomodation charges. What's the rental situation like down there?

[Jarsh89]

Its been a while since anyone posted on this thread but I thought it would be ok seeing as its stickied. From reading the info previously posted I take it that undergrads can't stay in the university apartments and therefore there is no accommodation provided by the Uni that is self-catered and under $200 a week? Any info would be helpful, thank you!

[kloudsurfer]

I went to the open day yesterday and was very impressed by shalom. However, ive heard its quite expensive.

What are the fees per session for shalom? The website only has the fees per week. Is it significantly more than the other colleges. Im looking at Shalom and New.

Or, what are the fees per week for New College? Im trying to compare the price of the two...

[bacon_its_bacon]

Fee's aren't really looked at as a "per week" basis. More per session or year. If you are going to live in sydney just for uni then go home for the breaks then it is better to live on campus because it is alot cheaper (you don't pay for when you don't live there) while renting on the other hand you pay all year round so its comparable. The kensington colleges are $10,500 a year. (I'm lead to believe this is the second cheapest. I think Warrane is the cheapest because no one really wants to go to an all guys college. (you get kicked out of the college if you bring a girl back to your room or are politely asked to leave if you are homosexual {this happened to someone I know}) Warrane still has rooms available now! all the other colleges are full. You will have fun at any college they are all pretty much on the same level (minus warrane). Shalom is the most expensive.


Warrane is the college everyone hates. I'm from Baxter College, probably in my biased opinion it is one of the best colleges on campus. Definatley go The Kensington colleges or New college they are the better ones. Apply before december if you want a good college! Most of the people in Warrane are in thier because they didn't get thier act together in time! (and they are considered weird by every other college).

Pick your college depending on your personality. If you don't drink that often then definatley pick new college becuase it's dry (that doesn't necessarily mean they don't drink just not in college!), Shalom is a larger quieter college not as much orientated on sport but a good college all the same. Goldstein is smaller and has a few more quieter people but still has alot of atmosphere because it is connected to another two colleges (Baxter and Basser). Basser I would call the normal college and Baxter would definately be the party college (Don't worry our marks are still good, 1/3 destinction, 1/3 credit, 1/3 pass.)

[kloudsurfer]

Whoa thanks for all that info! You seem to know a lot!

I think ill go fo New anyway. Shalom is really nice bu its too expensive (and they are not good at sport lol!), and I dont drink so i guess New is the place for me.

I think ill apply soon, but i feel silly because i might not even end up at UNSW (its my first preference though!)

Thanks bacon.

[Abbath Occulta]

Which is the most grim and frostbitten college?

[Rekkusu]

Lol my friend lives at New College, the one facing Anzac parade near Macdonald's. The building looks pretty old...and rooms are ok, but mind you, the food poisoning has a high probability every day. :rofl:

[kloudsurfer]

Yay I got accepted into New College!

I also have to pay $2000 deposit! And I havent even gotten into UNSW! And I dont even know if im deferring next year!

I know they refund it if you dont get into UNSW, but what if you defer? I know you can defer a college place if you defer studies, Im talking about the deposit, do you get that back if you defer?

[Thought Shark]

Hm. I'm living at New.

Any other BoSers on campus?