Getting There via Public TransportTry the
PTV Journey Planner to find the best way to get to Clayton campus. The name of the (main) bus stop (the bus loop) at Clayton campus is 'Monash University/Wellington Road'.
It might also be worth getting familiar with
where all the buses stop in the bus loop.
Need to top up your myki? There's a top up machine located on one of the central islands in the bus loop (near stops D and M).
To and from the city: A large proportion of students (including myself) travel to Monash from the city via train. You want to take the Cranbourne/Pakenham line and alight at Huntingdale station.
When arriving at Huntingdale Station, exit down the ramp and turn left, and then left again (basically, follow the crowd
). Head up the stairs, and ahead will be the bus stop for the 601 (statistically the busiest bus stop in Melbourne!). This bus runs direct express to Clayton campus, with the ride taking around 6-10 minutes. The 601 does not run on weekends and some public holidays - if you need to get to Clayton campus on these days, take the 900 (to Rowville) or 630 (to Monash University). Note: The 601 still runs on Labor Day and Melbourne Cup Day (because they're not university holidays!
).
To get back to Huntingdale Station from Clayton campus, simply board the 601 where you alighted. The 900 (to Caulfield) and 630 (to Elwood) also go past Huntingdale Station - you can pick up these buses from the two bus stops in front of the 601 stop.
Note when using buses: if all seats are taken, it's always polite to move where possible to the back of the bus to stand to allow more people to board. This is especially true for the 601, which can get very busy during peak times.
Another note: Myki ticket inspectors patrol often (in the bus loop, on buses, and on trains), so be sure to touch on. They sometimes also check for concessions (see below for how to get one).
Intercampus Travel: There are free intercampus shuttle buses to and from Clayton to Peninsula and Caulfield campuses. Be sure to have your student ID with you (sometimes the driver checks). You can view the timetable via the 'Shuttle bus' tile on my.monash.
PTV Tertiary Student Concession: Getting one of these at uni is super easy. Once you've uploaded your photo or have had it taken on campus for your student ID, a pre-filled form should become available somewhere on WES after 24 hours. All you need to do is print it out, fill out some details, give it to your nearest station, and pay the $9 fee to receive your concession card
ParkingA variety of parking options are available on campus, including semester-long permits, carpooling, carsharing, and metered (pay-as-you-go) parking. You can find more info
here. Parking inspectors
do patrol the parking lots, so please ensure you are parking in an appropriate space (e.g. there are permit-only spaces etc.). Parking on campus definitely gets busy (past 9am) during the week, so if you're driving to class, I would recommend leaving early to ensure you aren't late.
Orientation WeekMSA Card: This is probably the most popular membership for (Clayton) students. The MSA is the (official) Monash Student Association, and is in charge of things such as running on campus events, and providing student support services. By becoming a member ($10-20 from memory), you'll get a
range of benefits (including the 'famous' 20% off Maccas discount). For those considering signing up for clubs and societies, the MSA membership also gives a $5 discount on club/society memberships (some work out to be free this way), so I would recommend getting your MSA membership before signing up for the clubs/societies. Membership also gives you access to a variety of
other rewards. The MSA membership signup line is probably the longest of all, so if you're on campus before O-week (e.g. for an enrolment session), the lines are pretty short/non-existent then, so I would do it then
You can also register
online and skip the queue.
You'll also need to have your student ID card before signing up for MSA and many clubs/societies, since your membership in these cases is a sticker on your card.
Prior to/during O-week, your faculty (the people in charge of your course) may hold an introductory/orientation session. Depending on the faculty, they could involve activities designed to introduce you to other students, and/or introduce you to the course itself.
Apart from this, O-week will involve a festival with heaps of club/society stalls for you to talk to members and sign up. Note not all clubs/societies will have a stall during O-week (or for the entirety of O-week), but you can view the full list
here. There's also stalls for things such as on/off-campus residency, disability support services, etc. There'll also be heaps of free stuff, so take a look around! I would also recommend using this time to explore the Clayton campus, and perhaps find out where your classes are held so you don't get lost on your first day (I always get people asking me for directions or looking lost during the first week).
Getting AroundThe Clayton campus is designed like network of streets. Each building belongs to a street, and has a street number.
Click here for a map of the campus. You might feel really lost initially, but don't worry, you'll get used to it eventually! There's also a
StudentVIP Lost on Campus on the App and Google Play Stores. Haven't used it personally, but apparently its quite useful. I find I can get around fine using the standard map though.
If you're having trouble telling the buildings apart, most buildings should have a blue sign with a number (the street number) sticking out the side. Otherwise, if you can find the entrance, there's usually a sign with the building number and name on there as well. Also, probably another thing to note is that the buildings are not always directly next to the main footpath, you sometimes might need to venture away from the main footpath to find the actual building.
Food & DrinkProbably the most budget-friendly lunch you can have is one you have brought yourself. There are heaps of microwaves in the Campus Centre (especially next to the student lounge, right next to Boost Juice), as well as filtered cold/hot water taps.
There are filtered water fountains located around campus.
Otherwise, there are heaps of different food options around campus -
click here for a map!
Link to the Monash Food and Retail site.
Campus Centre has the biggest variety of food and drink options, with multiple fast food takeouts, cafes, and chain stores (e.g. Roll'd, Guzman y Gomez).
I recommend taking the time to look around campus and see what's available (for example, there's a Schnitz and pizzeria on Sports Walk, near the Sports Centre, and a Sumo Salad cafe within the Sports Centre itself).
McDonald's, Clayton: Located along Dandenong Rd, right across the road from Clayton campus. To get there, you want to leave the bus loop/Monash College onto Wellington Rd and turn right (heading towards Huntingdale Station). Keep walking, cross Dandenong Rd, and you're there! (note: you might need to run to be able to finish crossing before the light turns red - you'll see what I mean
)
Coffee: Don't drink coffee, so no idea, sorry!
Accessing Internet on CampusThe best wifi network to use on campus is eduroam. To connect, your username is
[email protected] (NOT your email, which is
[email protected]) and your password is your Monash account password. You will also be able to connect to the eduroam network at
any other (non-Monash!) university that uses eduroam - username and password are the same
The eduroam network can be a bit sketchy at times, but has been mostly reliable in my opinion (e.g. you can watch lecture recordings comfortably).
There are also free-to-use computers available on campus - see 'Where can I study?' below
Where can I go to study?The libraries are probably your best option (Note: Libraries have dedicated quiet zones - please take note of the signs and be respectful of others).
Otherwise, there's study spaces dotted all around the campus. The Learning and Teaching Building (next to the bus loop), first few levels of the Menzies building (tallest building on campus) for example, have common study spaces near the staircases. First year engineering students have a dedicated study space, as well as Science students (Science Student Lounge). Other faculties may have similar areas for their students.
In 2019, they're also opening the Biomedical Learning and Teaching Building (near the bus loop, behind South 1 lecture theatre), which will also have study spaces available.
Computers: If you need to use a computer, there should be heaps in any of the Sir Louis Matheson, Hargrave-Andrews and Law Libraries. There are also various computer labs around campus. Some are dedicated to certain types of students (e.g. BusEco/Commerce students can use the computer labs on level 1 Menzies, provided there isn't a class going on). You can try find a lab
here. In most cases, I've found that I can find an available library computer (sometimes after a 5-10 min wait). Computers are first come first served.
Log in using your username/password as normal. It might be a bit slow to log in (my max is 20 mins, but that's worse case). The desktop that loads is yours, so anything you save on there will be accessible when you log in on a different computer. Loading your desktop is probably another reason why the log in is so slow
Since computers are so limited, it's always polite to only sit at a computer desk if you intend on using the computer.
Other StuffThe Campus Centre houses a range of other services for students, including Monash Connect (go here for any admin-related matters), careers advice, a medical office, optometrist's office, pharmacy, post office, student travel centre, convenience store, piano rooms, and a more.