Moving to Canberra to study at ANU?

[PhoenixxFire]

Does anyone know what it's like studying in Canberra?
I am looking at going to ANU because they will let me do a double degree combination that I can't do at any other Uni that i've found. I currently live in Melbourne. Has anyone studied there or know what it's like? The course looks cool but Canberra...

[strawberries]

Current 1st year ANU student, also from Melbourne!

what degree are you thinking of studying?

Canberra actually is not a bad place to live. (tbh I sometimes prefer it more than Melbourne)
ANU is really close to the city which is good. If you live on campus it's very convenient to get to the shops/uni without a car etc
also the public transport is much better than Melbourne (less confusing, often on time etc)
Also, yes Canberra is much smaller than Melbourne (both in size and in population) but I kinda like the small, quiet community (actually not that quiet cos close to the city but yeah quieter than melbourne cbd)
Still plenty of good food in the city, but I don't think the nightlife/clubs is that good (I'm not interested in that kind of stuff so idk, but I've heard this from others)
Yes canberra is also colder in winter and even as someone who's afraid of cold I don't find it that bad.
really Cabnerra isn't a bad place to live at all.

regarding ANU...very large campus (i got lost a few times, but you'll get the hang of it). lots of diverse students. like people coming from all over Australia + the world. most people you meet won't be from Canberra. most people live on campus during 1st year.

if you have any other questions let me know

[PhoenixxFire]

Hi, thanks for your reply!

I'm thinking of doing a double degree in Medical Science/Environment and sustainability.
Given it is a smaller area did you find it easy to get a job there/ what sort of jobs are available for students?

[strawberries]

Hi, thanks for your reply!

I'm thinking of doing a double degree in Medical Science/Environment and sustainability.
Given it is a smaller area did you find it easy to get a job there/ what sort of jobs are available for students?

haven't found a job yet but it's mainly due the fact I haven't looked around THAT much and my lack of experience as well.
other students have found jobs though, but I believe that's cos they have more experience.

[kani]

Also first year ANU student here!

Same as strawberries I actually like Canberra sometimes more than Melbourne ahaha;;; it can get really quiet at times, but I lived in the semi-outer suburbs back in Melbourne so not exactly a big city person anyways
Commuting is also easier and faster if you live on campus as many do (takes me 5-10 min to get to class rather than the 1 hour minimum it would take back in Melbourne)
Living away from home also forces allows you to get more involved in campus life if not for the fact that otherwise you would get bored out of your mind, allowing you to meet a lot more people and try more new stuff. There's people from all walks of life and from all over Australia/the world so I've found that really awesome.

I've heard finding casual work can get competitive, but most of my friends have found jobs after a bit of searching. I didn't have any experience but got lucky and landed a job as well, so it's definitely not impossible! Like most places, student jobs tend to be in hospitality and retail, but I've seen quite a few do tutoring too (though not as easy if you're looking to tutor high school students as obviously the syllabus is different to VCE)
If you're desperate for cash there's also always psych students looking for guinea pigs study subjects I guess...
One thing to consider though is that moving to Canberra can get expensive compared to living at home when rent/bills/food/other costs are factored in.

Anyway I would definitely recommend you consider ANU if you're interested in the course. I've gotten a lot of Canberra hate from friends back home but it really isn't as terrible as people make it out to be, and you might like to come up to Open Day (some time in August I think?) if you want to get a look for yourself.
Just my two cents but I hope that helps!

[mahler004]

Opposite direction to those above (i.e. grew up in Canberra, moved down to Melbourne for university).

Canberra's really not that bad, and I find a lot of the more vocal Canberra-bashers have either grew up in Canberra and never left, or never lived in Canberra. It's a small city - don't move to Canberra expecting Sydney or Melbourne but it's actually a really nice, somewhat scenic, place to live. A couple of the institutions (NGA as well as the ANU, obviously, come to mind) can compete with their counterparts in big cities. You also don't need to go far from the city for some really great hikes and cycling tracks (there's great hikes ~5 min drive from the city.) A lot of the disenchantment with Canberra comes from people moving to Canberra and expecting Sydney - keep in mind that it's a small city, with the associated caveats, before moving.

Although it won't be much of a problem as a uni student, it's also missing a lot of the big city inconveniences. Canberra congestion is nothing on Sydney or Melbourne congestion (although Canberra has been catching up pretty quickly in some parts over the past 5-10 years).

Native Canberrians that stay in Canberra can be somewhat cliquish (i.e. they won't look much beyond their high school social group), but again, this is something I've found a bit of in Melbourne as well. One of the real advantages of the ANU is that there's a pretty vibrant campus social life - an inevitable consequence of a large amount of people living on campus, and that a large amount of people move interstate to attend. It's also worth pointing out that a lot of the better cafes/restaurants/pubs are in random suburban shopping centres, not in the city.

The only major problem is that it can be pretty hard to get around without a car once you move more then ~5km from the city. The same, of course, can be said for Sydney or Melbourne, and if you live on campus at ANU you won't need a car anyway.

The weather is actually nicer then Melbourne. It's cold, but the houses are built for the cold, and it doesn't rain nearly as much. There's less horrible, cold, damp days. It's cold, but it's also dry.

And Tiger flies to Canberra now, so getting to and from Melbourne isn't as expensive as it was a few years ago.

[JeffChiang]

I'm thinking of doing a double degree in Medical Science/Environment and sustainability.

Ah yes, I am pretty adamant on Philosophy, Politics, Economics/Environment and Sustainability! Might see you around maybe?
ANU really seems to have the most flexible double degree options ever and it's only 4years for most.

I'm from Sydney and I hate it. The traffic is just so bad, never take a car to the city. And nowadays, there are so many people on trains as well (I will have to put up with if I don't go ANU). Housing affordability is crazy etc.
I feel like Canberra is so much better. Looking foward to heaps of hikes, camping and cycling to get around which is environmentally friendly and fun!

The only issue is the cost of relocating. It's around $20 000/ yr for accomodation but considering you're only doing a 4yr degree compared to maybe a 5-6yr double degree at UNSW for example, it somehow evens out in the long run considering you're paying up to $50 000/yr for a degree and for me, I will be saving the daily 1hr commute on a cramped train.

[lorbubblegum25]

I've only ever heard good things about the experience at ANU. I will be there next year postgrad. I did undergrad at Monash and UNSW@Canberra. I have many friends who have gone from undergrad at UNSW to postgrad at ANU and love it.

I have lived in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra. I would say Melb vs. Canberra there are many exciting things in a bigger city but depends how much of that stuff you do (or can afford to do money/time-wise). Canberra much easier commute and still has some great restaurants, cafes, shopping etc.

Canberra vs. Sydney if you don't like the big smoke commutes and expenses but still want a bit of civilisation Canberra is good compromise. I'm not much of a clubber etc I'm really just a study nerd so I like Canberra better. But Sydney's weather is better in my opinion.

It could be argued the weather in Canberra is better than that in Melbourne. If you have good heating and cooling, a big coat and a car or bicycle I think Canberra is great.