Flinders University

The new hub area is absolutely fantastic! Student clubs and associations, student services, food and study spaces are now all in one brand new building. There’s 20+ imacs to use, tables and seats with inbuilt power and usb plugs, couches, study rooms, modern toilets on every level, a media room (with bean bags) and a student kitchen! And it’s open ²⁴⁄₇! You just have to scan your ID card outside of business hours. Outside there is a huge tv screen, and tonnes of bean bags (during the week they’re very popular!)
There are a variety of food venues I’ve yet to try (I always end up being here at obscure times, and the food venues seem to only be open before 5pm on weekdays). The restaurant looks amazing, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake, and the tavern has similar, with a super modern area for students to drink again!
The student kitchen is a real highlight, it has 12 microwaves and quite a few toastie machines, as well as a coffee machine, several vending machines and boiling water.
Honestly it is so good, it makes me actually want to be at uni studying instead of home! Even at 10pm on a Sunday night at the start of semester, there’s heaps of students studying. It’s a welcoming environment and I’m sure other students will enjoy it heaps.

Lovely university, went to open day with daughter in hand. Well organised, well oiled machine. The lectures I went to with daughter were useful and informative.
Plenty of options for food and drink, even found vegan food.
You get plenty of exercise here though, no need for the gym.

Where to start when reviewing a university? I can only advise my experience so far which is as a graduate student of the social sciences department.
Firstly the campus is beautiful. There’s a lake, and ducks. And so many trees. The campus is also pretty spacious.
The food is varied from whole foods with vegan and gluten free options to the refractory with chips, stirfrys and schnitzels. There is also a subway. Which smells delicious. Only con is the bar, the tavern is under renovation and there’s a sort of substitute bar with not much of a vibe.
Next the library system. The actual library is a great space lots of varied options like quiet areas, quieter areas and social areas so you can chat with a friend. The actual readings at flinders does my head in. This may be specific to my course, but we got a course outline with readings and corresponding weeks, then on the library system the reading are all in a muddled order, and they only link you to the library system to find the reading. Sooo much time spent getting readings, and less time spent reading them. At my previous uni the relevant readings were just available in PDF on the website, and I hear that is the case for my course at unisa so not sure why flinders has me jumping hoops.
The actual teachers so far have all been knowledgeable, and some still working part time in the profession they teach in, which is what drew me here over the other unis, as sometimes you’ll be taught by someone with a phd in the subject but hasn’t worked in the field for 20 years.
Lastly the lecture theaters. They vary greatly. Some are lovely and high tech like the humanities building, others and unfortunately for me are overly air conditioned rooms in the social sciences building with those horrible seats with a tiny arm rest thing to write on. I bring lots of pens I need to spread out.
Extra lastly I was a little disappointed by the graduate facilities for social sciences, There was a common room at first at flinders, but by the second week we were told only to heat our food there, get water and get out, more room for staff and other graduates, (non Graduate entry types). This was quite poor form, i didn’t give flinders all my dolleros to heat up my food and sit in the cold courtyard eating it.

Flinders is a good university. Almost everyone is friendly and helpful. The first year science topics are generally well structured however I find the resources at Adelaide University to be outstanding in comparison. The facilities at the uni are nice however look slightly outdated in comparison to Adelaide. Overall, Flinders is a good uni, however Adelaide has a range of extra facilities for science courses, with tuition fees that aren’t significantly higher.

Flinders is often much maligned as the forgotten SA uni. Far from the city and not nearly as hip it almost as if it causes the staff and students to work harder to change perception. With two campuses in Bedford Park most students are now situated on the Main campus with the recent addition of the newly built Education building.
It has also recently had a multimillion dollar upgrade to the sports facilities and now boasts one of the best views of any uni and cheapest memberships for a fully equipped gym.
Degrees ranging in the areas of Education, Humanity, Science, Law and Medicine there is a massive range and great level of experience that goes along with them.
Party life dropped off a bit with the closure of the Tav but after a few years is picking back up with the advent of powers that be getting their acts together.

Ladies, if you’re going to study something other than medicine and you’re thinking of choosing this campus because you think you’ll meet heaps of hot young med students, think again. The doctors are are far far away on the South campus and you’ll never ever bump into one. Secondly, do not choose this campus if you don’t like hills, or light exercise. Flinders Uni campus is all about the trek, you’ve got to move, to learn. I personally liked walking around, the only downer being when you have to drive from one campus to another and find another car park.
Flinders is the happy medium between Adelaide Uni and Uni SA: it has the thriving arts and humanities community of Adelaide Uni, and the work oriented practical focus of Uni SA. My experience of Flinders Uni was mainly positive: huge library, a growing and thriving social life which was just starting to take off after voluntary student unionism, and an excellent course and instructors. The only shame about Flinders: the location. Lets up and move the whole campus and put in the city can we. I hear there’s some space available at Victoria Square.