# Best JCU accommodation?



## fritzi2009 (Nov 3, 2009)

I have been looking at JCU's website and all their accommodation choices, and I am freaked out!
I know I will get money from the government from being 18 and living away from home (I think), but I am so scared about paying rent and bills, food etc.
The course I am doing will be 5 years full-time, which means work will have to be weekend/nights, which I'm fine with as I'm a night owl, I just hope I can find something 
I will be applying to Uni next year, as I hope to be accepted for 2011. 

I just wanted to know from anyone who studies at JCU,
what accommodation do you stay in or what in your experience would be the best choice for an 18 year old living away from home for the first time ever:lol:
Any advice on pricing/areas would be great..


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## Asharee133 (Nov 3, 2009)

dont they have facilitys?


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## fritzi2009 (Nov 3, 2009)

They have university dorms but I have been thinking about share accommodation or find a very cheap rental place


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## LullabyLizard (Nov 3, 2009)

Good luck  Where is JCU?


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## Mrs I (Nov 3, 2009)

Cairns / Townsville area.


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## Radar (Nov 3, 2009)

Which campus are you looking at?


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## Kitah (Nov 3, 2009)

If you like partying etc, Uni hall at townsville may be good for you  I spent 2 years at St. Raphaels, and the staff are really nice, caring and helpful. The lady that kind of 'runs' Raphs though is terrified of snakes... You get food cooked for you (there were 2 chefs when I was there, and you eat in a combined dining hall with st. pauls), cleaners vacuum your room every second week (I prefered it when it was every week.. lol) etc. The only thing is that the price continuously has been going up... 

I find it MUCH cheaper living off campus, and I can keep my pets, so thats good for me. I find it too challenging to try and balance uni with work, because my course just demands too much time.. with government payments I only JUST scraped paying the accomodation at St. Raphs (before the price went up) but now I actually have a bit of cash to spend,when living off campus.

Edit; just read that this will be your first time living away from home.. it was the same for me, when I moved up, and I was 17. I was extremely shy and to be honest hadn't done much for myself (didn't have to cook, clean, do shopping etc) and my parents wanted me to live on campus for the first year at least to get a handle of living by myself in a totally new city. Personally, if I were choosing a college at JCU in townsville, I would steer clear of uni hall; its central in the uni, but waaay too noisy for my liking.. I don't have much experience with the other colleges, but I would imagine george roberts and john flyn colleges would be more quiet than uni hall and perhaps st. marks. And as I said, raphs is pretty good


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## MrHappy (Nov 4, 2009)

I went to JCU in Townsville. I lived off campus, sharing a flat (but my parents helped financially) I had a few different jobs though. Friends who lived on campus paid a fair bit but this included food, cleaning etc. It was my first time away from home and I found it quite easy. There are more distractions (in my opinion) staying on campus. If you don't have a vehicle you'll have to stay fairly close to the uni. 
Good luck with whatever you decide


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## Kitah (Nov 4, 2009)

Forgot to mention.. if you don't have transport, the bus routes are pretty good and go straight into the uni.

In comparison to Brisbane, I rekon Townsville is much easier to live in, particularly if its your first time away from home (as already mentioned, it was my first time out as well ) Hope you enjoy it up here


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## fritzi2009 (Nov 4, 2009)

I'll be going to the Townsville campus.

Hmm I worked out (by worked out I mean looked online) that the government would only be giving me something stingey like $371.. a fornight. I don't understand how I am meant to live of that :| Rent, food, bills, fuel for my yet to be bought vehicle. It kind of sucks though my parents can't help me out financially, niether can my grandparents.
I will however look for work, and thankgod my Mum taught me how to cook  I'm also a fairly clean person, sometimes I'm lazy but I always go into "clean-o-mode." 

I uess I will have to talk to some people closer to the date. I will definitly need to find someone who will let me have pets


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## Kitah (Nov 4, 2009)

By 5 year course, are you doing vet. science? If so, theres quite often signs around the vet buildings for people looking for house mates, and they often have pets (so if you weren't planning on having any, you could interact with theirs) and usually let you bring your own. 

When its a bit closer to time, let me know and I can keep an eye out for ads for you around the uni, seeing as I'm already up here if you like.


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## ravan (Nov 4, 2009)

fritzi2009 said:


> I'll be going to the Townsville campus.
> 
> Hmm I worked out (by worked out I mean looked online) that the government would only be giving me something stingey like $371.. a fornight. I don't understand how I am meant to live of that :| Rent, food, bills, fuel for my yet to be bought vehicle. It kind of sucks though my parents can't help me out financially, niether can my grandparents.
> I will however look for work, and thankgod my Mum taught me how to cook  I'm also a fairly clean person, sometimes I'm lazy but I always go into "clean-o-mode."
> ...




it's doable... it'll teach you budgeting skills lol. 
i currently get 440 per fortnight, and pay $100 rent each week... it sucks.. but its still much better than living at home lol 
and obviously, start saving now! so incase you get into trouble you have that saved up to help you out


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## fritzi2009 (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks shadow and ravan  & yes by 5 year course I mean vet science. I would want to take whatever reptiles I owned with me at the time, couple snakes, couple beardies.  
I won't be applying till the end of next year however when I do I'll definitly let you know.


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## abbott75 (Nov 4, 2009)

fritzi2009 said:


> Hmm I worked out (by worked out I mean looked online) that the government would only be giving me something stingey like $371.. a fornight. I don't understand how I am meant to live of that :| Rent, food, bills, fuel for my yet to be bought vehicle.



Hmmm... Earn your own money perhaps? Like the rest of us?


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## fritzi2009 (Nov 4, 2009)

abbott75 said:


> Hmmm... Earn your own money perhaps? Like the rest of us?


 
I do earn my own money & I'd appreciate it if you read the enitre thread before thowing around accusations- I already mentioned numerous times I will look for afternoon/night and weekend work when I begin Uni. If I can claim money from the government through youth allowance on top of all that then you better believe I'll be doing it.  I'll need all the money I can get, especially if whatever job I eventually work at doesn't offer many hours. But I'll work that out later


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## abbott75 (Nov 4, 2009)

fritzi2009 said:


> I do earn my own money & I'd appreciate it if you read the enitre thread before thowing around accusations- I already mentioned numerous times I will look for afternoon/night and weekend work when I begin Uni. If I can claim money from the government through youth allowance on top of all that then you better believe I'll be doing it.  I'll need all the money I can get, especially if whatever job I eventually work at doesn't offer many hours/high pay rates. But I'll work that out later



I understand that if it is offered, you have every right to claim it, but don't go complaining that your *free money* isn't enough!:shock:


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## fritzi2009 (Nov 4, 2009)

abbott75 said:


> I understand that if it is offered, you have every right to claim it, but don't go complaining that your *free money* isn't enough!:shock:


 
It's not exactly free money, I am only eligible for it if I'm over 18 and living away from home studying. Besides, I will be doing a 5 year full time course and trying to squeeze work in on the side, 
I think I am more deserving of the "free money" alot more than the centrelink bludgers I know who don't work or study, they could at least make the effort to find work 
Those people really annoy me, they have no disability stopping them from working, yet they just refuse too. I know alot of those people... They are just lazy and at 19/20 still mooch of their Mummy & Daddy to take them everywhere and buy them everything.
But that's just my opnion :lol: Now I'm off to.. you guessed it.. work  Cya


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## Radar (Nov 4, 2009)

It is very livable if you can pull another $100 a week (5 hours in retail as a casual), I did it and actually saved money....and I mean I put aside 2 thousand over a couple of months. I live in townsville, Im paying 110 per week rent, run a hilux ute (rego, fuel, etc), plus all the pets (far to many), and always burned at least 100 bucks of fuel per weekend herping. Exam time will be difficult with work/uni commitments, but you'll be fine


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## Kitah (Nov 4, 2009)

I'm of the same opinion as you fritzi, in regard to the people that sit on their butts spending their government money on things like booze and cigarrettes and not working, even though they easily could. I'm receiving payments as well, and am certain I'll pay it back and more when I graduate, and I'm fine with that. Its not possible to work full time and study full time, particularly with vet science (I would imagine a lot of other courses would be the same). Vet takes up so much time its scary, its hard to balance everything. As time goes on, it also gets harder because (obviously) more is expected of you. its easy to maintain a job in first year, because it's mostly just 'revision' type stuff from high school (biol and chem mostly, in addition to some basic stuff about animal industries). 

Not trying to scare you off, it's a pretty great course overall. First year is awesome because you spend a lot of time out the back with the cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, poultry, lab animals etc learning animal handling. And I'm sure you could easily teach them a thing or two about your herps!

Edit: I'll agree with rednut  I'm paying $110 for rent at the moment, paying for all the pets (vet bills, medications, food, all of my fish tanks, heaters etc, including the associated increased power bills lol), fuel etc for a 6cyl etc, less than $50/wk on food (probably more like $60 a fortnight, I'm stingy lol). If you share with others, often the electricity and internet etc. is factored into the rent you pay per week, which seems to average around $110. Theres some for around $90, others over $120, but just look around


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## rubysnake (Nov 4, 2009)

fritzi2009 said:


> It's not exactly free money, I am only eligible for it if I'm over 18 and living away from home studying. Besides, I will be doing a 5 year full time course and trying to squeeze work in on the side,
> I think I am more deserving of the "free money" alot more than the centrelink bludgers I know who don't work or study, they could at least make the effort to find work
> Those people really annoy me, they have no disability stopping them from working, yet they just refuse too. I know alot of those people... They are just lazy and at 19/20 still mooch of their Mummy & Daddy to take them everywhere and buy them everything.
> But that's just my opnion :lol: Now I'm off to.. you guessed it.. work  Cya


your lucky you can even do that.. next year im hoping to go to straight uni as a current year 12 student, from home to uni and i cant apply for any government help because im not 'independent' of my family..  its hard to explain how yes i can afford uni next year but ill still have things to pay for my own things and im not free loading off my folks and i just see a gap year pointless for me... so have you worked out if you can apply for a vet science since you didn't complete year 12? umm dont take this the wrong now but between now and when uni starts in 2011 if you work your bum off & save for the year im sure you'll be fine, apply for scholarships and rent assistance, if you have a tone of cash saved up you would only need to contribute a a bit from your pocket plus if you if you do a 6 hours shift on a Sunday there is a $100. you'll be right its do able. i have from the 12th nov (last exam) till end of feb to make as much money and i can to start off.. working non stop its so **** but so worthwhile when you start uni, take the pressure off you too. 
good luck with accommodation... get a boyf with a house maybe? :lol:


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## liberty (Nov 4, 2009)

wat about the people that work and have never got a brass razoo from the g'ment,

i didnt get paid a cent when i studied and had to work as well so think ur self lucky u get a cent.

free money i hate it , and mind u i bet the g'ment is paying for ur course too? no offence to u but i do know some professional uni students they just keep studing and getting paid and benifits from it and never plan to work its b/s


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## 5potted (Nov 4, 2009)

are you applying for independent or dependent youth allowance? dependent goes on ur parents pay and if they earn too much you can't be dependent. Independent you have to have been out of school for at least 18months and in that period earnt over 18000. I've just moved home from Townsville as I'm on placement in Brisbane and I lived off campus the whole time. My old landlord is looking for tenants so if you want any further information with that just pm me.


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## Palex134 (Nov 5, 2009)

UNI HALL @ TOWNSVILLE! Best place to live...never been to Cairns, most students are at Townsville though.

Edit: I'll elaborate. As an 18yo 10,000 miles from home, I was nervous to say the least. Luckily, my JCU experience was more then I could have ever imagined. All my friends back home didn't seem to measure up. I went herping most nights, saw incredible things, went to incredible places. It was basically paradise. I loved Uni Hall...except the food, I hear it's better though. I'm heading back there in February too, the Townhouses are the best! George Roberts is nice too, just the rival of Uni Hall. The other residence halls are private, and IMO not as nice as the Uni owned ones (which are cheaper).


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