Ali: I’m Ali.
Julia: My name is Julia.
Lillian: My name is Lillian and I live in UOW accommodation.
Julia: I thought it would be really hard to begin with, because I was away from my family. But because it was so inviting and so many people around me, it almost felt like a home away from home.
Lillian: I moved here from the Blue Mountains, so a little bit past Sydney. I decided to move to Wollongong because it offered the best course for me, but I really didn't want to be travelling back and forth. I wanted to feel settled in one place.
Ali: I thought that it would be so far from everything, but the train station is so close. Whenever something is happening in Sydney I just jump on the train.
Lilian: There’s a fair bit of nightlife, which is pretty fun, but it's really relaxed. It's really easy to just go into town, hang out, you know. There's a lot of cute little cafes to have lunch at or go to the beach and just sit for a while.
Julia: I thought I would just be a student going to class every, day but it's been so much more than that. I’ve been able to do so many more things and meet so many people.
Ali: It gives you a better feeling that you are supported and you're not alone.
Lillian: It's such a social and a positive environment, and being inspired by other people who are just so driven.
Julia: It's not just a degree anymore. It's kind of a different lifestyle and it's exactly what you want out of uni.