“I’ll do anything for free stuff”
– Sandra Bullock.

I didn’t come up with that statement, but it is a statement that every University of Newcastle student can relate to. With the increase in the price of groceries and stress due to work and studies, make sure to access the free services your campus has to offer. 

The good news is that the University of Newcastle is not only equipped with services to make your academic journey a smooth experience, but it also has free services and resources to make your student journey as financially stress-free as possible.

Come along as I outline some of the free services and resources available to students on campus!

Food   

To alleviate the financial hardship faced by students in getting groceries, the University of Newcastle Students Association has two free services, Free Food Friday and the Grocery Hub. The Grocery Hub is an initiative where students get the opportunity to get free groceries and pantry items weekly.

Tucked away on Oval 4 behind the Wollotuka Institute, the Community Garden is another fantastic university initiative that offers a variety of fresh, in-season fruits, vegetables and herbs. The Community Garden is completely sustainable and the perfect spot to unwind, practise your green thumb or sample some of the produce. Check out the Garden Society or the UON Community Garden Facebook group if you would like to participate in working bees, planting, harvesting and weekly watering. 

Educational Resources   

As a student at the University of Newcastle, there are free educational resources available to help you on your student journey. One of the services available is Program Advice. Program advisors are the answers to all questions relating to your degree. Program advisors are readily available, and all you need to do is book an appointment through askuon@newcastle.edu.au or visit Student Central on campus. ASKUON is another free educational resource available to all students where you have access to all answers relating to questions on student life, educational resources, and many more.  

To stay informed and engaged in the latest current and sector news, you also have access to free digital news subscriptions. Through this, you can access content from a range of digital newspapers, including The Newcastle Herald, The Daily Telegraph, and The Australian.

Technology  

There are free software and technological resources available for you as a student to assist with your studies. Another free technological resource available for you is the MakerSpace at the Auchmuty Library. It is a free pop-up station where students can explore their creativity skills and the technologies on offer include 3D printing and scanning, photography and media equipment, virtual reality (VR) technology, sewing equipment, and art and craft supplies.  

As a student, the library will quickly become your best friend. From exhibitions and unique historical collections to study resources, library search (for all of your journals, articles and course readings) research support, referencing guides and all your printing and photocopying needs. Check out the library website for all of these resources and many more, or book a librarian for assistance with course work or library related questions. 

Once you’re on top of your assignments, or you’re looking for a productive study break make sure to check out all of the online learning tools available to diversify your resume. As students you have access to LinkedIn Learning, a database full of thousands of courses delivered by experts in their field, covering almost any topic you could ever think of. These courses vary in length and can be used to develop skills in your field of study, your part-time job, or just make you a more well-rounded employable person.

Other Freebies  

Another free resource available for students is free parking. Free parking is available for Callaghan students at Carpark 14, which is located near the Ray Watt Oval and the residences (adjacent to Barahineban Residence), and Carpark 16. It is well-secured, lit, and has CCTV coverage, while parking at the Ourimbah campus is entirely free.

You can also access free parking in exclusive parking spaces with Liftango,  a ridesharing app. You can send private ride requests and carpool with your mates or colleagues, or meet new people and make new friends on campus. You’ll also reduce your carbon footprint by taking cars off the road.

Other free resources available to students are survival stations all around the campus, where you have access to fridges, microwaves, games stations, kitchens and many more. You can find these on campus maps by searching ‘survival station’.

The bike hubs located at Callaghan, NUspace and Q Building provide secure and undercover storage for your bike. They feature bike racks and bike repair equipment, lockers, showers, toilets and are accessible 24/7 using your student card. 

TalkCampus is a free app available to students that provides 24/7 instant support for your mental health and someone to talk to when you just need a friend. The app allows you to speak anonymously with other students around the world who may be experiencing the same struggles as you. Available in 25 different languages, TalkCampus can be downloaded for free on Google Play and the App Store. 

Or, if you’re stuck in a pressing situation and need legal advice make sure to check out the Legal Clinics offered by the Law School at NUspace. These clinics are run during the University Semesters and are free of charge to students and members of the public. The Legal Centre runs drop-in sessions on Wednesday mornings and has bookable spots on Wednesday evenings.

You also have access to discounted laptops through UNSA and the Dell Student Purchase Program, and discounted software including the Adobe Suite.

This and many more are all at your fingertips. Take a nosedive and explore all the freebies (and discounts) your university has to offer you. 

Feature Image: Created using Adobe Firefly and Photoshop