“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, domestic and international students alike. With the increase in the price of groceries and stress due to work and studies, the next point of action is 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 beautiful experience, but it also has free services and resources available to all students to make your student journey a fulfilling one and financially stress-free as well. From my own personal experience as an international student here at the University of Newcastle, I have enjoyed the free resources the university has to offer, one of which is ASKUON. It had all the answers to the questions I had while preparing to come down to Australia for my studies and when I landed here. Another free resource I enjoyed was Free Food Friday, an initiative of the University of Newcastle Students Association. 

There are numerous resources and services now available to all University of Newcastle students at no cost! Absolutely free! 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 added two free services to Free Food Friday, which are the grocery hub and the brekky bar. The grocery hub is an initiative where students get the opportunity to get free groceries and pantry items weekly, and the brekky bar is also a free service by UNSA where students get to kickstart their day with free cereal of their choice, and all they need to access these services is your student ID card. Sounds good, right?  

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 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 to book an appointment or meet with them for advice relating to your program. 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.  

Technology  

There are free software and technological resources available for you as a student to assist with your studies. As a student at the University of Newcastle, you have access to free antivirus software called Sophos, which is available through the Service Portal. This will help keep your laptop or MacBook safe from viruses that could lead to the loss of important files. 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. 

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. Carpark 4 and 6 at Callaghan also contain free electric vehicle charging stations for all student, staff and visitors. These charging stations can be found by searching ‘EV charge station’ on the campus map. For more information on the EV charge stations on campus, including registering for the Chargefox app click here.  

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. 

For other freebies not mentioned here, this article is another free resource for you. 

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

Feature Image: Created using Adobe Firefly and Photoshop