The weird and wacky schemes seeing Sydney university students return to campus in droves
Sydney’s biggest uni has more foot traffic now than at its pre-Covid peak. From goat yoga to circus classes and thousands of free meals, see how the city’s unis are enticing their students back.
NSW
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More students are back on campus at the University of Sydney this year than before the pandemic new data reveals, as universities push to jump-start their social ecosystems and draw young people back into the city.
Foot traffic and library use data shows use of the Camperdown campus’ facilities has rebounded and students say social clubs are back to pre-Covid membership levels.
In August the university recorded up to 46,000 people on campus at any given time, an increase of 28 per cent from its 2019 peak of 36,000, and more than 9000 people are visiting the libraries each day.
From goat yoga to circus classes, Sydney’s universities have employed a variety of wacky and wonderful ways to bring students back to campus in the aftermath of Covid and online learning.
University of Sydney Union now has 42,000 members, a 32 per cent increase since last year.
USU president Naz Sharifi said in the midst of a cost of living crisis, handing out more than 14,000 free meals has gone a long way to supporting students to be on campus throughout the day.
“Students who had to go through Covid and had to go through multiple lockdowns really felt the lack of community and isolation,” Ms Sharifi said.
“I think those (membership) numbers alone, being some of the highest we’ve ever seen, indicates the level the level of engagement and desire for students to be back on campus.”
Tea Society president Brian Lim said his club’s membership tripled to 150 people following Orientation Week at the start of the year, and many of his mates in the group take on commutes of more than an hour to enjoy campus life.
“Although they live very far away, they want to be at uni, especially the ones who have been through lockdown. They don’t want to be at home anymore, if they can help it – they want to be in uni with their friends, really having the uni experience,” he said.
More than two years after NSW’s last lockdown ended in-person lectures have resumed, however in some courses students are still able to view their lectures live online.
Exercise physiology student Aqeelah Toedy said being at uni in person has great social and mental health benefits.
“Even if you don’t go and hang out with friends as much during the week at uni, just coming on campus and seeing the same people every week … it’s just really refreshing considering everything that happened during Covid,” she said.
“The whole vibe on campus is so much nicer than being online, home all the time alone,” coursemate Saarah Gierdien added.
Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott was “delighted” by the level of in-person attendance, heralded by the return of face-to-face lectures, tutorials and labs, and exams taking place in university halls this week.
“After the disruption of the pandemic, our campuses are lively again, just as they should be,” he said.
“We know there are a number of reasons students choose us and they come our campuses for more than just classes. It’s a community where they can make friends, try new things and discover fresh interests.”
Elsewhere, Western Sydney University is already planning beach safety days, a cinema under the stars, indoor rock-climbing, learn-to-swim classes and zoo visits for their 2024 teaching year.
WSU has facilitated more than 2,000 student club events across its 12 campuses this year.
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