Keeping it local is key for a positive uni experience

Smart families are minimising expense and maximising emotional support by choosing a campus that’s high-quality and close to home.

USC STORY 2 HERO

Smart families are minimising expense and maximising emotional support by choosing a campus that’s high-quality and close to home.

Going to university has never been as important as it is today. Students face an unpredictable economic future and a quality education will be crucial for those who wish to survive and thrive. 

For some, though, fears around the economic burden of a university education can be a cause for worry and hesitation.

Recent research reveals that the perceived financial, social and psychological risks of attending university affect disadvantaged school leavers the worst.

University of the Sunshine Coast Associate Professor of Marketing Maria Raciti has investigated the pressures on students and found that those who don’t have the support of their parents close by are also vulnerable.

“University students today are trying to fit in so many things,” Prof Raciti says.

“What that means when they are transitioning into university is a real struggle to try to balance commitments, particularly in the first year.”

One solution to minimising costs and emotional impact is having children attend a campus that is local to their family home, an option that is becoming more available as established universities open more campuses throughout the state.

Next year, for example, the University of the Sunshine Coast will open its Moreton Bay campus at Petrie, providing more options for families in the booming Moreton Bay Regional Council area and allowing many students to stay in the family home while pursuing their university studies.

By living at home and avoiding lengthy commutes, students have more time to focus on their studies, and fewer expenses to worry about. For younger students, there’s also the chance to adjust to a new study environment without also dealing with new living arrangements.

“There’s a lot of research that talks about the stresses that relocating creates for children,” Prof Raciti says.

“Besides juggling a job and study, they are trying to figure out courses at a large university campus and cope with living independently, shopping for food, unfamiliar public transport routes and more. Many parents say their child just isn’t ready for that. They simply don’t realise the amount of responsibilities they will have to assume.” 

Brisbane careers expert Edwin Trevor-Roberts agrees.

“What staggers me is how students are supposed to be able to combine full-time jobs, full-time study and full-time partying. This pressure has to have an impact on the quality of their learning.”

He says university should be one of those rare times in life when you get to indulge in study.

“We don’t pay enough attention to the burden of being away from their support network that far distance education puts on students.”

Students who have to study far from home face expensive, lengthy commutes or the prospect of paying rent in a high-priced neighbourhood while study is completed. The quality of rented student accommodation can also come as a shock.

A 2017 student housing study by Anglicare revealed that 34 per cent of students were found to be living in poorly maintained accommodation while 49 per cent were struggling with rent costs.

“There’s also power bills, food bills, transport bills, access to the internet and more,” Prof Raciti says.

“That’s all money that could be used in investing in the student. The costs of going to university includes lots of incremental things, like textbooks, or a reliable internet connection, that can make the difference between succeeding and failing.”

Nearly 90 per cent of students surveyed by Anglicare said they struggled to buy essential study items like text books.

A disconnect from the community they grew up in can also be a cause of loneliness and isolation for students.

“They’re missing family, friends, sporting or community groups and all the things that help to anchor a person. Their whole world is uprooted,” Prof Raciti says.

Increasingly, universities are conscious of these challenges, and provide appropriate support services. USC campuses have counselling services available to all students as well as student ambassadors and mentors, Prof Raciti[CH2]  says.

“We try to help not just with working things out but with social connection. The approachability of the staff also makes a big difference. It’s a friendly environment.”

Since opening in 1996, with 500 students in one small building on the Sunshine Coast, USC has worked with communities to deliver local education opportunities close to home. It now has campuses at the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast, Gympie, Caboolture and Brisbane’s South Bank, and 26 research fields at or above world standard.

At Moreton Bay, the campus will cater for students studying for 50 undergraduate degrees, including business, education, computer science, mechatronics and more.

Among the facilities will be a 480-seat capacity auditorium with lecture-style seating [CH4] for teaching and community events, $10 million worth of state-of-the-art technology, nursing simulation labs and engineering labs.

Outro: Learn more about study options at USC Moreton Bay here.

Originally published as Keeping it local is key for a positive uni experience