Hi, I’m Annabel, a fourth-year student student at Flinders. My most memorable experiences at university have been meeting new people and getting involved with campus life. Spending time on campus between classes has given me the chance to meet people from various backgrounds, and make friends who are studying many different degrees. During high school I always thought of university as a place of lecture theatres and classrooms, but in reality it resembles a large community, with a combination of both academic and social spaces. After four years of study at Flinders, it’s exciting to see the campus change as construction begins on the new Student Hub. In the meantime the Flinders Laneway has been created as the new social space. I’m looking forward to catching up with friends at the Laneway, which includes food-vans and coffee-carts just outside the Central Library.

The Student Hub is set to open in 2016, in time for the University’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. I’m most excited about the outdoor amphitheatre, which will be used for live performances and outdoor movies. It will also be great to have a rooftop balcony and new student cafes to catch up with friends after class. Having places on campus to connect with other students and lecturers makes university a very social, exciting, and different environment to high school – and the Student Hub will be the perfect place for this. As well as group study lounges and student kitchens, the Hub will be a central point of contact for students and staff from all over the University, meaning it will be easier to access support services. Student life is much more enjoyable when you embrace the opportunities that Flinders has to offer – I hope you’re looking forward to spending time on campus in the future!

You can find updates on the construction and a time-lapse video of the building works here.