My name is Shai and I am a Flinders Uni student, I study the Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice combined with the Bachelor of Criminology.
What is being a University Student
Being a student at Flinders to me is less about university work and more about the unique lifestyle. It’s a lot different to the constraints of working full-time and I really like the freedom it offers as to how I spend my time between classes and how I dictate the way that I want to study. Education is a privilege and being a university student allows you to take steps to follow your passions which is really motivating. One of my favourite things about being a student at Flinders is that every day is different and filled with opportunities to challenge yourself and grow. You are always learning something new, developing important skills, and meeting such interesting people!
Mornings
I live quite close to Flinders which is convenient. If I were to walk to Flinders it takes about an hour! I usually drive to uni though which is only ten minutes. Sometimes I take the bus or if I need to get between the Flinders campus’ I might even use the Flinders train link to Tonsley or Victoria Square.
I like to arrive early and beat the carpark rush. If I get here at around 8:00am that usually gives me enough time to grab a coffee from Café Bon Voyage (best coffee on campus) and then do some study before my classes. Classes can usually be any time between 9:00am and 5:00pm for me so I like to spend any additional time preparing for the class or working on assignments. As most of my classes are in Law and Commerce, I will often study in the Law and Commerce Courtyard!
Throughout the Day
The best thing about Flinders is that the campus is so beautiful! So it doesn’t matter where you are going there is something to admire, usually it’s the ducks, a koala or the native plants. I plan for a walk or even a hike through the Native Flora Park whenever I am on campus. Taking a break and getting some fresh air helps to break my day up, is good for my mental health and helps me to refocus when I return to my study or assignments. I am really lucky to have made some great friends at Flinders not just within my field of study but across other disciplines as well, I might get coffee or lunch with them as there are so many places at Flinders to hang out. One of the best places on campus to hang out is the Flinders Tav as they usually have live music, quiz nights or other fun social events happening that you can attend with your uni mates.
End of the Day
In my second year of uni I wanted to join a sporting club and so I joined the Flinders University Muay Thai Club. Joining a club is such a great aspect of university life as it allows you to associate uni with something other than just your work or your due dates and it offers a sense of community. If I’m not training with the club after uni then I am usually going for a run either by myself or with one of my friends from the club. I am currently working on a goal to run around the Bedford Park campus (along Ring Road) in under 12 minutes.