Meet Tess: Making the most of a waterfront lifestyle

For Tess Dempsey, living on res at Deakin’s Waterfront campus offers the perfect combination of city living with a waterfront view. A first year student and new to Deakin, Tess is one of the recipients of our Residential Experience Grants, providing a rental subsidy towards accommodation costs in 2021. We recently spoke with her about her reasons for choosing to study at Deakin and her experiences living on campus thus far.

Studying a combined Arts/Law degree, Tess originally hails from Port Fairy, in the state’s south-west. A graduate of Emmanuel College in Warrnambool, Tess chose to study at Deakin because it offered the “…most practical, hands-on experience in comparison to other universities.” Deakin’s Geelong campus appealed because it “…had all of the essential services and little perks you find in a bigger city, but with the added benefit of being closer to home.”

Having spent the first few weeks of the term exploring her local surrounds, Tess adds, “…I’m a big footy fan (unfortunately not Geelong though!) so having GMHBA stadium down the road is great during games in winter. There are also plenty of good cafés and restaurants nearby. If you’re into music or art, the Geelong Performing Arts Centre and the Library are a short walk away with lots of exhibitions and shows on all the time.”

As part of her decision to study at Deakin, Tess also applied to live in one of Deakin’s Waterfront residences, Brougham House.

Whilst proximity to the water was a huge drawcard for Tess, the community feel of the Waterfront residences also played a determining factor in her decision-making. “Everyone is super friendly and it is so nice when you start talking to someone in the elevator like you have known each other for years. It’s a great opportunity to makes friends and settle into uni life and has helped make us all feel much more comfortable going to classes.”

She further highlights that the diverse events program offered by Deakin Res, and the 24-7 reception hours have helped her to transition to living away from home. “…I often work late nights and it is very reassuring to have staff available at reception that I can call on if I ever feel uncomfortable walking alone. I’ve also loved the residential orientation activities organized by Campus Life and our Residential Leaders. It’s great that these events continue throughout the year, keeping us connected and creating a real community feel.”

For these reasons, and more, Tess highlights that she would recommend living on res to any student considering accommodation options as part of their university studies. 

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