University of Adelaide

University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is South Australia's oldest university. It's located in the city centre between North Terrace and the Swan River. If you've attended Adelaide Uni, how do you rate it? Possible future students would like to know. This is a place for writing and reading student reviews on the University of Adelaide.

Adelaide Uni Rating

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User Rating 1.96 (205 votes)
Comments Rating 1.39 (28 reviews)

Student Reviews

49 Responses

  1. David
    | Reply

    Don't go to this University? Don't go to this website more like.

    If you’re reading this I’ll save you alot of time and headache, don’t use this website as a determining factor in which university you go to. After looking at the user ratings for all the Universities on this site there are two possible conclusions I could draw: either Australian universities are garbage, or most people’s claims are either exaggerated, deflective or are not telling the whole story (and are mostly international). I would say it’s the latter. No university in Australia on this site received higher than 3 stars, even the prestigious G8 ones. Most advice revolves around ‘choosing a better uni’. Well, if the ratings are anything to go by, then there is no ‘better uni’. Clearly there are alot of people who either had unrealistic expectations or expected their marks to be handed to them on a silver platter.

    • L
      | Reply

      I was about to say. I’m currently trying to decide which uni is best as I’m thinking of pursuing a career in teaching and education. The comments and review have been similar from one uni to the other (admin problems, management, etc.). Definitely can’t be using the ratings over here.

  2. E Xie
    | Reply

    Terrible uni for law, incredibly toxic culture and poor outcomes. They sold us big dreams and prospects to keep us paying. Ended up a migration lawyer. Lecturers were not very good or supportive and often fail to teach the actual material. Instead going on rants about politics. Materials were often unavailable

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  3. Daliah Xie
    | Reply

    Poor experience with the GDLP. Teaching sometimes lacked actual content, some of the staff were quite dismissive and unclear with instructions. As some have mentioned previously, the mover they recommended was not the most professional or friendly and didn’t show up for some students.

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  4. Elise
    | Reply

    Joke of a law school

    Law school is a joke. Lecturers don’t bother teaching and spend tutorials gossiping with their inner circle of students, likely to be the children of their friends and family. Have had attempts to seek clarification ignored multiple times both in person and in writing. Highly suspect that the grading is super biased too.

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  5. A W
    | Reply

    Poor choice for law or gdlp

    Terrible uni for law and the gdlp. If you have any alternative I highly recommend it. Lecturers are unhelpful and arrogant despite being relatively unimpressive adelaidian lawyers at best. Other unis often have people who are top of their field but not here. Materials are sometimes incomplete and poorly organised. Many classes have been centred around student discussion meaning the lecturers don’t even bother teaching.

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  6. Anna
    | Reply

    Horrible place

    Highly disappointing in my experience with this university. Undertook work experience with the health and medical science department a few years back and was basically ridiculed, told that I wasn’t cut out for and discouraged from pursuing my passion in the area by the supervising staff and team. Terrible place

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    • Jimmy
      | Reply

      same

      Sry to hear that, I had the same experience at ACU as well. They told me I wasn’t cut out for social work, whereas in reality, they had set me up to fall. Totally understand the frustration ur going through.

  7. D L
    | Reply

    Please be careful when selecting this university especially if you course requires or you wish to undertake placements through them (e.g. nursing, medicine, law, some components of engineering courses) Staff are bureaucratic and immature behaving like vile school children. They will ruin your reputation in the field before you even step foot in it ensuring that no one will even consider hiring you. You will have no choice but to leave the state/country to pursue opportunities. This behaviour is endemic to Adelaide and how cliquey it is but is especially amplified here. Generally I would recommend you don’t study in Adelaide at all but that’s not always possible.

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  8. S P
    | Reply

    Between practums, placements and the general teaching, this university has done nothing but cause grief and stress. I honestly cannot say that I’ve come out of it more employable or prepared to work. Rather they have broken any passion and ambition I have ever had about university or work and ruined my opportunities to make a good first impression in the field. Please don’t come here if you value your time and money. There’s a lot of bureaucracy and both staff and students are unfriendly. University is supposed to be the time of your life, to grow, learn and meet people and in my experience you will not find it here.

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  9. Student
    | Reply

    No complimentary movers for the GDLP

    Just a warning to those contemplating talking the gdlp they run in association with the law society. I presume most people choose Adelaide for their assistance on gaining a placement as a back up as they lack connections in the field. They do NOT have a complimentary mover or even duty mover for admissions (compulsory if you want to be a lawyer). If you had looked up other big players like Leo cussen, ANU or the college of law who all do, you may have presumed it to be the same here but it’s not. They do attempt to ‘assist’ but they do not really facilitate or vet and filter the lawyers they ‘refer’ (I.e give you contact details and tell you arrange it yourselves) you to. I have heard of incidents where the lawyer they had referred them to were unfriendly and subsequently dropped out on short notice right before the ceremony.

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  10. Elizabeth
    | Reply

    Avoid the law school

    Washed up professors who have worked as lecturers and researchers for over a decade and have little up to date knowledge or experience. They keep their positions due to connections and can’t even apply the topics they have arguably been “researching” for years to real life situations. Epic waste of public funds and whatever student fees get allocated to these crooks.

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  11. L
    | Reply

    This university has been restructuring and continues to be restructured for many years spanning to at least 2014. It never ends and will throw you progress down the drain when they remove courses that are compulsory or fail to make contingencies when two cohorts require the same course, forcing you to defer it to another year. This messes up you chances of graduating on time as courses are usually listed in a certain order due to prerequisites. They’ve also might imply additional rules or remove things such as honours (happened with law) from the degree without warning after you commence.

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  12. N
    | Reply

    Do not do the GDLP

    Do not do your GDLP here. Poorly run and unfriendly staff. Incomplete materials provided and not as comprehensive as the ones I’ve seen at the college of law. Though you may be tempted to do it here because they assist with placements but that is misguided. Placements are supposed to help you get your foot in the door and teach you practical skills but here they have dedicated firms who take students approximately bi-yearly. They basically run it like a factory and an inefficient one at that as you could be waiting indefinitely (months maybe even years) for them to arrange it. You would not really be networking or availing yourself to potential job openings. Their job is to get you out so the uni and the law society can pocket your money. Search up past plt students for the their partner firms and you’ll see that many do not end up in jobs let alone as lawyers.

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  13. M
    | Reply

    Bachelor of Law/Arts

    There was a marked drop off in the quality and quantity of classes during my time there. There seemed to be a research bias in hiring professors, without much care to teaching ability. Administrative services were very poor. I would normally be transferred around three or four times before being told I’d need to email instead.

    While this is somewhat true for all universities, the teaching staff treat students as children and are suspicious and unforgiving when it comes to requests for help, extensions, and so on. One professor openly and unforgivingly scolded another student for not calling him ‘sir’.

  14. Holly
    | Reply

    Enquiring whether or not to accept offer

    Hi all, I’ve just received an offer to study the Graduate Diploma of Psychology – 4th yr at the University of Adelaide and after reading some of the reviews on this site I must admit I’m a little taken aback. I would really appreciate it if someone that has completed psych at the university could share on here as to the their experience. I’m hoping things have changed for the better but please give your honest opinion.

    • Uadelaide
      | Reply

      Had enrolled in and subsequently dropped out of psych and I would advise you not to come here. Severely short staffed and scattered at the moment. Some key positions were likely let go recently or replaced.

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    • Hi
      | Reply

      Hey is this the online graduate diploma of psych advanced?

      • Adelaide uni student
        | Reply

        If I’m not mistaken, they’re generally the same, both in terms of staff and teaching methods especially due to covid. But best check with the university or through the website and time table planner.

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    • Zara
      | Reply

      Hello

      Hi I just got an offer for the same course not sure if I should go ahead now :///
      Did you go ahead with this course in the end ?

  15. stud3nt
    | Reply

    University of Adelaide broke me and I have been left to pick up the pieces.
    The departments are severely short staffed and those who do have the most senior roles will ostracize anyone who dares criticise (constructively), want to have an academic discussion or just won’t lend themselves to being subordinates.

    Public knowledge on recent accreditations of certain courses at AHMS. Not good reviews either. So, the cat is out of the bag now.
    Knowing UA, however, they seem oddly talented at playing people for fools and getting out of culpable situations. The promised bed of roses is actually an acrimonious, acanaceous vicinity which will lead many lost to apathy, at best.
    Make your choice and make it a wise one. There are other Universities who protect their students- not destroy them.

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  16. Student01
    | Reply

    Avoid

    Cheap university. Does not provide transcript print out unless you pay extra. Inconsistent advice given and would not rectify mistakes despite it being on their part, requiring you to pay more money to have them reissued.

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  17. Adelaide Student
    | Reply

    Lack of concern for privacy

    Be warned if you undertake your GDLP here. While other faculties are aware of and sympathetic to any privacy concerns related to the use of cameras in online classes, it is compulsory and a requirement for many of these classes due to what I’ve gathered to be ‘feedback’ from the lawyers and staff that teach the course.

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  18. Xinyu cheung
    | Reply

    Poor quality education and will milk international students like cash cows.

    Happy to take your money but provide a very unpleasant and unsupportive environment for international students. Teaching is also very poor with material often being missing or not provided to begin with. Staff are often unpleasant especially if you are Chinese. Do not expect to be treated as an equal to your local peers. This is especially amplified in areas such as law where even the industry lacks diversity.

  19. Anonymous
    | Reply

    School is run arrogant personality defects

    Don’t come here. Prices go up whilst quality more than progressively takes a nose dive.
    The school has no decency to apologise for any misdeeds at all. Not even for obvious mishaps.
    I think the public are WELL aware of that now with the Vice Chancellor’s shenanigans.
    Do yourself a favour and consider a University that won’t treat you like a 2nd class citizien.

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  20. Student
    | Reply

    Do not come here for law

    Do not recommend you come here to do your GDLP or for law at all. A few of the seminars seem like they only exist to tick off a box. The majority of the time would be spent “discussing with your peers”. The GDLP itself also echoed this structure but was worse as there was very little lectures or supporting information provided. You basically paid to work it out yourself. Some lecturers in both courses basically ignore you, refused to answer questions or explain things because it would be ‘doing your assignment for you’.

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  21. Meenakshi
    | Reply

    Worst experience ever after spending lots and lots of dollars….not much support for international students. Lecturers sometimes are inexperienced to handle students from different cultural and learning backgrounds plus no jobs

    • Arvind Y
      | Reply

      Reviews

      Hi can you please tell me how good is it to pursue Masters in data science for international student.

      • shree
        | Reply

        how is Masters in Data science here ?

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  22. Jenna
    | Reply

    I am so upset - move if you have to !

    I absolutely just want to cry, I am so sad that I was not able to be given the proper opportunity I deserve, if I had gone to another state, I could have had my dream job in medical imaging or even a bachelor of law. Ofcourse, not here though, I should have moved straight away ! this has broken my heart that I didnt get high enough, but cmon, an 85 ATAR is pretty good and yet everything is a 99 here, WHY?!! cant wait to move to Canberra and get real opportunities and actually get a job !!!!

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    • Jay
      | Reply

      Dont be discouraged

      Hey Jenna, dont be upset that you didnt get in, you can just study a semester or two, get a high GPA then transfer if you wannta study Law in Adelaide Uni. For medical Imaging, I wanted to do that too, but unfortunately didnt pay any satac fees so I didnt get any offers. But instead I used my GPA to transfer to Law in adelaide uni and now Im studying Law and Health and medical Sciences. 85 is really high and I dont how you still didnt get in to law as it requires normally 80 to be considered. But dont be discouraged, Atar is just an entrance score, no one really talks about when youre in uni. If you really want to study Medical imaging you have to study for a year inUnisa then atleast get a 6 gpa..
      dont be discouraged, got much lower atar when I got in to uni… ☺️

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  23. Alison
    | Reply

    University of Adelaide has been great

    I read through the reviews here and was surprised to find so many negative comments. I have studied at all three universities in South Australia over 25 years, and have completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications at the University of Adelaide. Now I’m back doing further studies in science because I prefer this university above the rest. Why? Because the lecturers are, on the whole, very experienced and the courses are well-established and well organised. They are serious about getting people trained thoroughly, with good theoretical foundation in earlier years, and practical application in later years.

    For those that make negative comments, I cannot help but wonder about their expectations. If you come to this university thinking everything will be laid on for you like it was at your private college or high school, you will be disappointed. It’s up to you to do the work, to find the answers to your questions, and to work out how to be an independent learner. Having said that, there is enormous teaching support for science students, particularly in first year – tutor availability is excellent, drop in centres every week, online support, free tech support.

    International students will find Adelaide a very easy place to live. It’s cheap and relatively quiet for a city. Campus life is what you make of it, but there are plenty of opportunities to have fun. Good luck with your studies!

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    • student 201429
      | Reply

      well not really

      You can’t say that for all degrees, Adelaide uni is like finding a single pasta within a bowl of worms, yes there are good degrees and good courses, but MOST of them are ABSOLUTELY unorganised and IF you managed to find a good and cool course with lots of people recommending it, the uni will remodulate the course so much that a good course becomes absolutely terrible. I have no idea that this is possible for a course before, but it is possible in Adelaide Uni. And don’t event get me started on the shortage of staffs, I’ve had a level 3 course with hundreds of students but with only ONE TA and one course coordinator.
      So anyone who saw this review and thinks that adel uni is a very good place, its WRONG, its only good for some and DO NOT COME if you have BETTER CHOICES. You’ll thank me later 😉

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  24. Harirata Dave
    | Reply

    would like to know about the study experiences and which university is better.

    I got two offer letters, one from Western Sydney University and one from University of Adelaide for masters of counselling and psychology . which university is better, education wise and employment wise?.

    • Smart Girl
      | Reply

      You will ruin your life at Adelaide Uni

      Choose Western Sydney…I am current post grad student at Uni of Adelaide absolutely NO support….no one gets high distinctions no matter how hard we work. So many students in my course repeating due to failing. Employers won’t touch you as your gpa will be poor…You wil ruin your life if you come here. Lecturers are low standard and fumble through and disorganised. Lecturer stated to us ” average mark of my students is 47/ 100 and he laughed !
      Low morale with students. We are lost here and alone. High drop out rate. I spoke to graduates who are all unemployed. No respect for our learning. I did my undergrad elsewhere..I will be moving from this terrible Uni in 2019. Don’t come here head of school doesn’t address crisis.

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      • Cat
        | Reply

        Huge mistake studying at Uni of Adelaide

        I completely agree with this review. I also completed my undergrad at another university but chose to study at the Uni of Adelaide to broaden my horizons – this was a huge mistake. I’m undertaking a Bachelor of Science (honours), the program is a mess and split up into multiple components where you have to deal with multiple supervisors that don’t seem to know what they are doing nor seem to care. The academic staff only care about their own research, they have no interest in helping the students. I have been told by other students the drop out rate for undergrad students is extremely high – I believe this is due to the lack of enthusiasm and consideration for student learning by the academic staff. I would strongly recommend studying at another university if you want to be successful.

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  25. Harirata Dave
    | Reply

    International student's experience in terms of employment

    I just got my offer letter for Masters of Counselling and Psychotherapy, being an international student I would want some information terms of employment and quality of education in counselling.

    • victor
      | Reply

      no jobs in adelaide….adelaide uni has sacked 212 employee last year…so staff for student are so minimum…adelaide has 9% unemployment rate. which is the highest in australia..

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    • M
      | Reply

      Agreed with previous poster. No jobs and Adelaide is a very cliquey city. You’ll find that you won’t be treated as well as the locals even during regular classes. Forget about being hired.

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  26. Zoom
    | Reply

    Post-graduate research for international students

    I would not suggest any international student to pursue a post-graduate research here because most of the supervisors I known do not provide adequate supports for students to do research (unless you will be lucky). There is also not enough facility to do research in many faculties.

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  27. cookie
    | Reply

    Hi i will be joining uni adelaide for their undergrad course in food and nutrition in Feb 2018 was looking for some info on accommodation as im confused between the village and urbanest. Also urbanest is coming up with their new project opp the uni so was wondering whether that would be a good option. would appreciate if someone could give me the pros and cons about the village and urbanest.
    how far are the waite campus and regency park from north terrace as my course is at these 3 places.

  28. Sabhay Patel
    | Reply

    Please do not pursue post-graduate course here if you are an international student. Study in Melbourne Uni, UQ or Uni of Sydney.. From websites, deposit money kept by staff, to assistance provided to students and facilities are so minimal that one thinks whether one is spending dollars for just the Group of 8 prestige factor. Reiterate: Avoid this 18th century long lost glory!

  29. Rita Om
    | Reply

    The University has been doing a lot of work and being an active post-grad student I availed some of its best facilities.

    However, very disappointed with the way student’s deposit fees are maintained by staff and also the equipment provided for research are way below standards.

    Poor management of events and if you are an international student, you feel like you are paying too much money with no solid return of investment. It is advisable to spend a few extra $$ and study in Melbourne or Sydney. There is always a shortage of support staff and inexperienced and unprofessional people are hired who have no clue how to assist research students in their specific field of study. If one observes well, most of the qualified professionals leave Adelaide so as to gain real life skills. For me, it was like jumping back into a pond from a river, when I expected to swim in the sea.

    Importantly, there is a lack of feedback on assignments due to a shortage of marking hours and few tutors and lecturers doing too much work, and just a sense of the students really not being the prime concern of the Uni.

    The tutors seems to get annoyed when asked for assistance and the atmosphere is not about scientific discussion. I expected when I came for postgrad that everyone will be passionately discussing sciences and we would have arguments based on scientific literature professionally. Unfortunately, Adelaide has very few lecturers and program coordinators who are passionate about what they do and are biased towards domestic students over international students. Importantly, there is this familiar feeling of being a bone in the throat when a hand is raised in doubt!

    Even after informing higher authorities that there is a lack of support, instead of addressing the student’s needs, the program coordinators and advisors take matters personally and gossip about students to other research students.

    Otherwise, the accommodation, lifestyle and city life is really good. Strongly recommend the Residential colleges like Aquinas, St Marks and Lincoln. Very welcoming, great cultural introduction and lots of support from fellow students and staff.

    The Uni shuttle service is excellent and the service offered by the security is extraordinary. The drivers are kind and very cheerful.

    The University’s careers service is really living in 2008 and the cafes are too overpriced for students to get a decent meal.

    The University and the upcoming biomedical precinct may change the current scenario in the future and my best wishes are with the students, staff and the people of Adelaide that they achieve greater milestones and become a shining beacon of Light.

    I have met some wonderful people, researchers and lecturers who have motivated, inspired and developed my interest in pursuing further studies. I am taking back fond memories and important life lessons and leaving behind great friends.

    Overall great place to study and settle down with a family; but not ideal if you are expecting 21st century lifestyle with decent quality offering minimum service for the dollars invested.

  30. Genevieve
    | Reply

    The University has been doing a lot of restructuring. In the long term some of this might be good for us students, but in the short term it has meant SO MUCH disorganization.

    Additionally, there seems to be a focus on paying higher-ups big wages, but cutting the costs everywhere else. This has lead to disorganized exams due to a shortage of support staff, EXTREMELY long wait times for getting assignments back, a lack of feedback on assignments due to a shortage of marking hours and few tutors and lecturers doing too much work, and just a sense of the students really not being the focus of the Uni.

    The thing that has annoyed me the most is emailing tutors and them being annoyed at me asking for help or assistance, and constantly being told they are too busy or being treated like a nuisance rather than a teacher’s focus. Especiall, I am sick of being huffily told, as an undergrad, that the tutor or other professional has been ‘busy with the masters/postgrad students’ as if we undergrads are lowly nothings and I should understand why I am not getting assistance with important assignment questions. I have had this happen 3-4 times!

    I will never GET to postgrad if I don’t get the assistance I need with my degree!

    I think the uni could do better at supporting their undergrad students, fixing the feeed back system so that teachers get feedback on what doesn’t work BEFORE the end of semester (eselts don’t work!), and paying ‘lowly’ support staff decent wages so that there are enough tutors to help and enough people to help exams run smoothly. Lecturers and tutors should not be so overworked that a student’s valid questions become a source of frustration.

    Also, I am grading accommodation/transport low in solidarity with friends who have described their horrible experiences with UniLodge and the like.

    • Marcus
      | Reply

      Hi Genevieve,

      I’m going to study in University if Adelaide in Feb 2018 and currently exploring accommodations options.

      May I know more about the “horrible experiences with UniLodge”?

      That’ll be really helpful. Thanks!

      Best Regards,
      Marcus

      • Lachlan
        | Reply

        Avoid UniLodge like a plague. Now I’m stuck here until January…

  31. Holly Keel
    | Reply

    I have loved going to university here, I’ve had good teachers and bad teachers as we all do. Overall I’ve been happy with the uni and the vibe it has on campus. The campus is easy to navigate and generally has something going on all the time. It’s really close to everything in the city and there is easy transport around town. The city is wonderfully casual and there are always events going on in the parks for everyone to enjoy. The beaches are clean and are not hard to get to and there always seems to be a good bar or music lounge around that just makes relaxing at the end of the week easy.

    The major let down of my experience at this uni is the Uni run accommodation- specifically what is known as “The University of Adelaide Village”. The location of the village is advertised as close to uni, which isn’t a lie but it’s not exactly the truth either, it is still a 20 minute walk. It is extremely expensive for the quality of accommodation with fees being thrown in for items that were broken before even moving in- example they tried to charge us (5 girls) $80 each for a dishwasher that we had never used due to it being broken when we moved in. Furthermore, the staff are relatively rude and when making a formal complain about things needing to be fixed it generally does not get passed on to maintenance. The staff seem to get exceptionally irritated for being made to do their jobs-which they continue to not do anyway.

    If however the staff feel that the will help you get things fixed, or maintenance needs to be done, they won’t inform you-instead they will enter your house without notice and sometimes even enter your room (in my experience having the hot water tank in my room, which continually leaked maintenance and reception staff continually entered my room while I was home and without warning!)

    The walls between houses might as well not exist as you can hear every sound your neighbour is making without even trying.

    Overall I would never want anyone to experience this accommodation. The photos do not do it justice-it is far worse than the over-whitened, photoshopped images online.

  32. Jem
    | Reply

    Although I am loving the University of Adelaide, with great teachers, resources and location. There is of course a downside- The University of Adelaide Village accommodation, it is located on West Terrace not extremely far from the uni but not exactly close either about a 20 minute walk, it is extremely expensive for the quality you get with hidden fees always around the corner (for example they give you $10 kettles from Kmart and if it breaks you and your roommates will surely be put up for a $50-$60 charge). Any complaints you make to village staff will either be completely ignored, written down and ignored or you can expect a whole lot of attitude for making them actually do their work. The way the buildings were built well they may as well have used paper, as the walls do little to stop noise from getting in- You’ll be able to hear your roommate doing everything.. and I mean EVERYTHING. All in all. I wouldn’t recommend this accommodation to anyone.

  33. Evan
    | Reply

    Course ratings for Adelaide Uni aren’t that great basically because there isn’t a big focus on teaching. Most of the lecturers are obviously busy doing research. It seemed to me that many lecturers were presenting the same course in the same way that they’d been doing it for years.
    But I still enjoyed my time at the uni. It’s good studying in the city. You can go out as soon as lectures finish, which is Thursday afternoon for a lot of students. It’s also easy to get into classes by bus (except during peak times). Adelaide is an under-rated city IMHO. There’s plenty to do if you’re willing to try.

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