For two University of Auckland students, city campus life delivers the buzz of being close to everything (including jobs), but at a steep cost. 

Jeremy Hansen: Could I ask you to introduce yourselves to begin with?

Max Duder: I’m Max. I’m a student. I’m in my fourth year and I live in the Carlaw Park student village. It’s an apartment that four of us share. I study politics and law, a BA/LLB. And I have an ongoing certificate in te reo Māori. 

Laura Oh: I’m a fourth year student, and I’ve been living in the city in university accommodation since I graduated high school. I have a couple more years to go on my degree: Law and Arts, majoring in politics and Māori Studies. I’m also in the student village, sharing an apartment with friends.

What made you both want to live in central Auckland, as opposed to universities elsewhere, or other parts of town? 

L: I think the initial thing was to feel more connected to my studies. I really enjoy living on campus because it feels like you’re situated in the thing that’s constantly taking up a big chunk of your time. I chose Auckland because it suited my degree choice and I wanted to remain close to my friends and whānau.

M: Once I’d made the decision to go to Auckland Uni, living in the city was just a natural consequence of that. When I was starting my degree, I was still learning how to study, how to work, and I really needed that proximity to campus to ensure that I stayed locked in and got the most out of my studies.

What does proximity to campus give you? Is it connections with people, or to the library and other facilities? 

M: It gives you all the resources that the uni has at your fingertips. You can commute back and forth and it’s not a concern at all.

L: It definitely allows you to focus more on your studies because you’re worrying less about the little things of the day. I think also, especially for first year, living in the halls was a great way to make friends. Coming from your small high school pond, university can initially feel quite intimidating as you are interacting with so many more people. Halls are a great way for me to live with my friends, socialise and have that extra support for when study gets really intense. It’s nice being surrounded by people who are doing the same thing as you. It helps you stay more focused. 

Does the campus feel like a bubble, or do you feel part of the central city as well?

M: I work at a hotel nearby, and prior to that I was working at the Ports of Auckland. The proximity to employment of living in the central city is useful as well. It’s not challenging for students to get jobs – there’s an abundance of them. 

L: I work part-time doing note-taking and test supervision, so my job is on campus. 

What part does the city play in your social lives? Does it feel good that you’re located close to more nightlife?

L: In the first couple of years it’s really exciting being able to tap into all the nightlife – you do tend to go out all the time exploring the city. I found in my first year I had so much time on my hands, I was like, “Of course I can hang out. Let’s hang out all the time.” But as you move through your degree, the reality of uni starts to sink in, and you’re like, “Oh, I better zone in a bit more and focus.”

M: You also run into financial barriers. Nothing’s cheap in the city. So using those venues in the city or the Viaduct as a primary place to socialise can be quite challenging.

L: I find these days I’ll hang out with friends at their house or at our flat and we’ll watch a movie. Or maybe we’ll go out somewhere, but the cost of it is always at the back of my mind. Then time is a big barrier when you get into the semester. If you’re studying to finish your degree as quickly as possible, that also takes up your focus.

M: There are weeks at a time where there’s no days off.

There’s been a narrative lately of the central city being more dangerous than it used to be, and I wondered if you felt that as residents. Does it feel like you’re living in a more dangerous environment?

L: No.

M: No. Not as such. You’re never concerned about going anywhere. But it’s like any city, its just good practice to stay aware of your surroundings. 

L:There’s a logic you use when you’re going somewhere in the evening. You’re like, “I’ll take a friend with me,” or “I’ll keep my phone on me.” It’s just general common sense. 

You’ve both got part-time jobs, and you’ve talked about the pressures of the cost of living. Are the lives you lead now close to being financially untenable? How difficult is it for you on a week-to-week basis?

M: It’s pretty close to being financially untenable. I’m working full-time over the summer and part-time throughout the year to make it viable. Next year I’ll be moving out of the central city a bit just to bring those rent costs down slightly. It can be bizarre talking to mates at universities further south with their $140 a week rent. It’s quite unfathomable how little they’re paying. My share of the apartment I’m in is $350 per week. It’s not ideal, but it is what we signed up for. 

Does it feel like the students that follow in your footsteps have a viable place in the central city, and the central city remains available to them? Or does it feel like it’s drifting in a direction where the central city gradually becomes too pricey for too many students because of the costs?

M: I’ll stay here until I finish my degree, but [if I talk to] new students coming in or people looking to move to the uni, I would be discussing costs with them, advising that if they lack financial support then elsewhere may prove a better long-term option.

L: I see students using social media to share deals and experiences that are in the central city and within a student-friendly price range.

Do you feel you’re getting a good experience overall, or would you rather have chosen a different and possibly cheaper campus experience somewhere else? 

M: I’ve visited most other university campuses in the country, and I’ve never had a moment where I regretted coming here. I plan to get back to a more suburban environment once my degree is complete, but right now I enjoy the energy of the city, the mass of people.