My name is Kyle and I'm a proud Gumbaynggirr man with Gomeroi and Anaiwan roots as well.
I’m from the beautiful lands and waters up in Woolgoolga,
about 20 mins outside of Coffs Harbour.
I’m really passionate about sports and always have been,
so I decided to make the move to Gadigal land to pursue my passion as a career by studying
a degree in Applied Science in Exercise Sports Science, majoring in Psychology.
I’m 1 year in and absolutely loving every bit of the university life so far.
My name is Alana and I’m from Thursday Island up in the Torres Strait.
I’m a first year uni student, studying a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor
of Advanced Studies.
If you had asked me this time last year what my plans were,
I'd say that I wasn’t quite sure.
I was on the fence about uni, and struggling with the idea of moving so far away from home,
and to somewhere so different to what I was used to.
One of the biggest concerns my mum and I both had before I made moved
was me getting lost.
I have the worst sense of direction and have gotten lost countless times,
so living in the city was a big adjustment.
I have only just started getting comfortable on buses,
although I still hop on the wrong one from time to time.
When I first stepped onto campus, I was incredibly overwhelmed.
Thousands and thousands of people move around USYD daily,
compared to the two thousand I was used to on the island, and so I had met more people
in the first four months of me living here, than I had ever in my entire life up to this point.
This is not my first time living within the Eora Nation and being on Gadigal.
I’ve spent the last five years here in boarding school, so I had a fair
idea of what it would be like being away from Country and my family and friends.
It made the transition to uni accommodation that little bit easier.
When deciding on which accommodation would be best for me,
I chose to move into Wesley College, which houses about 250 people, and is a co-ed college.
I'm pretty lucky
because I ended up in one of the biggest rooms in the older part of Wesley College.
There's a new section too, which is also really nice.
In my area, we've got a common space for everyone with a pool table,
table tennis and spaces to hang out or study,
a big room with a projector, our own Wesley Library
and a main kitchen.
Then each floor has its own kitchenette and bathrooms as well.
In my room now I have my own bed,
study desk, extra wardrobe space and my own belongings.
It's up to me to do my own washing and anything else like that.
And also at Wesley, you get fed three times a day with some pretty decent meals.
It was pretty different coming here from a tight-knit boarding school with 80 boys
where you were fed and had a pretty structured routine
to then move into college where you are left your own devices.
It was pretty overwhelming at first.
I guess I found my own way to adapt.
I live in Abercrombie Student Accommodation,
which is a type of university-owned accommodation.
It’s home to around 150 people from all over the world.
It's truly been so exciting and I've made a really wonderful
network of friends who are also literally my neighbours.
We each have our own mini studio apartment,
with shared breakout spaces,
study spaces and a theatre room you can book,
which is often used for karaoke.
The idea of college was a little too overwhelming for me.
I really value independence and organising and cooking my own meals
and was attracted to having my own space with my own bathroom.
But despite the independence, there’s always an event or social gathering going on,
so when you feel like being social you can be
and when you need space you can retreat back to your room.
Not a lot of people live here, so it's really easy to get comfortable
and adjust because you see the same faces every day.
Everyone is super friendly, so that just really helps as well.
Moving to Sydney wasn't a flawless process at all.
I did face quite a lot of challenges.
Being off Country, I felt the real disconnect.
It was like a big part of me was missing.
Gumbaynggirr land is surrounded by waters.
So here on and around Gadigal, I've discovered that I can find a sense of home away
from home by traveling to the nearby beaches in Sydney's east to reground myself.
One of the biggest challenges has been not being on Country.
The Torres Strait is such an unknown place, especially in accommodation,
so it's been a bit weird being the only person from there and
to not share a common native language or culture with others.
Lately, whenever I've felt homesick, I go to the fish markets.
It reminds me of being home and going fishing.
Plus, seafood is a big part of my culture, so it gives me the opportunity
to buy seafood to cook the food that reminds me of home.
I really want to learn
where to go fishing in Sydney and I'm keen to try that next holidays.
I'll be bringing my new friends along with me.
Coming to college.
There are other like-minded Indigenous students
who want to achieve the best within their education,
whether they're Saltwater or Freshwater People.
You get to bond over being a blackfella.
There's always someone who understands, especially the connection
and disconnection of being off Country.
It's really nice
to have someone there that I can truly, deeply relate to while living on Gadigal land.
It's also amazing to be a part of the Gadigal Centre community.
The staff and students there have also been another really powerful support
throughout the difficult transition into uni life.
I've met so many students through the centre that are like-minded
and really support each other.
It's not all about academia either.
They hold awesome barbecues with good quality feeds.
I'm on a Gadigal Accommodation Scholarship,
as well as a further two scholarships that I've been awarded by Wesley College,
which means I'm living in this beautiful college for free.
This allows me to focus on my studies and work life.
The process of applying for a Gadigal scholarship
Is pretty simple.
If you've applied for a course at USYD through the Gadigal Entry Scheme, you'll
automatically be considered for a Gadigal Accommodation Scholarship.
The Gadigal Accommodation Scholarship basically pays for your accommodation fees,
so you only have to pay a difference of $50 per week.
I urge anyone who's thinking about it to do it and know that there are accommodation
scholarships for Indigenous students up for grabs to subsidise your weekly rent.
So make sure you look into it.
It makes a world of difference and makes living here super affordable.
Everyone worries about money when moving to uni, so having the scholarship
really lessens the burden.
I don't know what my future holds, but I know that right now
I'm having loads of fun and I'm so glad I made the choice to come here.