Getting Settled in Adelaide as a Student (Without Losing Your Mind)

In my first couple of weeks in Adelaide, I kept hearing people mention Scape in Adelaide like it was this obvious default. And honestly, I get it. When you’re new, just move in and the work place seems too good to be true. Adelaide’s chill compared to some cities, but moving for uni still scrambles your brain a bit. You’re excited, you’re tired, you’re trying to find a supermarket and also remember your tutorial room.

Adelaide feels calm, until you’re the new person

Adelaide has this easy pace. You can walk through the CBD and it doesn’t feel like the city is trying to elbow you in the ribs. The light’s bright here, especially in summer, and sometimes the air has that dry, warm thing going on where you’re thirsty and you don’t notice until you’re already annoyed about it. But being new is still being new. You’re learning the tram routes, figuring out where North Terrace actually starts and ends, and doing that slightly panicked scan of your phone battery because you’re using maps for everything. And at the same time you’re meant to be “settling in” like it’s a quick task you tick off. Sure.

The boring stuff matters more than you think

This is the part nobody wants to talk about, but it’s the stuff that makes living somewhere either easy or a constant low-level hassle. A lot of purpose-built student places lean on the basics: furnished rooms, bills included, decent Wi-Fi, that sort of thing. It sounds dull, until you’ve lived somewhere that isn’t. I had a friend who moved into a shared house and spent the first week chasing up internet setup like it was a full-time job. Another one realized the “cheap rent” didn’t include utilities, and suddenly the weekly budget was doing backflips. So having utilities rolled in can be a relief, especially early on when you’re already spending money on random things you didn’t predict. Like a kettle. Or extra bedding because the nights get cooler than you expected.

It’s not just a room, it’s your routine

What I’ve noticed is that the room setup changes how you study. If you’ve got a proper desk and a space that feels like yours, you’re more likely to sit down and actually do the reading. Not always, obviously. Some days you’ll still end up watching nonsense on your laptop and pretending it’s “a break.” But the built-in study areas can help too. There’s something about being around other people who are also trying to get their lives together, even if nobody speaks. It’s kind of funny, but just hearing the little sounds, like a chair moving, someone making tea, can make you feel less alone while you grind through an assignment. And if you’re someone who spirals a bit when your space is chaotic, furnished and ready-to-go is a bigger deal than it sounds. Bed, storage, desk, done. You don’t have to hunt Facebook Marketplace at midnight.

Location in Adelaide is sneaky important

Adelaide’s CBD is walkable, which is brilliant, but your daily life still depends on where you’re based. If you’re around North Terrace, you’re close to a lot of the uni stuff, the library, and the general student flow. You’ll also be near Rundle Mall, which is handy when you need basics or you’ve got that sudden “I need a portable phone charger right now” moment. If you’re closer to the central grid, you’re near food spots, buses, and those little laneways that feel quiet in the daytime and then weirdly lively at night. Adelaide does that well. It’s not loud-loud, it’s more like… a gentle buzz. And then there’s Waymouth Street, which is near enough to things without feeling like you’re sitting in the middle of everything. I remember walking through that area one evening when the air finally cooled down, and it felt like the city exhaled a bit.

The “student building” vibe: good, bad, and oddly comforting

Some people love the community side. Others want to do their degree and keep to themselves. Both are valid. Student buildings tend to come with shared spaces like lounges, gyms, study rooms, and social areas, depending on the building. That can be great when you’re new and you want a low-pressure way to meet people. But if you’re more private, you can still keep it quiet. You close your door, you put your headphones on, you disappear into your own world for a bit. The difference is you’re doing it in a place that’s designed around student life, so you’re not constantly negotiating with housemates about whose turn it is to buy dish soap. Also, security is one of those things you don’t think about until you do. Controlled access, CCTV, on-site staff, all that stuff can make it easier to relax, especially if you’re living away from home for the first time.

A small, very real moment I didn’t expect

This sounds silly, but one of the first times I felt properly “okay” in Adelaide was on a weekday morning when the city was doing its normal thing. Trams rolling past, people in work clothes, a couple of students with coffees heading the same direction as me. I’d been feeling a bit scattered up until then. Like I was visiting, not living. And then I had this tiny routine: wake up, quick breakfast, head out, walk past the same corner, nod at the same barista who looked half-asleep too. That’s when a city starts to feel like yours. You don’t need a perfect life setup. You just need something that works well enough that you can focus on uni and still have energy left to be a person.

What to look for if you’re comparing options

If you’re weighing up different student accommodation spots around Adelaide, I’d think about:

1) Your daily commute

Not just to campus, but to where you’ll actually live. Shops, food, the places you’ll end up when you’re stressed and need a walk.

2) Your study style

Do you need quiet? Do you work better around others? Will you use study lounges or never touch them?

3) What “all-inclusive” really means

Bills included, Wi-Fi included, furniture included. It’s worth checking because it genuinely changes your weekly budgeting.

4) Your social battery

If you like being around people, shared spaces are a bonus. If you don’t, you’ll want a room setup that feels private and comfortable.

One last honest thought

Adelaide can feel small in a good way. You can build a routine here without fighting the city. And once you’ve got a base that doesn’t create extra problems, uni life gets lighter. Not easy, but lighter. And that’s the goal, really. A place that lets you settle in fast, so you can spend your energy on the things you actually came for.