Student Groups
Current Students
Getting involved in campus life is an important step in adjusting to university life and will help you to make friends, gain valuable experiences and get the most out of your time at Deakin.
Below is a brief list of opportunities, services and facilities available on the Waurn Ponds Campus, however for more detailed information, make sure you check out your copy of the A-Z to Deakin (7 MB).
Clubs and Societies: Joining a club or being part of a student community is a great way to get in touch with people with similar interests to your own. Check out the wide range of DUSA clubs and societies that you can join.
Sport and Recreation: Set in parkland of mainly native trees, the campus is encircled by a five-kilometre walking track which passes extensively landscaped gardens, lawns, lakes and avenues.
The Fitness Club on campus offers an equipped and staffed gym, squash courts and billiard tables. The campus also has a range of sporting fields, basketball courts, tennis courts and a golf driving range. Equipment can be hired from the Fitness Club.
Activities and Events: Check out Deakin's Events Calendar and DUSA's What's on Calendar to find out what's happening at Waurn Ponds. The Deakin Portal is another good place to get news about the latest activities, events and announcements on campus.
Short courses: DUSA offers a wide variety of short courses to help you get that little bit extra out of uni, including barista (coffee making), RSA (Responsible Serving of Alcohol), dance and First Aid.
Services and Facilities: The Division of Student Life (DSL) provides a number of services that aim to enrich your learning experience and life opportunities:
Other services and facilities on campus include:
There are a range of places to grab a snack, lunch or a good cup of coffee on the Waurn Ponds Campus, including:
Food and shopping: Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre is only a couple of kilometres from campus, and has two major supermarkets, as well as specialty and department stores. Closer to campus are two other shopping centres with auto, hardware, outdoor and furniture stores.
A 10-minute walk gets you to the Waurn Ponds Hotel which offers meals and within three kilometres there are a number of take-away options including pizza, chicken, burger, noodle and Japanese food, along with a variety of coffee shops.You can catch a movie at Reading Cinemas at Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre, go ten-pin bowling in Belmont or head to the Waurn Ponds Hotel nearby. There are more cinemas, theatres, bars and clubs in the city, all just a bus ride away.
Sightseeing and tourism
Geelong is the gateway to many of the best surf and swim beaches in Victoria, towering forests and beautiful drives. In the city itself you'll find museums, galleries, great walks along the Bay, markets and more.
Surrounding coastal towns offer craft markets, surf shops, great hikes, shopping and fishing, and the Great Ocean Road and City of Greater Geelong sites have a great list of things to see and do in the region. You can get a taste of history by going on the William Buckley Discovery Trail or visit the historic gold-rush town of Steiglitz.
From Queenscliff you could catch a ferry to Sorrento on the other side of the Bay for a day's outing on the water - dolphins usually follow you there. You could also consider becoming a Conservation Volunteer to make a difference while you check out the scenery.
There are a number of events in the region, including music festivals, the Geelong Show, Gala Day, the Geelong Cup (horse racing), Tropfest (short film festival), Bells Beach surf competitions and the Skandia Geelong Week at the waterfront. There are also a number of sporting events where you can get involved or go along to watch. The annual event calendar is on the Visit Victoria website.
Shopping
Catch a bus into Geelong where there are a range of shops large and small. Torquay's famous Surfcoast Plaza is a ten-minute drive away and is the home of Quiksilver and Rip Curl. There are also a number of other surf shops. In little over an hour you can catch a train to Melbourne for a bigger shopping and nightlife experience.
Buses come to campus on a regular timetable from the city of Geelong and from here you can catch buses down the coast or trains to Melbourne or Warrnambool. Timetables and details are available on the Viclink website.
The closest railway station is around five kilometres away at Marshall, and trains from this station travel to Melbourne, and from the Geelong station, to Melbourne and Warrnambool.
If you wish to take a taxi, remember that taxis can be expensive. If you are travelling long distances such as to or from the city, you may wish to catch a taxi with a group of friends so you can split the cost. A taxi service is also available by phoning 131 008.
