Q&A: Catherine Ern Yee Talks Living on Campus

The University of Canberra Village is an on campus accomodation option for students  from out of Canberra who have chosen to study at UC. The village consists of different living options or “res’s” as the residents like to call them. The Village is a great way for out of state and international students alike to meet new people and transition to UC with the support of a helpful and knowledgable team behind them.

The UC Village Residential Assistant (RA) team is made up of students living on campus who are usually in their second year or later. Their role is to assist with the social, academic and personal challenges students face as well as enforcing rules and regulations to ensure a safe environment for all residents. In some cases, an RA often acts as a liaison between residents and the University of Canberra’s administration.
Catherine Ern Yee has been a member of RA team for over a year. Kimberly Kang met Catherine and talked about how she is involved with the residents, advantages of living on campus as well as what is happening in April.

What is the role of an RA in on-campus living？

The job description of an RA is pretty broad but essentially RAs are employed to take care of residents, not only new residents, but also old residents as well. So we have new residents to settle down when they just move in to the new environment and help old residents with different requirements. We update residents about events and we are in charge of students engagement at village. The RA job is helping me to meet lots of new people and work on my communication skills.

What are the advantages of living on campus？

Living on campus is great because its just a five to ten minute walk to uni. You can make friends from all over the world, not just from your own country. And of course the free food provided every week is a great bonus!

What help can residents get from RA？                                                                 

All of the RAs are trained with mental health and first aid training as well. So if a resident has mental health problems or doesn’t feel good and wants someone to talk to, an RA will always be available to talk. If you feel uncomfortable and there is a certain RA you want to talk to,  you can talk to them. If you need first aid help, an RA will be the first possible contact as well. Every student has the RA number, its so easy to get in contact with us.

If someone wants to apply to live in UC village, how do they get the relevant information？

It is provided on the UC village website, the easiest way to apply is online. If future residents want to see what the rooms look like, they can actually request for different types of rooms and look at the pictures provided before they apply. But definitely apply online!

Finally, what activities will be held in April？

We offer great events each month and April is no exception!
There are a variety of activities on offer such as free food every Wednesday afternoon, guitar lessons, study help from advisors, and Mindfulness Meditation. We plan so many events for residents so be sure to check out the event calendar at The Village reception located on Cooinda St.