Hub Central (Part 2)

Getting there

This piece picks off from our last adventure exploring Hub central’s level three. We talked about the main eating and relaxing area with a few areas dedicated to studying. We will be combining the top floor accessible by students and the next main area of the hub: level 3. It is worth noting that you are able to access the University grounds and many of the different buildings regardless of whether you’re a student or not. This was done by removing the old walls around the University. I reckon it was a bid to make more people come into the university informally and have a look to see whether they would like to be in Adelaide University or not. It's a decent marketing scheme and I would think it has worked often enough to maintain this decision. Interesting enough, we often have high-school children walking through the university.

The main reason for this is to get from North terrace to the northern parallel road which is not as busy during the period school children clock out of school. It makes it easier for the parents to pick them up from the quieter road up north. This would not have been possible if they maintained the strict access to the inside of the campus. They often have tours for parents to pass by.

Ask Adelaide

Returning back to the main entrance to the University found closest to North terrace on level four, there are access to stairs to your left which can be accessed from both sides. The very first thing you will notice as you head down the stairs is the open office when you reach the bottom of the floor. This is the exterior part of the Ask Adelaide office. The people working here are one of the most helpful group of people in the University. Since I first started studying in the University of Adelaide I have often received an innumerable amount of help from these employees. They are accessible both in person and over the phone. They work as a student help centre. If you have any questions at all then they are here to help. Whether it’s to coordinate you with your faculty leader, scholarship discussion or even simply looking for a room or building somewhere in the university. They are very knowledgeable and I would recommend you don’t hesitate if you need any help. They are a quick phone call away. They also provide important services. One of them is renewing your student card.

They won't exactly replace your card. Rather, they would put a sticker on your card that replaces the old expiration date of your student card. This is important for a number of reasons. The main one is the concession MetroCard. As a student you have access to this card which allows you a better fare compared to other forms of the MetroCard. However, you must be a university student to have this card. This will be an issue if you are still a university student but your student card expires. The ticket wardens go on buses once in a while which could cause a rather unpleasant fine to slap you on the face. It's a simple process of putting a sticker on your card so make sure to pass by them and get it done.

If this type of work interests you then look into being part of the team. They have an office in the back where people from all over the world will call the university to see whether that is the one they want to send their children to. I have a mate who works there and helps Mandarin speaking aspiring high-school students from joining the university. They pay decently well. So if you’re bilingual or want to work in another role then look into it.

Right next to Ask Adelaide you have a small office dedicated to helping repair laptops or deal with any technical or digital issue. They’re a very helpful bunch who have come to my safety when my laptop had been acting up with all my documents in there and they managed to get her fixed. If you ever need any technical advice or are struggling with the university computers then make sure to look into them as they are at the ready to deal with almost any situation.

From there you can look at the main part of level three. This area stretches quite long and it's easy to look at stuff from one side of the level to the other. You’ll be able to spot many different boxed rooms which are bookable for study groups or if you simply want to study in silence. It is worth noting that these rooms are in high demand. If you wanted to book one of these then you would have to do them way in advance. To do this you will have to go online to the university of Adelaide website and from there you should be able to choose what you want to book.

Main area

There are also some desks with large monitor screens designed to allow you to plug in your laptop. This will allow you to multitask with different things open at the same time and spread out. It’s especially good for note-recording while watching lectures or doing readings. There is plenty of space on the desk to also bring out your books and all. Nearby there are computers free of use for university students. You will need to type in your account ID and password to let you in. There are both Macs and Windows computers to assist any that are comfortable with one or the other .There are also multiple printers for you to use at the ready. There are about six of them located on the whole floor. There are also several dozen lockers located all around to be used. Only students can actually use this as you will need your student card to access this. There are two different types of lockers. The ones that allow you access for three hours and another one for eight hours.

There is a student’s centre located in the area. You could head to this room to get advice on different degree centred questions. It’s located close to the western entrance to level 3. It is also close to the entrance to the library. This library floor has printers and a book pickup zone to be used. It also has the library help desk which will help you find the exact book you need (if available).

There are also a few vending machines spread around the area which is great for a snack or an energy drink. There used to be a coffee machine in the area before it was relocated off level three. This level also has access to lecture halls and tutorial rooms in the eastern part of the wall. This level is predominantly for studying although it is not a very quiet place. Many around you will be chit chating with mates. If you’re looking for a more quiet place to study then I would head towards the library and from there you should be able to get work done without interruption

An important thing worth noting is that this place is still one of the best meetup places for many university students. This is the case regardless of whether you want it to be or not. Often people pass by this area and would recognise you and come by to say hi more often than not. For example, one of my mates that I rarely get to see outside university always finds me when I am studying in this area on most days as they are passing to lectures or to get some studying done in the Hub. I even ended up meeting people that I had not seen in a long while right there and then. It's always a surprising experience as you’re in your own world studying hard and making sure you get the right work done. So often I would study for three or so hours doing readings for university and would come face to face with either a group of mates or some individual ones.

This could cause an issue in productivity. So, my recommendation to you is to simply sit deeper into the hub away from the main walking area. This, however, is easier said than done as you would have to find a spot to sit in one of the busiest areas in the University. Another alternative is getting your laptop and sitting in one of the corners where they have a set up just for laptops. You really do not want to be rude and tell your mates to buzz off as you are crunching an essay with a deadline fast approaching like a freight train on steroids. Of course, the best option would probably be to head back to the library (as previously mentioned) as it would be socially acceptable to keep conversations short as it's not the time or place to catch up with long winding conversations about each other’s life while stress is eating away at your sanity. So while in the hub on level three make sure to plan accordingly. Or simply add headphones into the equation and a concentrated stare into your screen.

Also, if you have any issues with anything, Ask Adelaide is simply a stone throw away. The maintenance and tech office is also on the same floor. Not to mention that the library help desk is quite nearby. So you are in the central location to get things done with a plethora of tools to help you achieve it. Happy studying!