Taishah Simcox - 2021

Coming from interstate, I had a choice of living alone in an apartment or being in a residential college. I knew when coming to Melbourne that I wanted to meet new people and to be close in a community that would give me a chance to make new friends. Medley is the epitome of this.

I did a virtual tour of Medley and I absolutely loved the older part of the building. It is definitely one of the cool parts about living here. Medley felt like a really nice place to be – it has a warm feeling -- but I do have to admit, it was a bit difficult to get a proper feel of the place online. I knew though that I could make Medley work for me, especially with the financial assistance of a bursary from the Cybec Foundation. As a first year student, it has also allowed me to meet other people and Medley is the closest to the CBD and to the Arts precinct.

The people here is what makes Medley feel so special. It feels like a family and we all care for each other as well as providing a good support network. We sometimes go out in the evening to get an ice-cream or just generally hang out together. Medley is within close proximity to everything such as retail shops, supermarkets, parks and restaurants. For example, catching the tram to go to Southbank is really easy.

The food here is very good. As with anything, there are up and down days, but the quality is of a high standard. There are always multiple choices to choose from at lunch and brunch. The caterers do such a fantastic job with all the variations and there is always lots of new things try too.

Everyone here has been very supportive so far. Initially I was worried coming here that I might not get along with people as Medley is a small community, but I have met some of my closest friends here. Just walking out of my room, there is always someone around. This is definitely one of my most favourite things about living here as I never feel alone.

Being involved in the ICAC (inter collegiate activities) has been one of my main contributions to Medley and I have enjoyed representing my college. I have taken part in Step Up, trivia night, theatre sports as well as being involved in the Intercollegiate musical, Dogfight and Shakespeare at Medley just to name a few!  Board game nights here are always fun too.  I want to try and have as much fun as possible while living here.

A typical day...

A fairly typical day here from a Monday right through to Friday begins with breakfast. I try and study during the morning, then I have lunch and I get to see a few people. I continue studying after lunch right through until dinner. Obviously during the semester there are also classes during the day, and I study either side of them. Dinner is always the best time to catch up with everyone to find out about what people have done and how their day has been. I get time to socialize after dinner. We sometimes walk to shops and go to Lygon Street or we stay in Medley and hang out in the games room People generally study hard during the day so they have less to do at night and can hang out together then.

Medley in 3 words: Supportive, Homely and Family.