Res Life

Res Life at KSR is all about embracing an experience in which you belong, explore, and grow.

Belonging is all about immersing yourself in the life of the community. To belong requires giving, not just taking. Gaining that sense of belonging is the ‘safety net’ to allow you to explore.

Integral to your time at Res is choosing to explore. This means exploring all that Melbourne has to offer – the cafes, sporting events, galleries, bars and parks – but also exploring what others think, believe and do.

As you explore what it means to live in community and to be a member of society, you give yourself a chance to grow. We want every member of our community – from new students to long-term staff members – to be growing in all aspects of life: knowledge, wisdom, belief, emotional intelligence, service and love.

There are a whole host of ways this happens, some of these are listed in this section.

KSR provides excellent facilities to help you settle into life in Melbourne. Unlimited, high-speed wireless Internet is provided throughout the Res and is included in your fees. You can enjoy watching a movie in the newly renovated projector room and surround system in the lounge. The fire room and pool room are the places where people relax, catch up on the day and play cards, board games or a game of pool.

Bedrooms are twin-share, providing the opportunity to develop close friendships and mutual support. They come equipped with a mattress, desk, drawers, pinboard and hanging space for your clothes.

All common areas, including bathrooms, are cleaned Mon-Fri by an outside cleaning company. It is your responsibility to keep your room clean and tidy. There are coin-operated washing machines and dryers on-site for your use. There is an outside washing line, iron and ironing board for your use also.

There is also a bike shed and car park available for your use. Be aware the car spaces are limited and cannot be guaranteed. With such great proximity to public transport, we suggest you only bring a car if you need to use it regularly.

Community life is the heart of the KSR experience. Being a community means knowing, spending time enjoying the company of, and supporting each other. It means helping out when something needs to be done, looking after the facilities and making the most of life together.

There are lots of things to do to be part of the community spirit. For many years now, most of the Res participates in a mixed-netball competition with others from the Kew community.  There’s always people organising trips to the shops, cafes or one of the great local night spots. In recent years there have been semi-regular Soccer matches, movie nights, girls’ nights and parties at the House.

There’s no shortage of deep and meaningful conversations around the fireplace, joking around and late-night board games.

But there’s also lots of peer support when it comes to study, emotional challenges and achieving goals together. One of the favourite things for the residents to do is to go along to each other’s music recitals, drama performances, sporting matches and art exhibitions and celebrate one another’s achievements.

One of the richest and most important ways to enhance community life is to participate together in acts of service or life learning experiences. We have had people visit people with intellectual and mental disabilities, collect and deliver goods to those in need, and sleep outside in the winter to understand better issues of homelessness. We strongly encourage all members of the Res community to engage in at least one ongoing service activity throughout the year.

We provide 3 meals per day, 7 days per week. Breakfast is available from 7am each morning and you can prepare a packed lunch to take with you if you’ll be away at lunchtime. At 6pm, everyone gathers for dinner together in the dining room. Fruit, bread, coffee and tea are available all day and supper is offered each weeknight. Our chef is able to cater for any special dietary requirements if requested.

As part of our commitment to service, community, and getting ready for life after Res, students are required to fulfil one duty per week assisting with setting tables or cleaning dishes after a meal time.

The following is a snapshot of a sample dinner menu from KSR (mains only):

Living away from home, starting university and living in a new, big city is not easy. There are so many new people and places, rules and regulations that you need to get used to. Sometimes it can all feel a bit much.

There are a number of ways you can find support. Each person is placed in a care group for the first couple of months while you are familiarising yourself with your new surrounds. If things are getting a little difficult, there’s your roommate and the other residents who will be happy to lend an ear. The RLCs and the guys from the House are always there to lend support. For both the big and small matters, the Manager is available to help you work through the issues and, if necessary, setup some support structures or even give you the necessary information to see a professional.

We think that part of exploring and growing during your time at KSR includes your spiritual life. There are many ways that this can be done. There will be conversations with the other residents and staff, and there are many faith communities nearby.

For those who wish to attend a Christian church, the Kew Baptist Church is next door and is welcoming  to anyone who might wish to come along to an event or a service. The pastors are available to talk with you or get you connected into a small group.