Search for student accommodation at Macquarie University and you’ll find a long list of options. Some are apartment buildings near campus. A few are residential colleges. From the outside, they can look much the same: a room, a desk, a short walk to class.
Day to day, they’re quite different. One gives you a place to live. The other gives you a place to live plus a community, meals and people looking out for you.
Neither is the “right” answer for everyone. This guide explains how each one works, what’s included, and the questions worth asking before you decide where to spend your first year at uni.
What’s the difference?
A student apartment is a room or studio in a building designed for students. Providers call these different things, including purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), student living and co-living, and some co-living buildings house young professionals as well as students. You rent your space, cook for yourself and come and go as you like. Most buildings have a manager on site and some shared spaces, but how much you connect with other residents is largely up to you.
A residential college is a community you join, not just a room you rent. Meals, study support, pastoral care and events are part of how the college runs. Staff and senior students live alongside you, and the college is set up to help you settle in, make friends and do well in your studies.
Robert Menzies College (RMC) is a residential college affiliated with Macquarie University and located on campus. It has supported students since 1973.
At a glance
| Student apartment (typical) | Residential college (RMC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meals | Cooking facilities in your room; cook your own | Fully catered (3 meals a day, 7 days) or semi-catered (dinner every night) |
| Social life | Some apartments run events; how involved you get is up to you | Weekly events, Welcome Week, formal dinners, Annual Ball, Harbour Cruise |
| Support | Building manager; some have a resident life team or after-hours security | 24/7 on-site support: Dean of Students, Residential Advisors, free counselling sessions and staff families living on site |
| Study help | Varies; some run study sessions | Free academic tutoring, exam suppers |
| What's included | Varies. Wi-fi and utilities are normally included. Some have study rooms and recreational facilities like a cafe, gym or pool | Wi-fi and utilities, weekly vacuum and linen change, free parking, plus shared facilities: music room, common rooms with games console, study rooms, billiard and table tennis table |
| Contract | Often flexible lengths | 38-week contract following the Macquarie academic year |
Apartment features vary between providers, so it’s worth checking each one directly.
What does it cost? In 2027, rooms at RMC start from $530 per week semi-catered, or from $638 per week fully catered. That includes your meals, wi-fi and utilities, weekly vacuum and linen change and free parking, so it’s worth comparing with an apartment’s rent plus groceries and bills. See the full rates on our accommodation page.
Earn while you live here. RMC offers paid roles for residents across the college, including maintenance, housekeeping, the kitchen and duty officer shifts. A shift or two a week is manageable alongside study, and it really helps the budget. Your workplace is also where you live, so there’s no commute
Your own space, with friends close by
Moving out of home is exciting, but it can also be lonely. In an apartment, you can go days without speaking to a neighbour. That suits some people. For others, especially in first year, it makes settling in harder.
At a residential college, community is part of the everyday. At RMC, residents eat together in the Dining Hall, and there’s always something on: Welcome week activities, formal dinners, International Night, Arts Week and intercollegiate sport. Residents come from all over Australia and close to 40 different countries.
“I chose RMC as I knew no one coming to Macquarie Uni. I can successfully say I feel a sense of belonging here and have many friends who I believe I will maintain lifelong friendships with.”– Laura, RMC resident
Support that goes beyond a lease
In most apartment buildings, the main point of contact is a building manager who looks after maintenance, access and the lease. If you’re struggling with study, homesickness or stress, you’ll usually need to find support yourself.
At RMC, care is built into how the college runs. The Dean of Students and a team of trained Residential Advisors (senior students living in the same block) keep an eye on how residents are going. Residents can see the on-site counsellor for free, and a chaplain is available for anyone who wants spiritual support. Staff families also live on site, so there’s always someone around to talk to.
For parents, this is often the deciding factor. They know their young person has people nearby who will notice if something isn’t right.
Study support where you live
Apartments give you a quiet room to study in, but study support is generally up to you and the university.
At RMC, academic support is part of college life. Residents have access to free tutoring, guided study sessions and accessible study spaces. The Dean of Academics is available for advice and mentoring, and can help residents connect with support services at Macquarie University when they need them.
RMC also makes a point of connecting you with students in your own faculty from the start. At the first formal dinner of the year, new residents are seated with others from their faculty, so you’ll have familiar faces in your degree from your first week.
“Before RMC, my grades were mainly passes and credits with some distinctions, but afterwards, they have shot up to credits and distinctions. I believe this is because of the culture at RMC of putting our studies first.”– Gabrielle, RMC resident
Meals sorted, every day
In a student apartment, you’re responsible for every meal: shopping, cooking and washing up. Some students love that independence. Others find it hard to fit around classes, work and a social life, especially in their first year away from home.
Every RMC meal plan includes meals cooked by RMC’s chefs. Fully catered residents get three meals a day, seven days a week, with a salad bar, hot breakfasts, and options for packed lunches and late dinners. Semi-catered residents eat dinner in the Dining Hall every night and cook their other meals in a shared kitchen. Both plans cater for dietary needs such as gluten free, vegan and halal.
“Having well-planned meals makes living away from home easier.”– Lukas, RMC resident
A safe, calm place to live
Most modern student buildings have secure entry, so it’s worth asking each provider what’s in place.
At RMC, residents have 24-hour secure access, security doors, good lighting and CCTV in public areas. RMC has been a dry college since it opened, which helps keep the college calm and focused. It’s also a green space, with trees, grass and room to breathe, while still being a two-minute walk from the Metro and four minutes from Macquarie Centre.
So, which one is right for you?
A student apartment may suit you if you’ve lived independently before, enjoy cooking for yourself and want full control over your routine.
A residential college may suit you if:
- you’re moving out of home for the first time
- you’re coming from interstate or overseas and don’t know many people in Sydney
- you’d rather spend your time studying and making friends than shopping and cooking
- you (or your family) want support close by if things get tough
If you’re feeling nervous about the move, here’s how one resident found it :
"I have really enjoyed how quickly I have made great friends and become comfortable in the community here."– Chelsea, RMC resident
Many students find college is the best start to uni life, then decide after their first year whether to stay on for the duration of their course or move out. Either way, the best next step is to see the place for yourself.
Explore on-campus student accommodation at Macquarie University, take a virtual tour or see what life at RMC is like.
