Unlike at Northeastern, getting to and from class at Monash is a breeze. I could not live any closer to my classes if I tried. Seriously, my dormitory is the closest one to the campus centre. Although I live at the very end of my hall on the third floor, it still only takes about 5 minutes from my room to the classroom doors, if I walk at a lively pace. This means that I can roll out of bed and be sitting in class within 15 minutes! Unfortunately, this also means that I have no excuse to be late to class. Overall, this is a much welcome change from the 25-minute walk from Mission Hill to Northeastern’s campus.
By living on campus, however, I sacrifice proximity to the city. As I have no car in Australia, the only way to get into the city is by public transportation. To get to the CBD from Monash, I must catch a bus that takes me to the nearest train station. From the train station I can then catch a train into the city proper. The entire journey, if I am able to time the trains right, takes about 40-45 minutes. If the buses or trains are not running as frequently, the trip may take upwards of an hour. This has taken some adjustment, since Northeastern is located in the heart of Boston. Even from Mission Hill, it takes no longer than 20 minutes on the green or orange lines to find oneself in downtown Boston. As a result, I certainly find that I spend less money on eating out or other inner-city activities as I did in Boston.
The public transportation system here is more than adequate. The trains and buses, as well as the trams, are clean and well kept. They run on time, very rarely have delays, and are definitely reliable. In order to utilize public transportation, one must have a Myki card that is preloaded with either money or a pass (usually weekly, monthly, etc.). One touches on and off each bus, train, tram, etc. I’m not entirely sure how money is deducted from the card but the algorithm calculates the shortest journey possible and therefore deducts the least amount of money. Unlike the T, there is not just a flat rate for each ride, regardless of how far. I think a journey into and out of the city is about 8 dollars if done within a certain window of time. Unfortunately, the student discount on public transportation only applies for “exchange” students. As a “study abroad student,” I am not eligible for the half-off discount. Several universities are lobbying for study abroad students to be eligible for the student pricing as well. It’s still much cheaper than an uber!
