For a lot of regional Victorian students, Melbourne feels like the obvious next step after school. But there’s another option worth knowing about – just a short flight away and offering a student experience genuinely different to anything a big city can provide.
Jane College, in the heart of Hobart, provides residential student accommodation affiliated with the University of Tasmania. Hobart is a direct flight from Melbourne – just over an hour, with multiple flights running every day. And what’s waiting on the other end is something unique.
The University of Tasmania offers some of the strongest programs in the country – Marine and Antarctic Studies, Law, Outdoor and the Environment, to name a few. In fact, UTAS is the top-ranked university in the world for climate action.
A beautiful, green setting to call home
Jane sits on established gardens in South Hobart, within walking distance of the University of Tasmania’s Hobart campuses. With the Derwent River and Hobart Rivulet nearby and Kunanyi/Mt Wellington rising behind the college, students enjoy mountain air and riverside walks. Hobart is one of the only cities in Australia where students can be on a mountaintop that can be blanketed with snow within half an hour of class ending.
Combine that with some of the country's most enviable campuses – IMAS on Hobart’s waterfront with the RSV Nuyina Antarctic Icebreaker berthed outside, The Forest in the Hobart CBD, with a forest growing inside the campus itself, and you’ve got an inspirational learning environment. Jane also runs its own mid-semester excursions to national parks and local attractions around Tasmania for residents keen to explore further afield.
There’s research behind why beautiful green settings matter. Studies on biophilic environments, meaning spaces that connect people with nature, have linked exposure to greenery and natural light with reduced stress, faster recovery from mental fatigue, improved concentration and higher self-reported academic productivity among university students.
At Jane and UTAS, that’s not something students have to seek out – it’s part of everyday life. Between the gardens, the rivulet, the river views and the mountain behind the college, students are surrounded by exactly the kind of environment the research says supports better learning and wellbeing.
Beyond the books
Jane has a packed calendar of events, traditions and activities, so there’s always something to get involved in. Residents can dress up for the annual College Ball, gather for formal dinners throughout the year, or unwind to a night of live music. Jane offers inter-college sport events against Hobart’s other residential colleges, plus a tennis court, pool table and table tennis on site for a study break anytime of the day.
The communal dining is at the heart of it all. Jane is Hobart’s only fully catered residential college, meaning three meals a day, seven days a week, are taken care of – more time for study, friendships and settling into the social side of college life.
A college experience like no other
What makes Jane truly stand out is its community. Jane is Tasmania’s only residential college to practice the college tradition of communal dining. Shared meals drive connection and most students credit this practice as being the foundation of the depth and breadth of their friendships.
Jane residents are part of a genuinely close-knit college culture, where staff and students know each other by name and where support is built into everyday life. Weekly peer-led study sessions, academic mentors, and a Dean of Academic Studies give students a level of academic support that’s hard to find anywhere else. A dedicated Wellbeing program – including check-ins, live-in Senior Residents and a Dean of Students on hand for anything from a doctor’s appointment to a tough week – means every student has someone in their corner.
As one Jane resident put it, describing her experience at Jane: you’ll find your people.
"I love it – it's completely the opposite to what I thought. It's such a fun and welcoming place and the landscape is beautiful."
"It has lived up to what I thought and hoped it would be. I have a solid group of friends, trips for semester break, eating with everyone, day trips to the beach."
"If you have the opportunity to go to Jane or stay at a college, do it! You have to go! Jane helps you find your people here. It has changed my life." Ineka, from Melbourne.
Felicity moved to Tasmania from northern Queensland to study marine and Antarctic studies.
“At Jane, everyone's actually really different, and everyone loves each other's differences. I can just be myself…Everyone's coming from all over the country, so everyone meshes," she says.
Unlike many large, apartment-style colleges on the mainland, Jane is also steeped in history and tradition – founded in 1950 as Tasmania’s first women’s residential college. Jane’s heritage has always been progressive and inclusive. Now co-ed, Jane remains these things today. A true home away from home.
For regional students, moving away from home for the first time can feel like a big step. Jane makes that step easier – a close-knit community, dedicated academic and wellbeing support, and a genuinely green, outdoor setting, all just over an hour from family and friends back in Victoria.
It’s not just student accommodation. It’s a home away from home. You belong with Jane.
Ready to explore life at Jane? Book a tour or get in touch with our team to find out more about making Hobart your home for uni.