Rooms and facilities

Your room

A typical room at Caroline Freeman College.

Caroline Freeman College West comprises 38 student apartments, with either four, five or six bedrooms. The apartments are very spacious. The wide variety of room layouts and configurations gives a unique, modern and interesting feel.

Each West apartment has a kitchen / lounge area where residents socialise, relax and entertain friends. Almost every apartment has two individual-use bathrooms.

Caroline Freeman College East has a unique mixture of room types. We have “pods” of either two or three bedrooms. Each “pod” shares its own bathroom and kitchenette area. East also has spacious single en-suite bedrooms with a personal bathroom. Unique to the Otago colleges are the East “shared en-suite rooms”. There are 11 very large, shared en-suite rooms with a bathroom, which are shared by two students. These rooms come with a substantial rent discount.

We encourage residents to personalise their bedrooms with pictures, posters, soft furnishings, house plants, etc.

We survey our incoming residents about their living preferences and we can cater for co-ed or single-gender apartments or alcohol-free apartments. You have the option to state a preference for mixed, single-sex, alcohol-free or LGBTQIA-friendly apartments.

CFC rooms (PDF)

A typical apartment lounge.

What you should bring

The safety and security of our residents is taken seriously. Access to the college, apartments and rooms is controlled. Our staff are on duty and available 24/7. All apartments and bedrooms are fitted with smoke alarms. For fire safety reasons, additional kitchen appliances, heaters or electric blankets are not permitted. For the same reason, candles, incense, burners or any other item that has or requires a naked flame cannot to be used within your apartment or bedroom.

Bike storage and car parks

There are a limited number of car parks available at NZ$304.00 per semester (2020). University policy requires all car parks to be charged on a semester-by-semester rate.

The local mountain bike tracks are popular and a good way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. There are a number of lockable bike sheds in addition to open bike sheds. Please bring a lock for your bike.

College Common Spaces

The Attic space is set up for gaming, television and movies.

Caroline Freeman College is renowned for our exceptional student common spaces. The West Dining Room is welcoming and bright with easy indoor-outdoor flow. Adjoining the dining room is the West Café where students gather throughout the day to socialise. The West Café has a pool table, foosball tables, big-screen television, comfortable setting and more.

Upstairs from the East Dining Room and Café you will find the Attic and Games Rooms, both multi-purpose areas with electronic screens, furniture, video consoles, etc. Adjacent to the Attic is our Art and Music Room where residents gather for music sessions or if they are feeling creative. We provide a good supply of art materials for those who enjoy artistic expression and exploration.

CFC East has a fantastic common area, the Rātā Lounge, where students gather and socialise. Adjacent to the Rātā Lounge is the Rātā Dining Room. There are pool tables, comfortable sofas and a big screen TV in both these areas.

The Kōwhai Block at CFC East features the comfortable Kowhai Lounge with sofas and a big screen TV. Upstairs in Rātā Block are extensive study areas and a large cinema/projection room.

Electronic security

You'll be given a key and swipe card which opens the College's main gates, at both East and West, after they lock at 7:00pm. Your key and card also give you 24/7 access to the College's public areas and your apartment/pod and individual room.

You're able to come and go freely, while at the same time the College grounds and all residents are kept safe.

Security cameras operate 24/7 for the safety of the College, staff and residents.

Fitness Centre

Our fitness centre includes:

• Boxing bag
• Cross trainer
• Exercise bike
• Medicine balls
• Resistance bands
• Rowing machine
• Swiss balls
• Treadmills

Courtyards and Gardens

CFC is famous for our courtyards and gardens.  Having an indoor-outdoor flow and a wide and colourful variety of garden spaces provides a great living environment. As the seasons change so do our garden spaces. At CFC East the McIvor courtyard is used for resident relaxation and for big events such as the Toga Party, St Patrick's Day and our pre-Ball event. The Ford Courtyard at East is our sporting space where you can play basketball, netball, volleyball, badminton and other sports. The college runs extensive sporting competitions on the Ford Court.

CFC West has an outdoor patio area off the West Dining Room. Just behind this area is the extensive Rātā Garden with grassy areas and a half-court basketball area.

Food services

The Caroline Freeman College dining room is centrally located and provides a healthy, interesting and varied menu prepared on site by our kitchen staff.

Caroline Freeman College provides full catering for everyone in residence.

For breakfast, there's a choice of cereals, breads, fruit and at least one hot dish every day. For lunch and dinner, there's a choice of mains with a vegetarian option always available. Fruit, vegetables, self-serve salads, desserts and a variety of drinks help to make meal times enjoyable and social occasions.

Sunday brunch is a firm favourite with our residents. In winter, home-made soups are also available. We know the importance of food to young people, so toast, spreads and drinks are available 24/7 at the Toast-Time bench in the dining hall.

Formal meals, themed dinners and other treats also make a break from routine dining.

Vegetarian and special dietary requirements

If you have a special dietary requirement such as a religious or cultural food preference, allergies, intolerances or similar, please contact us to discuss your needs before accepting a place at the College. The kitchen team are experienced in catering for special dietary requirements and will make every reasonable effort to manage a special diet, including vegan diets. However, it may not be possible to cater for all needs.

Meal times

IT facilities

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the College. The University maintains a high level of service, however occasional disruptions to service may occur. Although Wi-Fi access is available in all bedrooms, please note that connectivity cannot be guaranteed.

In the library, we have a small number of desktop computers linked to the University Network, and a Uniprint station printer for your use. Print credit top-ups can be made online.

University of Otago Internet Usage Policy

Laundry

CFC's laundry facilities are free to use – just provide your own laundry powder. The West central laundry room is used by those in Ford, McKenzie, McIvor and Hepburn blocks. Each apartment in Sandland, Mitchell and Dawson blocks has its own washer and dryer. An iron and ironing board are available in each apartment.

There are two laundry facilities at CFC East, one in the Kowhai block and the second in the Rātā block.

Library

The CFC West Library is known as the “Best Little Library in North Dunedin”! We have almost 3000 books ranging from an extensive fiction selection to non-fiction, resource and text books. Residents are welcome to borrow books from the library. New books are added regularly to the collection. The library is also a very popular individual and group study area and is sometimes used for small tutorials or study groups.

Comfy couches, chairs and study tables are available as is a networked printer.

The Library.

Cleaning

The College has a dedicated team of domestic staff who clean regularly throughout the complex. Apartment lounges and bathrooms are cleaned at regular times throughout the week. We ask that residents take responsibility for keeping their own personal space tidy. A vacuum cleaner is provided in each apartment.