Brissy on a budget: 4 free and cheap things to enjoy while you study in Brisbane
Academia is committed to ensuring each of our students receives a positive experience when they study and train with us.
This goes beyond quality of education and job placements that we provide – it also includes ensuring that our students enjoy every single moment they’re in Brisbane training in their chosen field.
And the good news is that a lot of it can be enjoyed completely free!
Free Wi-Fi
Is your data usage worrying you?
Staying connected is a must-have, and not just for students anymore.
If you’re worried about accidentally being hit with extra charges, Brisbane has plenty of spaces that offer free Wi-Fi for you to research your assignments, or simply check your socials.
And we aren’t just talking about cafes either.
Thanks to the initiative of the Brisbane City Council, wifi is now easy, accessible, and of course, free 24/7 in parks and other public places all across Brisbane.
You’ll be able to connect to the web via your smartphone or laptop with these free Wi-Fi hotspots.
No login needed – all you’ll need to do is turn up at Brisbane locations like:
- Victoria Bridge
- South Bank
- Roma Street Parklands
- Queen Street and Valley Malls
- Brisbane Libraries
- CityCats
- Reddacliff Place
So if you’re ever in the neighbourhood and you notice that you’re getting close to your data cap, you might want to make a beeline for these spots!
Eat!
Of course, hard-working students will rely on food to fuel them.
And many of Brisbane’s restaurants and cafes have great students discounts you can take advantage of! Here are a couple of highlights…
Vapiano
Located in Albert Lane, just off the Queen Street Mall, Vapiano offers students with a valid student card 20% off food and drinks between 2pm and 5pm.
Brewski
This cool craft beer eatery offers several great deals, including $10 lunch specials (daily until 4pm), 2-for-1 Mondays (grab a mate and enjoy a cheap eat), and Burger Chewsdays ($10 burgers!)
The Defiant Duck
$5 steak Mondays and $5 burgers and hotdogs (both available with a drink purchase) might make the Defiant Duck your new local haunt. View all specials here.
Explore food trucks
The Brisbane council website has set up this nifty tool so you can find info on current and upcoming food trucks. Play around with it here.
Take a tour
If you’re studying in Brisbane from overseas or from interstate, you’ll want to start by getting accustomed to your new temporary home.
So why not make a day out of it?
Thanks to CityHopper, you can explore the city, go sight-seeing and enjoy Brisbane’s most Insta-worthy sights – all without paying a cent!
CityHopper is a FREE ferry service that runs down the Brisbane River. With eight ferry stops along its route and services running from 6am to midnight, this is a great way to turn familiarising yourself with the city into a fun day out!
Free live gigs
Outside of studying, there are a ton of things you can do on the weekends or during the week, including awesome free gigs throughout the city.
Luckily for you, Brisbane’s music scene offers plenty of affordable and even free shows for you to enjoy.
Brisbane’s City Sounds is a series of FREE gigs hosted in the Queen Street Mall, Post Office Square and several other Brisbane locations.
Featuring a program made up of local names as well as tourists, just about every genre and taste is represented, including jazz, electronic, pop, alternative and everything in between.
If you have some time to kill between classes, we recommend checking the calendar and seeing if there’s something going on.
And if you’re on the lookout for something to do over the weekend, you can always check out Gigs and Picnics in City Botanic Gardens.
Combining live (and free) music with a day out in one of Brisbane’s best parks, this is a great option for a day on the city. Bring a picnic blanket and some snacks and you’re set!
Study in Brisbane today with Academia!
No matter what your dream is, Academia has a course for you:
Many of our courses also include real-world work placements that’ll give you the edge as you get set to launch your career.
If money is tight, our course instructors are more than happy to work with you. We offer a range of fee structures for our students, and will help connect you to any discounts and financial assistance schemes you might be eligible for.
Got questions about studying at Academia or want to learn more about our courses? We’d love to chat, so why not contact us today?
