St John's College

St John’s is a close-knit and supportive co-ed residential College consisting of approximately 260 students, situated within the University of Sydney. Our academically focused and socially diverse community is supported by an excellent tutorial program, twenty four hour pastoral care and a team of dedicated staff. The resulting warm sense of community nurtures the well-being and academic endeavours of St John’s students.

St John’s also offers a Non-residential Program. Students living at home or in alternative accommodation become part of the St John’s community, share in meals and leisure activities, make friends who are doing the same courses and engage fully in the tutorial program. We are an academic community founded in the tradition of Catholic commitment to university education, and we offer a supportive environment for students who are committed to their studies and enjoy sharing experiences in a collegial environment.

Living in a community such as ours has its challenges. Being considerate of others is a necessity, and hopefully becomes a habit. Time management skills are at a premium, as you structure your days and weeks to accommodate a range of demands on your attention. The capacity to look beyond the immediate experience to longer term goals is something we would like you to cultivate.

Overall we hope that you will use your time at College to consider carefully what it is that is important in your life, to make decisions about values and priorities, and make commitments that will help you live according to those decisions. The university experience is an invitation to embark on a journey, in which your growth as a person is connected with your learning in knowledge-based disciplines. The idea that these two things are intrinsically connected has grounded the survival and flourishing of the university as an institutional form since medieval times.

College provides an opportunity to live out the ideals of university education in the fullest way. In origin, the forms of both college and university came into existence under the patronage of the Church, and acknowledged God as both the source and end of learning. At this College we invite you to situate your study, as well as daily life in community, within the context of God’s presence in the world.

St John’s College is a Catholic community whose members are inspired by high ideals of intellectual excellence, faithful Christian living and witness, and service to society. The mission of the College is to contribute to Catholic intellectual life in Australia and beyond by:

• Helping to prepare the next generation of Catholic leaders.
• Affirming the mutual relationship between human reason and Christian faith.
• Providing material, spiritual and pastoral support to students.
• Providing opportunities for higher education to people who are less advantaged.
• Engaging with issues of significance to local and global communities.