More likely than a backdrop for several years of study, warm sun, glittering blue oceans, and miles of immaculate white sand conjure images of a dream beach holiday. However, for other college students, surfing in between classes and palm-lined beaches adjacent to their classrooms are not just dreams but rather daily realities.
The following 15 institutions of higher education, located all over the world, have much to offer serious beach lovers, featuring beautiful private beaches, warm scenery, and pleasant seas for swimming. The campuses are all within short driving distance of the beach, making them perfect locations for students who want to unwind in beautiful settings after a long day of studying. They are spread out around the globe, from California to the Caribbean and South Africa to Seychelles.
The Geelong Waterfront Campus of Deakin University is located in Southern Australia just a few steps from Corio Bay. Although the school is located in Victoria's core business center, the call of the sea can still be heard there. In fact, Cunningham Pier, which is only three minutes away by foot from campus, has a restaurant, bar, and café on-site. While the campus is situated next to Western Beach, the real start of the beach is at Eastern Beach, which is still only about 20 minutes walk away along the water's edge. In addition to its immaculate shoreline, Eastern Beach has a swimming area designed in the art deco style and a picnic area nearby. Lifeguards are on duty all summer long in the idyllically blue seas.
A vast, sandy beach and rich green fields are all that stands between the University of Malaysia, Terengganu, and the South China Sea. The institution claims that this setting "beckons every spirited person to join." Given the lovely natural surroundings, it could be simple to feel envious of the University of Malaysia, Terengganu students who participate in diving and snorkeling excursions in the stunning local waters as part of their coursework. Along with a wide assortment of other wetland flora and animals, the region is also home to many mangroves. Five years after its founding, in 2002, the institution received university status.
Saint John's University in Minnesota has its own private beach despite being around a thousand miles from the ocean. The sandy area in question is next to 159-acre Sagatagan Lake, a body of water that is entirely on the property of the all-male Collegeville school and is home to painted turtles, northern pike, and brown bullheads. Additionally, while the beach is undoubtedly a nice location to unwind and get away from the books, Saint John's students may also utilize quite an amusing floating classroom that launches from the dunes if they so want. The wooden "Raft U" can hold groups of around 20 students from Saint John's and the College of Saint Benedict, an all-female institution that is linked with it, allowing them to participate in lighthearted outdoor debates, musical performances, or painting sessions on the lake.
The Higher Polytechnic School of Gandia blends a beachside position with 300 days of sunlight per year, according to the parent school the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Furthermore, the Spanish city of Gandia is indeed a popular tourist destination, probably due in part to the region's lovely Mediterranean climate and nearly four miles of sand. Gandia's beach, which is less than ten minutes walk from campus, has received a Blue Flag eco-label, signifying that the area complies with the organization's stringent environmental and water quality criteria. The availability of adjacent seafood eateries in Gandia further adds to the allure of the school's lovely location.
It is hardly unexpected that Laurentian University refers to its Sudbury campus as "really a jewel" considering that a private beachfront is situated on the Canadian university's property. The serene, sandy cove is located next to the 313-acre Lake Nepahwin, where the water drops to 72 feet below the surface. It seems sensible that beach swimming is popular here, but it is probably only done during the warmer months. The school's beach is described as beautiful and secluded while also it is said that there is an incredible labyrinth of campus routes and wilderness areas utilized for recreation and education close to the institution.
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth is only separated from the shore by a golf course, one of the best links courses in South Africa. The school is also situated in a region known as the "Watersport Capital" of South Africa, where students may try their hand at water sports including surfing, jet skiing, and canoeing. The bay area is also named for the previous South African president. In reality, horseback riding and quad biking are permitted on specifically defined portions of the beach. Algoa Bay, on Nelson Mandela Bay's shore, has calm seas that are also noticeably mild, seldom falling below 57° F in the winter and often ranging between 64 and 70° F in the summer.
Although the temperature in Maine isn't quite tropical, that doesn't stop students from using the campus beach throughout the summer at the University of New England's Biddeford campus. After all, Biddeford's average high temperature for the month of July is 76° F, which is unquestionably warm enough for swimming or tanning. There is enough space for both; the expansive beach is large enough to find a peaceful location there, and some carefully placed boulders offer cover when the wind picks up. The school, which boasts on its website that students "get to live where others come to vacation," is justifiably proud of its beachfront location.
The location of the Caribbean Medical University campus on Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island, is so ideal for vacations that a five-star beach resort is right next door. The university is one of the top medical schools in the area, drawing students from all over the world to its campus in Willemstad, the island's main city, which is tucked next to Piscadera Bay. But given that Marriott Beach is only a few hundred feet from the school, it must be fairly tempting to take a break from studying to explore its beautiful dunes and turquoise seas.
The evocatively called Fairy Meadow Beach in eastern Australia is just around a 15-minute walk away from the University of Wollongong's Innovation Campus, which is much closer to the water from a distance of a few hundred feet. With the water here being so surf-friendly, their close proximity to the golden sands assures that they are well-liked by students. While Fairy Meadow Beach only has lifeguards on duty during certain periods of the year, North Wollongong Beach may be a better option for swimmers. In addition to being a refuge for surfing and paddling, North Wollongong Beach is situated in the southernmost portion of Fairy Meadow Beach.
San Sebastian (Donostia in Euskera) and the Universidad del Pas Vasco provide a wide variety of opportunities since they are tucked in between some of Europe's best beaches. The institution is divided into three main campuses, each of which is situated in one of the three main Basque counties: lava (just south of Vitoria; forget surfing); Vizcaya (near Bilbao; 20 to 30 minutes from Mundaka); and Guipuzcoa, in San Sebastian's Antiguo. One may pretty much study everything they desire at the institution, which has 15,000 students over its three campuses. Chemistry, law, architecture, business, nursing, philosophy, psychology, and information technology are available on the San Sebastián campus. The Bilbao campus provides courses in Engineering, Business, Nursing, Fine Arts, Science & Technology, Medicine, Teacher Training, Labour Relations, Economics, Law, Social Sciences, & Fine Arts.
According to its official website, the University of California, Santa Barbara features "a campus like no other." The institution should undoubtedly appeal to beach enthusiasts given that its over 1,000 acres of grounds are situated just next to the Pacific Ocean. Goleta Beach, with its golden beaches and 1,500-foot jetty, is located just east of the coastal university. Locals going for a stroll on the jetty as well as fishermen and boaters frequent it. The location, which is a portion of the 29-acre Goleta Beach Park, draws picnickers, bird watchers, and bikers as well. An on-site restaurant and outdoor barbecues accommodate all of these visitors. The beachfront neighborhood of Isla Vista, a refuge for students and surfers, is located to the school's west.
Although the University of Seychelles is a member of the University of London, its campuses may be a little more gorgeous than their British equivalents. As an illustration, consider the main Anse Royale campus of the University of Seychelles. It's a little surprise that kids complete any work at all considering how close the school is to a beautiful tropical beach, especially given that the waters are at their calmest from October to May. However, the school makes it seem as though the stunning surroundings of the Anse Royale location are a key selling factor, including both the beach and the "second to none" diving choices nearby on its website.
The biggest university is Universidade De Lisboa, which has 18 colleges and around 50,000 students. Carcavelos and Guincho are also about ten and twenty-five minutes respectively from the Cruz Quebrada campus. If they don't have their own automobiles, students can instead go surfing by rail. Additionally, there is a long beach named Ericeira where you may bodysurf with fantastic breakers that surfers love. Depending on your spending patterns, housing expenses near this university might be pretty reasonable. Additionally, a surf club that travels around Portugal with other members is available at this university. You will appreciate studying here because the university has a strong surfing connection.
Students at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) North Campus in La Jolla may go to Black's Beach, one of the top surf areas in Southern California, in about 15 minutes by walking along Torrey Pines Scenic Drive. An undersea tunnel channels powerful waves toward the coast, making Black's particularly desirable to seasoned surfers. The school itself calls the beach "wonderful," but it also informs pupils that it may have severe rip tides that make it inappropriate for those who are not experienced, swimmers. Aside from this, Black's Beach serves as the preferred venue for the UCSD surf team, particularly for its preseason trials. The beach has previously played host to a collegiate surf tournament for all of California.
The student body at Florida Gulf Coast University should feel quite at home in or near water because half of its 800-acre Fort Myers campus is made up of preserved wetlands and uplands. Some students really reside extremely close to the soggy ground. The lucky tenants of the North Lake Village student housing complex, for instance, are only steps away from the idyllic white sands and stunning 80-acre recreational body of water. North Lake Village is next to Lakefront Beach. Additionally, nearby picnic sites are ideal for outdoor gatherings with friends, and the lake offers a variety of water activities for the more daring. In case the students still want to splash about, North Lake Village's swimming pool adds to the community's resort-like attractiveness.