Dear prospective Ireners
Due to the new residence placing policy, we will no longer accept any CV applications. All application will be handled internally by Stellenbosch University admin. You are thus free to apply for Irene through the SU application form.
Also, feel free to ask any questions by e-mailing our Primaria. They will be answered as soon as possible by our House Committee.
If you would like to see photos of Irene activities and events during the year, please navigate to our gallery.
Welcoming
On the first day you step through Irene’s doors, you’ll be warmly greeted by our democratically elected House Committee (HC) consisting of 14 senior Ireners. The HC will make sure you settle into your assigned room comfortably and will then proceed to guide you through the rest of the Welcoming program.
Newcomers are given the opportunity to perform in the annual, local, theatre known as “Vensters”. We also give them a chance to socialise with other residences at socials during the Welcoming period.
However, we are first and foremost here to study at Stellenbosch University, therefore, newcomers are also taken through their own faculty’s tour and welcoming programme by their mentors to receive vital information about their courses. At Irene, we strive for excellence in networking, culture, sport and academics. Each newcomer is assigned a mentor who is studying in the same faculty. Newcomers participate in regular mentor sessions to help them learn what to expect and how they should handle their workload and timetable.
All welcoming activities are voluntary, but we highly recommend it to ensure that newcomers are successfully integrated into Irene and their study environment. Newcomers should look forward to making friendships that last a lifetime and having the best years of their life!
Catering
Irene’s catering service is Bidvest. Contrary to popular belief regarding residence food, Bidvest offers a variety of delicious, well-prepared meals.
Irene has a beautiful dining hall, which is open for all students who form part of the Wimbledon Cluster to dine there.
The kitchen is Halaal-certified as of 2016.
The following meal options are available daily (and much more):
- Standard Meal
- Vegetarian Meal
- Gluten Free Meal
- Salad Option
- Vegetarian Salad Option
- Chicken Meal
(These options may vary between breakfast, lunch and dinner). A menu is available on the MySun platform at the beginning of every week.
Meals can be booked online at the MySun page. Quota for meals is loaded onto every Irener’s student account. Meals have to be booked 24 hours in advance.
If students prefer to buy and make their own food, every section is equipped with a kitchenette. Every kitchenette has a Hydroboil, sink and microwave. Students are also more than welcome to use their own air-fryers or hot plates in the kitchenette areas.
Alternatively, there are two food hubs within 100m of the back entrance of Irene, where Ireners can order meals and also charge this on their student accounts (we call this meal account COB). The Neelsie, which is a student centre full of different food and coffee shops is also within walking distance from Irene and can be accessed via the green safety route on Victoria Street.
Accommodation
The average room for newcomers consists of 2 single beds, 2 built-in wooden cupboards, 2 wooden mounted bookcases (3 shelves), 2 wooden desks, 2 chairs, 2 pin-noticeboards, 2 towel railings, 2 power sockets, 2 LAN internet ports, a full-length mirror and a large window.
All newcomers will be placed in a double room like this one with a matched roommate. Pairings are done in accordance with the roommate form found in the 2024 newcomer’s booklet.
Twice a week, Royalserve Cleaning give residents the option of having their rooms swept, mopped, cleaned & can also empty Irener’s bins every day.
Bathroom and Laundry Facilities
Irene is divided into 12 sections with 8 modern bathrooms strategically placed around the residence. Each bathroom has 5 showers, 5 basins, 5 mirrors and 5 toilets. The showers are each enclosed in private cubicles with a seat & hooks for resident’s convenience.
Royalserve Cleaning are responsible for cleaning the bathrooms daily.
There is a laundry room on the ground floor where we have washing machines, tumble dryers and basins for washing clothes. Next to the laundry room, we have a quad to hang clothes in the sunshine to dry. Royalserve Cleaning also provides Ireners with the option to have their washing done for them in Irene (by one of their employees) for a small extra fee per wash.
Chill Areas
There are also 8 modern chill areas (section areas) situated throughout the building, each equipped with its own kitchenette.
Our Quad
Irene encloses a beautiful shady quad at it’s heart. It contains benches for eating outside on those hot days and a braai area. It offers a grassy place to cool down or relax. Many of Irene’s “Vensters” practices take place there during Welcoming.
Recreational halls
Irene has two recreation halls, each with a piano & comfortable couches for entertaining guests. Ireners are allowed female visitors upstairs during the week between 08:00 – 23:00, however male visitors are only allowed on the ground floor during the week. There are also designated male visiting hours during weekends starting Friday evenings at 18:00. Please see under “Our constitution & policies” to view our full Visitors Policy.
Computer and Internet Services
Irene boasts with its very own IRGA (“Irene Rekenaar Gebruiker Area”). IRGA has 3 fully functional computers as well as a printer available for residents to use. Using the computers is free, but access to the internet and printing is charged on the student’s account.
Every room in Irene has Wi-Fi access. Laptops, tablets and cellphones can be registered via the Wi-Fi with relative ease, if the security software is up to date. Alternatively, electronic items can be taken to the Campus IT Centre for the MAC address to be registered on the server and for the proper software to be installed. Then, the laptop can connect to the internet from the room using a LAN cable or wifi. During Welcoming, the HC and mentors will help newcomers to connect to the university’s wifi.
Handy Tips/What to Bring
- Bedding (single bed)
- Fridge (we encourage Ireners to meet their roommates first and then organising the fridge).
- Cutlery
- Fan (it gets very hot in the summer)
- Bed-side/ desk lamp
- Coat hangers
- Laundry bag
- A plank (can be used for extra storage space if put between the bookshelf and cupboard – 3m long x 3cm thick x 30cm wide). Only applies to rooms in the old sections, first check what room you get assigned.
- Storage containers (can fit under your bed)
- LAN cable (if you have a computer/laptop)
- Power adapters, multi-plugs (with individual switches) and/or extension leads
- Loadshedding light
A summary of Irene’s facilities:
- Laundry room
- Bicycle shed
- Computer lab (IRGA)
- Various study rooms
- Kitchenettes
- Chill areas
- Elevator (lift)
- Facilities for the handicapped (bathrooms)
- Recreational halls
- Quad area with braai facilities
- An entertainment rooftop area with synthetic grass