A guide to enhancing the international student experience at Fiji National University

Ni sa bula and welcome to the Fiji National University! We know that you have already passed through many challenges to get here, so we want to help you feel comfortable and have a fruitful academic experience in your new home country away from home. Browse through this information guide for important basic information about the facilities and services provided by FNU and beyond but first allow yourself to become familiar with the new country you are in.

Living in Fiji

Living in Fiji can be fun as well as a worthwhile experience. The information and tips below can help ease your stay in your new country. The new experiences you will gain while studying in Fiji will be quite rewarding for you.

About Fiji

Fiji is a Melanesian country in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about one-third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii and consists of an archipelago of 332 islands, a handful of which make up most of the land area, and approximately 110 of which are inhabited. The capital of Fiji is Suva.

Fiji straddles the 180-degree longitude line (which crosses land on a remote tip of Vanua Levu and again near the centre of Taveuni). The international dateline is configured to pass east of all of Fiji, placing it all in one-time zone and “ahead” of most of the rest of the world.

Fiji is the product of volcanic mountains and warm tropical waters. It has tropical marine climate; only slight seasonal temperature variations. Tropical cyclonic storms (The South Pacific version of Hurricanes) can occur from November to April.

Language

Fiji has three official languages, English, Hindi and Fijian. However, the main medium of communication in schools, universities and at workplaces is English.

Some common Fijian terms which can be handy for you are:

• Bula! – A general greeting (hello/welcome), pronounced mboo-lah.
• Yadra – Good morning
• Vinaka – “Please” or “thank you”, pronounced vee-nah-kah.
• Moce – “Goodbye”, pronounced mow-they.
• Tulou – “excuse me”, pronounced chilow
• Mai kana – to eat
• Gunu – drink
• Lako – go
• Lako mai – come
• e vica – How much
• Yaqona – grog (national drink of Fiji)
• Vale – home

Food and Shopping

Fiji offers a variety of shopping experiences in different towns and cities. You will find shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience shops, dairy shops, restaurants, 24-hour service stations and roadside stalls in any town or city in Fiji. Most shopping centres open from 8am till 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 3pm on Saturdays. There are a few shopping malls that are open 7 days a week from 9am till 9pm.

The best deals on fresh fruits and vegetables can be found in the food markets and roadside stalls of Fiji’s larger towns and cities. Not only are the markets cheaper, but the money goes directly to farmers and producers, rather than through big corporations.

Suva has a few popular shopping malls like MHCC, Tappoo City, Damodar City, Sports City, Nakasi Rups Plaza and FNPF Plaza to name a few. Suva market is also located in the heart of Suva, next to the bus stand, thus quite convenient for shoppers. For more information on food outlets and shopping experience in Suva, click here.

Banks and Currency Exchange

Banks

It is very likely that you will need to open a Fijian bank account during the course of your studies at FNU. Fiji has a number of banks where you can open an account to safeguard your money. Following is a list of banks in Fiji that can help you with your banking needs:

• Bred Bank
• Bank of South Pacific (BSP)
• Australia and New Zealand Bank (ANZ)
• Westpac Bank
• Bank of Baroda

The bank you choose can advise you on the different types of accounts it can offer, direct debits, how long it takes to transfer money to other bank accounts (inside or outside Fiji) and more.

Currency

When you arrive in Fiji, you will need Fijian currency for immediate expenses, such as bus or taxi fare, buying food and other essentials. You can approach the money exchange booths at the airport or for currency exchange and money transfer, you can click on the following links for more information:

• 1 currency
• Lotus Foreign Exchange
• Express Currency Exchange
• MoneyGram
• Western Union

Communications and Internet

The international phone code for Fiji is +679. You will need to buy a local SIM card (you have to have an unlocked phone of course). A sim-card is inexpensive, but you need to register your sim to keep it active and to get access to data. Buying a sim-card gives access to cheap data-packages for easy internet access using your phone as a hot-spot.

There are a few mobile phone companies operating in Fiji that you can choose from:

• Vodafone
• Inkk
• Digicel

Internet cafes are also available in cities and towns and other popular areas. Some places also have free Wi-Fi. Sometimes you need to pay a fee or usage is for a limited amount of time or for customers only.

Transportation in Fiji

Buses are the main modes of transport in Fiji, apart from hiring a taxi or Viti Mini (mini bus). Travelling by taxi and mini buses require cash while travelling in buses require passengers to have a valid eTicketing card. Disposable tickets can be bought with the driver in exchange for cash. Travelling in taxis can be more convenient. All taxis have a meter, ask the driver to switch it on.

For information on how and where to get your eTicketing card made, you can visit this link.

Driving in Fiji

A national speed limit of 80km is usually observed. Village speed limits are controlled by several speed humps distributed within each village. Seat belts are compulsory while driving. Drinking and driving is also a severe breach of road rules.

It is illegal to drive without carrying your valid driving licence in Fiji. ​ Failure to produce your licence upon request will lead you to spot fine.

Land Transport Authority is the governing body responsible for regulating and administering road regulations. It allows overseas driver’s licence to be converted into Fiji driver’s licence, however certain fees can be charged. You can get more information regarding converting your licence on this page.

Airports in Fiji

Nadi International Airport is the main gateway to Fiji and handles almost all of the country’s international flights, with Nausori Airport being the second International Airport in Fiji, providing some international and regional flights.  It is located in the Eastern side of Viti Levu and is about 30 minutes drive from Suva. For more information on airport services, click on the following links:

• Nadi International Airport
• Nausori Airport

Religious Communities

Fiji is a secular state, allowing freedom of worship to all religions. Different prominent religions in Fiji have their own places of worship that include churches, temples and mosques.

Work Permit

To find out if you qualify for a work permit in Fiji while you are studying, please visit this link.

Accommodation

Various accommodation options for students are available in Fiji. You can either choose to stay on-campus or you can do private renting. Consider the following options to assist you in getting accommodation while you are studying at FNU:

Halls of Residence

FNU Halls of Residence are provided through 10 campuses, 8 in the Central Division (Koronivia, Nasinu, Rewa Street, Pasifika, Hoodless, Samabula, Public Health and Nursing School) and 2 in the Western Division (Lautoka and McGregor).

For more information on FNU Halls Residence, Accommodation forms, Fees and Charges, Hall of Residence Regulation and General Services you can visit this link.

Private Renting

For private renting, you can contact the following property agents:

Support Systems at FNU

FNU provides comprehensive and coordinated student support services that are critically important for you.

Quick links to the support services at FNU

The following is a list of support services with their links available at FNU to assist you with your queries.

Orientation Week

Orientation week at FNU is held a week before the semester begins and there is a wide range of workshops and information sessions to help you learn more about your new university and to help you get well settled.

Orientation dates are available in the academic calendar.

ICT services

The Fiji National University has ICT policy to ensure that computing resources are used ethically and responsibly within the university community. It is your responsibility as a computer user at FNU to know these guidelines and to conduct activities accordingly. For any ICT related queries, you can email to itservicedesk@fnu.ac.fj

Health and Safety

Health and safety should be paramount to achieve academic success anywhere. It is important that you are familiar with medical services, counselling services, and emergency contacts.

Hospitals and Pharmacies

Your health and safety are most important to us, because they allow you to study, learn, and enjoy life at FNU. We have university clinics, private doctors, together with, government hospitals and medical centres in every town or city, in case you need any medical attention. Students should carry a valid health card at all times to the government hospitals. Local pharmacies are also available in many towns and cities. More information on pharmacies can be accessed here.

There are 25 government hospitals (including two national referral hospitals) and three private hospitals providing secondary and tertiary care:

• Lautoka Hospital
• Oceania Hospitals, formerly known as Suva Private Hospital, the largest private hospital
• Nadi Hospital
• Ba Mission Hospital
• Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWM), in Suva, the largest and oldest hospital
• Sigatoka Hospital
• Savusavu Hospital
• Tavua Hospital
• Pacific Specialist Healthcare, private hospital in Suva
• J Towmey Hospital
• Nuffield Medical Centre
• Labasa Hospital

To get the contact, directions and locations of the hospitals, please visit this page.

Counselling services in Fiji

Security / Hostel Emergency Contacts

It would be a good idea to store the security/ hostel emergency contact numbers of your campus in your mobile phone in case of any emergency.

National Emergency Numbers

It would be advisable to store these toll-free numbers in your mobile phones in case of emergencies.