How To Adjust To Living In Australia As An International Student

Australia has many great world-ranked universities that welcome international students. Many students are excited to study in Australia. But some may find themselves homesick or dour once they are in Australia. This is natural for everyone who moves to a different country, particularly to one that is considerably different from yours. If you are having trouble adjusting to the Australian life as a student, here are several tips that may improve your situation:

Improve Your Language Skills

Is speaking the main local language giving you a headache? Aussies are known for their unique slang and accents. For some international students, this can create communication issues. If that’s the case with you, take up an extra English course in Melbourne if none are available at your uni. Learn the local variant of the language and familiarise yourself with the accent. You might even be able to learn some local slang. It will help you in your studies later as well.

Find Local Friends

Locals may seem strange at first, but once you get to know them, the differences disappear. So get out of your comfort zone and find a local friend or two you can hang out with. It would be a different experience. They can help you navigate the new country and learn local customs and norms. You can also teach them things about your country. International education is largely about meeting new people from other cultures. So, be brave and strike up a conversation with locals to find new friends.

Go Exploring on the Weekends

There’s a whole new country out there outside of your campus grounds. So go out there and explore it for yourself. When you go to cool new places, Australia would seem less strange and more exciting. You can ask another student or a local friend to escort you to new places. Or you can just do an online search and travel solo. Spend your less busy weekends travelling to instantly improve your sour mood.

Allow Yourself Time to Adjust

Expect that you won’t get used to Australia right away. It will take some time for you to adjust to the new environment. Therefore, don’t hesitate to allow yourself time to get used to everything. The time may differ depending on your personality. Generally speaking, take things slow and don’t overwhelm yourself. You will soon start to feel better.

Distract or Busy Yourself

If you can’t fix your mood, then distract yourself. Take up a new hobby or a sport that will keep your mind occupied. The uni studies could also be a source of stress that making your temperament worse. Learning a new sport or getting a new hobby may relieve all that stress.

Hang Out with Expats from Your Own Country

No one understands your situation better than other students or expats from your own country or culture. So meet up with some of them and ask for help in adjusting. Most will more than willing to help. There are possibly international student organizations inside the campus to ask education help from as well.

Use the above suggestions to learn to navigate Australia better. Taking up uni studies can make the stress of a new country even worse. So pace yourself and learn to relax. Find friends and get a hobby as recommended above to feel better soon.