Travelling to Australia to study and work is a huge and exciting decision and will be the adventure of a lifetime. You will want your trip to go as smoothly as possible, so here are 5 challenges you may face whilst migrating here, and our tips on how to overcome them.
1. Navigating Paperwork
The Australian migration process can be long, tedious and complicated.
Even once you have arrived at your destination there are still plenty of formalities and paperwork that you need to work through. To avoid unnecessary stress and complications, your best bet is to hire an immigration agent in Melbourne and have them help you to deal with any outstanding formalities. Then you can just get on with the adventure!
2. Handling Language and Culture
No matter if you are from an english speaking country or not, you may have difficulties with the language and customs of Australia. It depends what part of Australia you will be living in, but we do have our own way of speaking and being. You may have seen videos or read about Australian slang, but this probably won’t help you too much as they are often exaggerated and more of a joke than an actual guide to Australian language.
You may hear things that seem to make little or no sense to you, so if that happens simply ask! The person will probably be more than happy to explain what they mean. The further from a major city you are the more relaxed we are, so don’t be surprised if things seem a little slow and laid back.
3. Different School Systems
Every course is different, that is true in your home town and it’s true here in Australia.
No matter what different institutions have different ways they like to run things. Once you get settled, it may be worth booking a meeting with your course coordinator or head of faculty and finding out how the assessment and exams work in the course you are doing. For everything else that comes with a new school, time and your friends will be all you need to get the hang of everything!
4. Handling Your Cash
As an international student in Australia, you will be expected to pay your tuition fees upfront which alone is a huge expense. As well as that, cost of living can be fairly high, and the closer you are living to your university, the higher the rent is likely to be. This means that you will need to keep a close eye on your cash and monitor your expenditures closely. Some things you can do to save on some costs are to apply for every grant and scholarship you can find, as well as living in a share house with some roommates. You can also work casually, or part time if your course allows.
5. Roommates
If you have only ever lived with your family and on your own, roommates can pose a whole host of challenges. To remain in everyone’s good books and make your living experience an enjoyable one, there are a few things you can do:
- Learn to read social cues, if someone wants to be alone leave them alone and vice versa.
- Keep yourself and the shared areas tidy and clean and always clean up after yourself, nobody likes the messy roommate.
- Respect your roommates, when people are sleeping keep it down!
As long as you are conscientious, you should get along great with your flatmates and have a wonderful time living abroad away from home. The most important thing to do while you are here though is to see as much as possible, have fun and document everything so you can remember your experiences for years to come! Welcome to Australia!
