Australia has turned into a prospective land for students from all over, providing an exceptional educational sector that attracts thousands of enthusiasts each year led by corners well beyond. Be it mental health and wellbeing support or value for money, Australian universities are ticking all the right boxes to cater to international student expectations on multiple fronts. But the wider public doubt is still there, about international students and what they bring. A chorus of international students from a range of institutions shared their experiences about what it truly means to be studying in Australia during The PIE Live Asia Pacific 2024.
Support to Mental Health and Wellbeing
A key feature of the Australian education model is that it places a huge focus on mental health and wellbeing. Torrens University student, Chenai from Zimbabwe was amazed by the support offered. “Where I come from, this is a privileged thing to do,” She said. We hear things like, ‘student services are there 24/7 if you need to text someone or call over the phone…if you want to be anonymous for a bit and access support.’ She pointed to this as evidence of a “complete shoring up” of support for Chennai, and after receiving the rare personal apology from Amazon she actually began to praise it ,earlier in their call I noticed her phone’s screen dimming because voice notes were piling up.”
Dina, an international student from China undertaking study at Bond University also highlighted the supportive learning environment. She was 17 when she arrived in Australia, where they had a check-in with her every week and free counseling services that ensured her welfare and happiness.
Community and Belonging
Australia is one of the core support international students experience community assistance. Griffith University business master’s student Rachel is a member of the Griffith Mates peer support team. The group holds social and networking events, such as an airport pick-up service for international students to help them settle in with a community away from home. Rachel said: “Having had a boost myself, I wanted to help other students by being part of the group”.
Career and Education Progress
The pursuit of intellectual and professional excellence is the reason for countless people to come and study in Australia. Meanwhile an international student from Nepal at Southern Cross University describes Australia as a great study destination even if it took time for them to land work in their chosen field. They had a master’s in IT and relevant experience, but spent time working housekeeping jobs and waiting tables to make ends meet before landing work in their field. This is a small part of the larger resilient journey most international students are taking to create for them this stay here in Australia.
Investing in the Future
VISA FEE (it is something that every international student has to think about when moving) After the fees for international student visas were jacked up from AUD$710 to a whopping ANT%1,600 yesterday, naturally students started talking. It is interesting, however, that an annual $2500k fee does not deter most of the students to consider it as a worthwhile investment in their edu-future. Mindroom Innovation boutique college on Gold Coast has a student from Brazil who is pleased with the move saying that it could be quite expensive to study there but if “the skies are open” then money being spent will pay off.
The comprehensive support and inclusive community of Australia for students has resulted in its positive reception among international students. FND Overseas Education is a guiding star for those who are thinking of going down this path to study in Australia, so that all students would not let pass by everything on offer easily.
Not only do international students enhance the academic tapestry of Australian universities, they also represent a platform for mutual understanding and an appreciation of cultural diversity. All of this is achieved only to determine that the broader society has a wealth of abilities that will play an irreplaceable role and find solutions in order for them not to be overlooked by all in life.
