These questions and answers are intended to help overseas students coming to Australia to study. Tourists and other visitors may also find them useful. They were compiled by Radio Australia from interviews with Student Advisors from Monash and RMIT Universities.
Is it safe?
In general, Australia is considered a low-threat country for tourists, overseas students and visitors, as well as residents. The incidence of serious crime is relatively low, but offences such as burglary and car theft are daily occurrences, and are often associated with trade in illicit drugs. An alert system for possible terrorist attacks has recently been instituted by the Federal Government.
What about my health?
Medical care is of a high standard and readily available, except in the most remote areas. If you're coming to Australia to study, then you must take out Overseas Student Health Cover. Costs vary between insurers, but expect to pay around $AUD300 per year.
What's the food like?
Most of the world's cusines can be found in major Australian cities
and most restaurants display their menus and prices at the door. There
are many good, medium-priced eateries too. Students from Asia will
find the cooking of their home countries readily available in cities.
If you're on a budget, there are numerous cafes, sandwich stalls,
fast-food outlets and university or college canteens.
… and if I can't afford that?
The pleasures of cooking your own food await you. Produce markets, specialty shops and supermarkets are easy to find in city centres and suburbs, and boast a wide range of good fresh ingredients. Halal meats and other products can be found in all major cities. If you need kitchen equipment, take advantage of garage sales, and "trash-and-treasure" markets to stock up on second-hand cooking pots, crockery, cutlery. Check university noticeboards, internet cafés and local shop windows for times and venues.
The loneliness is killing me…
Visitors often say Australians are amongst the most approachable people in the world. Certainly you'll find it easy to strike up a conversation or get directions. Making lasting friendships is more difficult, especially if you're working and studying hard. Make sure to find out what your school, university or college offers. There are usually clubs to join or social events and free entertainment on offer.
Your local church, mosque, temple or synagogue is a great place to meet people; many also host social events. If you're feeling homesick, ask Student Services to put you in touch with your nationality-based association. And check the internet or phone book for clubs devoted to your interests.
Money, money, money
All major credit cards and travellers' cheques are accepted in Australia, and you'll find Automatic Teller Machines, or ATMs, just about everywhere.Tertiary institutions estimate that the cost of living for a university student sharing a rented house with two others is somewhere between $AUD15,000 and $AUD20,000 per year. Living in a residential college on campus (for 32 weeks of the year) currently costs about $AUD16,500.Those figures don't include the cost of returning home during the holidays.
Workers of the (temporary/part-time/casual) world
The average weekly wage for full-time workers in Australia in February 2003 was around $AUD900 per week gross. Many people earn significantly less than this. Approximately 25 per cent income tax is deducted from your pay before you receive it. Someone earning $AUD47,000 per year generally only receives about $AUD35,250. A Goods and Services Tax (GST) of ten per cent also applies, and is usually built into the price of whatever you're buying. Bear in mind that, as an international student, you'll be permitted to work no more than 20 hours per week. Tutoring in special subjects can earn you $AUD25 or more an hour. However you may have to settle for work in service industries like hospitality, where pay rates can be as low as $AUD11.35 per hour. If you want to look for work, university notice boards, the Internet and daily newspapers carry employment advertisements.
Nothing to wear?
Describing the weather isn't easy. Australia extends from latitude 10 degrees 41'S to 43 degrees 39'S, and from longitude 113 degrees 09'E to 153 degrees 39'E. It's a country that's virtually the size of Europe and the weather variations are large. Australia is warmer overall than Europe but, contrary to the tourist brochures, it isn't hot everywhere all the time. You'll need warm clothes in winter if you're in a southern city or central and southern inland regions, where temperatures can drop as low as zero degrees centigrade overnight. However snow falls only on mountains in the country's southeast and Tasmania.
Gimme shelter
If you're looking for somewhere to live, consult your university or college student advisory service first. You can find out about halls of residence on campus or, if you're renting, the best areas to search. Noticeboards and classified advertisements in newspapers and online will help you find a place to live or share. Student services will also provide you with up-to-date information about your legal rights and responsibilities as a renter, as well as those of your landlord.
The servant problem
OK, you're away from home for the first time in your life and about to embark on a brand new learning experience: Housework 101. If you're sharing a house, expect to be sharing the housework and cooking too. The usual practice is for housemates to draw up a roster. For example, one week you'll be expected to clean the bathroom, the next you'll shop and put out the rubbish. Take these duties seriously because you can cause tension very quickly if you don't pull your weight in a shared house or flat. The work may be tedious, but being forced to move because you don't get along with your housemates is an expensive and time-wasting business.
Reassurance
There are no guarantees that your house won't be broken into or that your car or computer won't be stolen. So insure your valuables and take normal security precautions.
A language you can understand
The police, courts, and many government departments provide interpreting services. If you are having difficulty understanding anything official, ask for an interpreter.
Religion
Your university can help you find the nearest church, mosque or temple.
The larger tertiary institutions provide facilities for Muslim prayers,
usually with brothers' and sisters' rooms as well as separate ablution
facilities.
Public transport
The central business districts of Australian cities are well-served by public transport, but suburban travel can involve long waiting times and even longer walks.University and non-profit organisations are currently lobbying state governments to provide concessions (discounts) for overseas students, but at the moment, if you're not a permanent resident of Australia, you have to pay full fare.
Personal transport
If you are over 18 years of age and have a driver's licence issued by your own country, you may drive in Australia on that licence for as long as you remain a student here. Anyone who becomes a resident of Australia must, within three months, obtain an Australian driver's licence
.Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road. If you're planning to drive, make sure you know what Australian traffic signs mean: they may differ markedly from those you're used to. Give yourself time to get used to driving on the left-hand side of the road if you're not used to it.
Traffic laws are strictly enforced, especially those relating to speeding or the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving. Speed cameras and unmarked police vehicles are often used to detect offenders. Fines will cost you money, accidents much more.
Asking questions, making complaints
In the course of building this web site, we asked university lecturers and tutors what advice they'd give to overseas students who are new to Australia. "Don't hesitate to ask questions", was an almost universal response. Questions are encouraged, both on campus and in society generally. Don't be shy.
This is especially important if you're having academic or bureaucratic problems. Delay may make things worse. If you think you've been badly or unfairly treated, you should complain. Find out where and to whom you should make your complaint, and then do so, making clear what it is you want. For example, you will want your money back or a replacement if you return faulty goods you've purchased.
If you make your complaint promptly and politely, you'll have a good chance of success. There are numerous tribunals and services you can turn to if your complaints aren't treated seriously or dealt with promptly. Your student advisory service will help you.
Trouble at Uni
If you're experiencing difficulties with your studies, ask for help from members of your faculty. They'll assist and support you. Students' Rights Officers will take up your complaints or requests for assistance.
Staff can also explain issues such as special consideration, letters of exclusion, appeals at both faculty and university level, and dealing with academic progress committees.
Trouble in the outside world
If you're in danger, contact the police. If you need legal assistance, student services can advise you on how to contact a solicitor.
If gambling is causing you problems, call 1800 156 789. It's a free help line which provides advice in almost all languages.
News from the outside world
Television station SBS broadcasts news from Hong Kong, Beijing, Rome, Berlin, Athens, Paris, Moscow, Madrid and Jakarta Monday to Saturday mornings. Broadcasts from Malta, Manila, Budapest, Kiev, Warsaw, Santiago and Rome are aired on Sunday mornings. Check newspapers for times.
SBS AM (1224kHz) and FM (93.1MHz) broadcast in a range of languages, and the ABC's Radio Australia broadcasts are available online in English, Mandarin, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Khmer and Tok Pisin throughout the day.
ABC NewsRadio (1026 kHz) covers world and Australian news 24 hours a day.
Alcohol and drunkeness
For the majority of Australians, alcohol is an integral part of socialising. However there is no reason to drink alcohol if you don't want to. You are free to refuse, and will usually be offered a non-alcoholic drink instead. It is common, but not essential, for guests invited to lunch, a barbecue or dinner party to bring wine or beer with them. You can take chocolates, flowers or a gift to a dinner party if you prefer.
You're most likely to see drunks at night, outside pubs, nightclubs and other venues. They can sometimes be violent and irrational, so it's best simply to avoid them.
Arguing
Argument is seen as an essential tool of learning in education, especially in tutorials. If you're unaccustomed to it, it can be difficult, especially if you're shy. It will help if you study the principles of debating, which provide a formal structure for argument.
Too much information!
Most overseas students have a tough time adjusting to their first few weeks in Australia. Apart from culture shock, homesickness and the demands of setting up a new home, you'll probably suffer an overload of information. Do your best, but remember that you'll have a chance to review it all later.
The importance of notifying a change of address
The Australian government, your university, your family and new-found
friends will expect to be able to contact you quickly and easily.
If you change your address, make sure you notify everyone who needs
to know. You can ask the Post Office to redirect mail from your old
to your new address. If you're unsure of where you'll be living, you
might prefer to rent a Post Office box, to which all your mail can
be sent. Make sure you empty it regularly.
Ways Australians might insult you, offend you or drive you crazy, without even knowing
The absence of titles
Almost everybody in Australia is on first-name terms. If your culture
emphasises respect for elders and others, this will come as a shock.
It is extremely rare for adults to call each other "Mr.",
or "Mrs." or "Miss". This once-common practice
is today only found in law courts, amongst politicians, and primary
and secondary school students when addressing their teachers.
Familiarity
Shop assistants who ask, "How are you today?" are high on
overseas students' list of 'most annoying things about Australia'.
Unfortunately all we can say is, this also drives Australians crazy.
Swearing
English has a rich vocabulary of offensive words, some of them very
old indeed. However it's only recently that they have come to be used
in everyday conversation by a large section of the population. Some
people scatter offensive terms through most of their sentences. It
is acceptable to ask them not to swear in front of you, but there
is no guarantee they'll stop.
Ways you might insult, offend or drive Australians crazy, without
even knowing
Failure to queue
This will incite people's anger faster than anything. Australians
pride themselves on being egalitarian, and one of the ways they display
it is to join a queue at the back and wait until it's their turn to
be served. There are almost no exceptions to this rule. In fact, the
more important you are, the more important it is that you wait your
turn.
Lateness
Punctuality is expected. Most things in Australia start on time, and
it's considered rude to arrive late. This is especially true in business
and on campus.
Bribery
This is completely unacceptable. In many countries, payments to officials
are seen as no more than tips, a reward for services rendered, or
a way of getting things done. In Australia, if you try to give an
official money other than for advertised charges, you are breaking
the law.
