Absolutely happy with life in Melbourne

In this second and final part of my interview with Pei Pei, she relates her feelings and opinions on a variety of topics relating to the international student experience in Melbourne.

I live in shared accommodation near the Clayton campus of Monash where I go to uni. It is definitely very difficult to find accommodation here. There are lots of student seeking off campus accommodation, so rental properties become quite a scarce resource with availability unable to meet demand. I think that this makes rental agencies quite rude, as they don’t have to worry about the properties they are handling, knowing that there are so many people who are desperate for housing. As for price, those properties located near campus become unreasonably expensive. Living in home-stay accommodation is even dearer, plus I don’t really think I’d like the food provided!

In terms of my experiences living in shared accommodation, I have heard lots of horror stories. I am constantly hearing complaints from my friends or friends’ friends that their housemates are being difficult or their landlord is being unreasonably harsh, even doing things like asking them to move out at extremely short notice. Ideally, I’d live in a cozy and clean newly built rental property with two to three other people. Of course it would be even better to have an opportunity to live with local people in a nice neighborhood in order to really experience Melbourne’s culture.

This brings me to the subject of meeting local people, I don’t think international students usually get many opportunities to do this. I was able to make local friends through my recent vacation work experience in Queensland but if I hadn’t had this opportunity I may have never had a chance to mingle with local students. Before my vacation I had been to soccer matches, footy matches, charity events and other things but only once did I really get a chance to meet any Australian students or their families. This occurred through an activity organized by St Johns Church near Caulfield. Some friends and I went to one of the church volunteer’s houses and had dinner with her family and friends. It was a really great experience.

Overall I think life in Melbourne is fairly easy for international students, especially compared to remote areas like the island I stayed on during my summer vacation. On the island there weren’t any Asian supermarkets or grocery stores, plus ALL the shops were closed on Sundays.

Sure the public transport here isn’t great but that is because Melbourne is more sparsely populated than most Chinese cities and the majority of the population have private cars here. This just means I have to plan my trip before I go out otherwise I might get caught waiting for a long time or stuck because of the dreaded NO SERVICE notice.

And in terms of safety I’d say that overall I feel quite safe here, except when I’m walking down the street and someone yells out ‘Sexy!’ Many of my friends have had this experience and have talked about it, so we just don’t go out alone anymore.

If I could make any changes I would let international students benefit from the public transport concessions that local students enjoy but on the whole I have been absolutely happy with my time here in Melbourne. The city itself is the most international city in Australia and there are heaps of exciting events happening here everyday!

City of Melbourne welcome to international students

With university about to kick off for 2009, City of Melbourne is planning a big event to welcome international students. To be held in Federation Square on Sunday the 1st of March, this free event will feature an array of cultural dance performances, roving performers, international food and information stalls as well as live crocodile feeding on the main stage. The organizing committee for the event itself is made up of local students working alongside current and recently graduated international students from around the world, including China. The event should be a great way for people from all over the city to experience the myriad of cultures international students bring to our city.

I personally believe that events like this are a step in the right direction. Melbourne needs more special events that recognize the contribution made by international students to life in Melbourne, not only culturally but also economically. For Melbourne to be able to retain its reputation as a great place for international students to pursue their studies, all levels of government need to do more to ensure that international students feel appreciated in their new city. Days like this should not only symbolize that appreciation, but also provide real opportunities for connections to be established between the local student community and international students. I look forward to hearing more about the day and will keep Soy Sauce readers updated as news comes to hand.

Those first few months

Xiu talks about some of the biggest barriers faced by overseas students when they first arrive. Like many students, she stayed with a home-stay family on her arrival here before moving on to look for cheaper accommodation. It is a difficult period that students usually face with minimal help, and a time that often leaves them with mixed emotions about their new home.

I have participated in some events here, like the Melbourne Cup and horse riding. I’ve watched sports games that I don’t even know the exact names of. I have met many Australian people too. I met them through my friends or just accidently. My first two months here, I lived with a local family which was a really important experience for me. I got to come to terms with a different culture and get used to different life.

The biggest difficulty living in Melbourne is the unfamiliar environment around us, especially at the very beginning because most of us don’t have friends and families here. Those first few months are a tough time for us.

Another thing is the transportation; it’s so infrequent here! Some areas don’t even have much public transport and if you don’t have a car it’s really inconvenient.

Money is also an issue and the cost of our tuition is the most popular topic of conversation amongst my friends and I. Our fees are three times higher than those of local students, which just doesn’t make any sense to me. Local students really should appreciate how lucky they are.

So I guess that so far, I can’t really tell about this whole experience. It has been bittersweet. Having said that, if there were more things for us to do, that could help us get involved in Melbourne life, we would be so glad. I have tried so hard to feel part of life here, but it seems hard sometimes.