Common mistakes that international students make in Australia

Living abroad without a close support network can be difficult, especially the first few months while you settle down. This causes many students to give in to pressure and make mistakes that affect the quality of their experience in Australia.

The most common mistakes you should avoid are:

• Not sticking to your budget. You must make an expenses plan to live by including outings and entertainment. This will prevent you from feeling the stress of spending your savings and from accepting a job that will make you feel miserable.
• Not looking after your diet. Healthy food is generally more expensive than junk food. Eating mindfully will help you get sick less often, have more energy and fight problems such as depression or homesickness. We recommend you learn basic recipes and cook for yourself or your flatmates, instead of falling into the temptation of paying for fast-food which surely will not nourish you.
• Not prioritising your studies. Coming without sufficient funds to stay in Australia means that students need to prioritize their work before their studies. This, in addition to being a breach of the conditions of their student visa, causes unnecessary stress and makes them waste their investment in education, which is not cheap.
• Not being open to connect with people from other countries. Sometimes when we arrive in a new country, we look for friends who speak our language and that help us to go through our new life. Hence, we forget to make friends from other cultures. This is something that stops us from practising the language we were going to learn or experiencing a different life in another country.
• Not looking for jobs in your profession. It is difficult to achieve, yes, and whoever denies this, is lying. But it being difficult does not mean you should not try. Attending professional interviews in another language will make you learn heaps! Not only will you learn about how to find a job, but about yourself. And in the end, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but first you have to make yourself be heard!
• Trusting too much in people. International students are an easy target for fraud and scams since they usually lack guidance and are far from home or those who can guide them. That’s why you always have to validate the information you get with a trusted contact. Ask your education agent or your school if you feel like something is suspicious, do not be afraid to ask.
• Not engaging in new hobbies or social activities. Studying in another country absorbs you completely, but if you do not enjoy the experience you probably will not make the most of your investment. Try classes on new topics, join activities with people you do not know, go to the library, talk to people in the coffee shop, live a little more!

In Latinoz we aim at preparing you before arriving in Australia and at motivating you during your stay so that you can make the most of your experience. If you want us to help you in the process, write us on Whatsapp or to our mail!