omgd. said:
Are there any Full Paying overseas students here ?
Im currently doing my HSC & doing a major on Full paying over seas students and the difficulties they encounter.
At the moment im at the very start so i dont have much to work with, but if anyone could tell me of their first experiences, some problems they faced, their difficulties, financial issues... anything reallly.
I dont really have a specific area right now so im looking all over the place trying to find a specific area. Also i dont know much about this area as ive only begun to look into it so any information i receive will help me to find a direction.
Please help out. I would really appreciate any input. I realise some information may be personal, in which case if you wouldnt mind and are still keen on having an input just PM me. Im not interested in your identity, just some issues/areas of concern in which i can research
Thank you for taking your time to read this.
I'm a full fee paying international student. My first impression of Australia is that it was a very multicultural country. I found the motto "fair go" appealing and hence I came to Australia for studies almost 4 years ago. I came alone and it was daunting at first, but soon I was greeted by friendly smiles at the airport.
In my first year in Australia, I've had my first encounter with racism.
However, the racism didn't come from white australians but from aboriginals whom lived a few houses away from mine.
It was hilarious because they were teasing me and told me to go home to China, which was funny, because 1. I'm not from China, 2. I don't really look like one (even though I'm a chinese)
It began to bother me as they started throwing rocks at me every time I pass by their house. Well, that was no longer a problem as I moved to another suburb where I stayed in a homestay with a white aussie family.
There were fantastic, cooked great meals, were very friendly and personal and I enjoyed living with them. Even if the food were mostly steaks, potatoes, peas, and stuff from barbie which was different from where I came from, I had no complains.
I had very fond memories of my first year in Australia (even though I encountered racism). I am aware about the history of racism (white policy, gold rush etc) in Australia. I still defend Australia when people back in my country would comment negatively about the racism in Australia (due to the lebanese issue).
The experience in classes were not as enriching as I had expected. Many Australians kept to themselves (like also many international students). But I do know of some Aussies who broke the ice quickly. I have few Aussie friends here compared the bulk of international friends I made at uni. Perhaps this is because that I don't approach them that much and they don't approach me at the same time. however, I did not experience any racism apart from the aboriginal one but I know a couple of my friends had.
Financially, it is challenging. Since I now live in a rented accomodation shared with two other friends, it is expensive compared to living in a homestay. There were the bills that had to be paid, and the rent and living costs that increases each year. Also, the internet plans offered here were weird, because there were download and upload limits that varies with different internet plans. Back from where I come from, we have unlimited internet downloads at any given plan. The only thing that varies between our internet plans were the speed. I had some shocks here, that the malls and shops here closes early at 5! Shopping malls and shops closes the earliest at 9.30 p.m. from where I come from. Culturally, i was shocked to see how Australians could lie down on any patches of grass and walk around uni barefooted. Haha. But I'm beginning to do that now, (lying down on grasses, that is).
Academically, I have expected it to be academically rigorous and it is. However, I still manage to enjoy life at uni and even at studies.
Overall, I have come to love Australia as a whole, and the laidback culture which is contrary to where I come from.
My only dissapointment was that many of the forum users here had generally racist views, which was not necessarily even if their views are vaild to a certain extend, coming from a country that believes that everyone should have a "fair go". I see in the news that people are blaming immigration for their problems (housing, etc).
That being said, I still intend to get a permanent residentship here to work and live out the Australian life if I am able to. I hope this gives you some insights on what to write for whatever assignment/project you are doing. Good luck!
