Settling Into University: For International Students

Written by Kathy Luong

UQLS Diversity & Wellbeing Subcommittee Member

Studying overseas can be a daunting experience, especially after leaving behind your home, family, friends and most importantly your comfort zone. So, with all of the effort of settling into a new environment, how do you get the most out of university experience? Here are some tips that might help you.

1.       Travel around to new places

Travelling around Brisbane will help you get familiar with your new surroundings. There are great websites – Must Do Brisbane, Urban List, Broadsheet – that you can use to discover restaurants, events and entertainment across the city. In your first year, try new things and maybe you’ll find something you’re really passionate about!  If you want to get the most of your time in Australia, travelling around the country is one of the most memorable ways to understand its culture and heritage. Perhaps you could plan a trip interstate during the break between semesters! The first couple of weeks of each semester are usually a little relaxed since new students are getting to know their way around and familiarising themselves with uni life. Use this time wisely.

2.       Join a club or society

Once you enter university, it’s important to always get involved in group activities to meet like-minded people. Meeting more people increases your chances of finding people with similar interests and this will make your university life much more memorable. So join as many clubs and societies as you have interest in! There are four student societies specifically for law students, including the UQ Law Society. Market day at St Lucia has over 190+ stalls with clubs, societies, and programs for new and current students to get involved in! Attending market day is one of the best ways to meet fellow students like yourself. It is usually held in orientation week of both semesters.

3.       Interact with tutors

Tutors are there to help you, so don’t feel stressed when asking for help! Make sure to get the most by engaging with them. This can be done after a lecture, after a tutorial or during their office consultation hours – you may even see them walking around the law library. Interacting with tutors can remove any nervousness you have regarding a new subject. It will also improve and deepen your engagement with the subject content and its materials.

4.       Start your assessments early!

University is different and stricter than high school – nobody taps you on the shoulder to remind you of due dates! Don’t leave your assessments to the last minute and cram. Giving yourself enough time to do assessments is an important habit to form – it will put you in good stead for the rest of your university career. Leaving it to the last day can be really stressful, so using resources like a diary and assessment planner can help you avoid that last cramming session.

5.       Try a casual job

If you feel like university and club commitments are not enough to keep you busy, you can also try and take advantage of the 20-hour work limit on your student visa and apply for a casual job. This could be anywhere near campus, close to where you live, or anywhere you find convenient. Casual jobs can help with improving your conversational English skills and getting to know more about Australian culture.

6.       Set a routine

Setting a routine will help you finish your tasks and maintaining a balance between work and personal life. This will help you from having last minute stress about assessments and exams and will give you time to have everything sorted, in case something goes wrong. Being in a new place is already a struggle that international students face, so making a routine will help minimise uni workload stress.

7.       Backup is key

Making sure you have everything from home to university is crucial and getting in the habit of putting everything on iCloud or anything else similar is key to successful preparation. Make sure you have all your important documents, passport copies and confirmation on hand. This also includes making sure you backup all your files such as academic notes or assessments. Prepare for the worst - your laptop breaking down – by ensuring you can access these documents from elsewhere.

8.       Financial planning

Since you’re an international student, you should make sure you always plan ahead and save. You never know when you might need it! You cannot predict when something unforeseen in your personal life causes expenses. It’s important to calculate a budget that will let you live comfortably, and perhaps a casual job may help you support yourself.

9.       Look after your emotional and physical wellbeing

When you’re away from home, without loved ones nearby, it’s easy to feel lost and confused. Whenever possible try and stay in touch with family or friends to make sure your emotional and physical wellbeing is looked after. Don’t try to handle all the stress by yourself. The UQ Law Society has a Diversity and Wellbeing portfolio. They are available to discuss any concerns about your experience as a law student. They are contactable via email (diversityandwellbeing@uqls.com). The portfolio includes a graduate and international student representative, Kirsty Chen, who works with those cohorts of law students to improve their uni experience. Kirsty’s email is graduateandinternationalofficer@uqls.com. However, it is sometimes better to get help from a mental health professional. Fortunately, all current UQ students can access 10 free counselling sessions each year. You can find more information here: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/student-support/health-and-wellbeing/mental-health-and-emotional-support/counselling

10.   Ask questions

Asking questions is also a good habit to form. If you learn about someone else’s experience, then maybe you’ll gain some helpful information about Australian culture and the cultures of other international students. In the process, you might also make new friends at university too. If you are stuck and need help, you can always ask UQ’s student services for help in settling down better.  UQ student support is available, and can be accessed here: https://my.uq.edu.au/contact/student-central#support

You are now entering a brand-new chapter in your life, which is about to unfold. Good luck and have fun (of course, that includes doing well in university)!