Life as a student in Australia

Being the biggest island in the world, Australia has different states and many major cities. One main city is Canberra where the Parliament is situated. We live in another famous city called Melbourne.

The people are of mixed race and culture, and you can see an almost equal number of Australians (Aussies) and Chinese; there are also a lot of Indians and Sri Lankans.

Higher education in Australia is quite different to the normal college education system, where the students are used to being in one class throughout the year and the teachers know each student’s performance and bring them on track whenever they go off the track. So, the students come to depend on their teachers.

In contrast, in the universities, you have separate classes for each subject. In fact, you find a new set of teachers and students for each subject you do, unlike at school. So there is very little chance of the lecturers knowing your performance and capabilities.

Therefore, you have to find out whether you are up to the standard or have to improve yourself. There is always more than enough resources for you to improve!

In our university, there is a four-storey library with valuable resources. There are computer labs in each building and you can fix appointments with the lecturer or contact them via e-mail or telephone. For some subjects, they conduct extra classes closer to the examination period.

They even have dedicated counsellors to solve problems like stress, fatigue and nervousness. The only difference is that at school, you do not find out that you need to look into these resources as the teachers provide them to you well before you find out your weakness; in the university, you need to go in search of them.

The course structure is divided into lectures and tutorials where the teaching is done during the lectures and

exercises, while the group work and presentations are carried out during the tutorials.

Living in Australia is quite a roller-coaster to your life in Sri Lanka. As a student going to live there alone, there are many issues that you come across. To start with, as soon as you arrive in Australia, you need to find a place to stay. It is very difficult to find lodging in Australia and is also very expensive.

You are sure to miss home, as you have to do lots of things that you are not used to be doing back at home. After being used to getting pampered and being looked after, it is a real challenge to manage things on your own and you are faced with many responsibilities.

For example, you need to cook, look after your unit, pay the bills on time, clean, work and also study at the same time. In a way, this helps you a lot in what you are to become and provides valuable practical experience.

The culture in Australia is very different to ours, where people are more independent and they aim more towards self-improvisation. Australians are not that family oriented in comparison to Sri Lankans.

For example, in most families, kids are allowed to live on their own at the ages of 16 or 17 and whenever they do their shopping, even if it is the mother and grown-up daughter, they pay separate.

Australians are very active people and even people in their eighties still drive around and shop on their own. Most of them are really polite and very well-mannered, which is another plus point.

Almost all students who go there end up doing some sort of part-time work. It is a completely new experience and in my opinion, a good one too. You earn some money for yourself and at the same time, learn to take on responsibilities. Doing jobs like cleaning, kitchen-in-hand and cashiers makes you value other people for what they are doing.

In Australia, there are no good or bad jobs. Everyone is treated the same despite their jobs, be it a cleaner or a doctor.

After all, you should know how much you can take on your plate, because when students start earning, some of them forget what they actually came for, to study.Australia is a very nice country; it has got the four seasonal weather changes and as it is very low in humidity, you feel the heat a lot more than here.

The main transport is through trams, trains and buses. As it is very multi-cultured, you find most of the various country specific items there. Despite all facilities and comfortable living, you miss something important all the time, your family, relatives and friends and because of that it makes you want to come back.

After all, you go there to study and Australia is a very good country for that. But still, certain things such as their culture are different and you should have your own set of values and morals, and set your limits, because finally, you are still, a Sri Lankan.

Sent by
Malithi Jayatissa and Kinithi Jayatissa
(Past pupils of Leeds International School, Panadura who are now following their higher studies in Australia).