Moving abroad can be daunting, and it becomes even more daunting to adjust to a new culture and environment. If you are a student and thinking to move to Australia, you will have to choose the right accommodation for you. For this, you will have to take the right decision after considering several factors.
Making a wrong, hasty or ill-considered decision may harm your personal life, finances, and even your career. Choose the right student housing to lead a healthy and balanced life in Australia. We have listed a few factors for student accommodation here. Hopefully, this article will help you make the right decision.
1. Know about the various accommodations
As a first-time student in Australia, you will need to know the various student housing types. These are:
- Hostels
- Residential colleges
- Rental properties
- Purpose Built Student Accommodation or PBSA
- Homestays
- Serviced apartments
To understand how each of these accommodations differs from one another, please click here.
2. Manage your expectations
If it’s your first time to Australia, it’s better to set your expectations. Consider knowing everything about housing and its associated issues. It’s wise to know the various kinds of rental agreements, contracts, conditions, etc. You may also like to know the payment schedules, etc. Please do some research on the contents of a typical student housing contract. Housing contracts vary across accommodation types, so please evaluate your choice accordingly.
3. Budget issues
If you are coming here on a scholarship, then the budget matters a lot. Overseas students have to manage their budgets, so please keep a close tab on what you get for what you pay. You may also have to balance your needs with your budget. College hostels are relatively inexpensive, but they don’t have all those amenities that you desire. Please check what each housing type has to offer to you.
4. Privacy issues
Some college hospitals and dorms have campus monitors to keep tabs on residents. You may consider this as an invasion of your privacy. On the other hand, rented flats and apartments don’t have these restrictions; you can lead your lives as you want. Just in case you are looking for apartments in Louisville, you can check the average rent in Louisville, Kentucky to help you with your budget.
5. Social interactions
University education is not just about lectures and classes. You also get to make friends during your college life. You can make a lot of on-campus and off-campus friends while staying in PBSA’s or off-campus accommodations. Many such properties have 4 or 5 rooms, each room having space for 2. This means you can interact with 4 to 8 students in your off-campus accommodation.
On the other hand, student interaction in dorms and hostels is minimal. In most cases, you will have just one roommate, and this isn’t enough for your interaction. Off-campus accommodations also offer you a cross-cultural slice of life. Probably, your apartment will have students from various parts of the world, so your interactions become richer and varied.
6. Food
As a student living abroad, you might want to eat different kinds of food. This privilege is normally not available in hostels. You’ll have to contend with the same grub day in and day out. Off-campus accommodations, PBS, etc., let you store food of your choice in your rooms. You can walk out also and eat the food of your choice.
7. Convenience
While checking your accommodation, please consider how close is it to your campus. If you have to spend long hours in your classes, please pick an accommodation that puts you close to your college. It makes little sense to spend long hours in commute.
2018 ·