7 Tips to Settle into Australia: A Newcomer’s Perspective

Moving the Australia to study can be as daunting as it is exciting – it’s an amazing opportunity to gain an excellent education in a country famed for its hospitality, good weather and easy lifestyle, but it also means being away from your family and friends, and having to adapt to an entirely new environment and culture. 

Australia can be a hard place to get your head around. Compared to many other nations, it is very young: it was ‘discovered’ in 1770, not even 250 years ago, and founded as a country in 1901, nearly 120 years ago. For tens of thousands of years before this, the country was inhabited by indigenous Australians, made up of around 250 distinct language groups. This alone gives Australia a character many other countries don’t have: on the one hand, an ancient culture (or group of cultures) with very unique and diverse customs, beliefs and traditions; on the other, a culture that has emerged only very recently, shaped by those who settled here and later waves of migration from Europe, Asia and elsewhere throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

Australia can also be a hard place to get around, literally: it is the sixth largest country on earth, yet only 10% is habitable, with 89% of Australians living in cities, and 82% living within 50 kilometers of the coast. This gives Australia the astonishingly low population density of 2 persons per square kilometer, with 90% of the country being almost entirely unpopulated – the legendary Australian outback. Yet Australia is also teeming with plant life and animals found nowhere else on earth, and a strong connection to the land is a feature of both indigenous cultures and the culture of European settlers.

All of this gives Australia an atmosphere and environment that might be very different to your home country, but it’s easy to fit in and begin to feel at home if you follow these tips…

Perhaps surprisingly, the Australian constitution does not specify that English is the official language of Australia. Nevertheless, as the vast majority of Australians speak English, or more specifically Australian English, as their first language, it is the de facto official language of the country. Australian English is similar to British or American English, but what might take you by surprise when you first arrive here is the variety of slang words and a colourful use of the English language.

As a result of Australia’s mixing pot of cultures, including the original indigenous population, the Australian vocabulary is rich with words and phrases you won’t encounter anywhere else in the world.

Australia is generally a relaxed country – if anything, being relaxed is one of the stereotypes of Australian people, and it’s true that Aussies generally enjoy a high quality of life and value their downtime. But Australians also take rules very seriously, and you’ll realise this even as you’re entering the country: do not, for instance, try to take in any food from home without declaring it first!

Around the world there are many myths and legends about the land down under: Aussies ride kangaroos to school, spend all day throwing ‘shrimps on the barbie’ and drinking Fosters, while the toilets flush counter-clockwise and everything is out to kill you. Australians are well aware of these misconceptions and often have good sense of humor about them, so you might find that just as soon as you have your mistaken ideas about Australia corrected, you’re falling for new ones. Drop bears, rabid koalas that fall from trees on passers-by, aren’t real, for example.

Wherever you are in the world, sport is usually a great way of meeting people and socialising, either as a participant or supporter. But in the case of Australia, it’s almost unavoidable: a government report from 2016 found that over 17 million adult Australians (87% of the population) participated in a sport or physical activity that year, with over half of that number participating three or more times a week!

A Bunnings Sausage Sizzle? Footy (that’s Aussie Rules Football, not soccer)? Daryl Braithwaite’s ‘Horses’? We could go on. There are many things that are hugely popular Australia – national institutions, even – that have little or no relevance elsewhere in the world. Brush up on these, because they’re a useful cultural reference point.

If you didn’t grow up in Australia you’ll probably be unfamiliar with much of Australian history beyond the basics, but getting an understanding to the country’s past is a great way of understanding why Oz is the way it is today, giving you a great insight to Aussies and their culture.

Don’t just look backwards though: getting an idea of what is happening in Australian current affairs is a great way of fitting in, even if you just have a rough idea of what the big issues of the day are. You’ll be able to contribute to conversations on these issues, and it’ll make you feel more engaged with Australian society, rather than simply a guest here.

Being an international student is expensive and you might feel like you have to focus on your studies at all times in order to get the most value for money, but you could just have stayed in your home country and done the same thing – getting out and about is essential in order to really get the most out of international study. Indeed, it’s something employers actively value:

Australian cities are great places for exploring, and their diversity means you’ll no doubt encounter people from your home country, but if you have the time and money you should also try to experience some of the incredible nature the country has to offer.

Getting out of your comfort zone is also vital to really beginning to settle in to a place. Natasha Munasinghe arrived in Australia as an international student and now now heads up an organisation dedicated to maximising their potential, The FRANK Team. Natasha advises that international students “get out there and embrace the Australian student lifestyle.” This can include taking part in “clubs, campus events and social activities hosted by universities and community groups” that provide the “ideal place to practice and build your English-speaking confidence and friendships.”