Get tips from the experts and create a home away from home in Melbourne as an international student.
From choosing an apartment to finding your people and catching the tram, here’s how international students survive and thrive in Melbourne.
Read on, or jump to areas of interest:
- Meet Fakhira and get her top tips
- Meet Ruva and get her top tips
- More top tips from six international students
- Watch and listen to real-life student stories
- The Couch International Student Centre
- My Melbourne Student Ambassadors
- Resources for international students
Embrace the butterflies: meet Fakhira
It might get messy around exam time when you share an apartment with seven other international students, but Fakhira Aizham wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I feel very lucky. I’ve had great housemates. We all speak different languages, so learning how to communicate can be a challenge, but it’s been really lovely.”
At first Fakhira was overwhelmed by the idea of choosing somewhere to live in Melbourne.
Hailing from a coastal town in eastern Malaysia, Fakhira was the first among her family and friends to study abroad so she had nobody to bounce ideas off as she prepared to move to Melbourne as an international student.
"I highly recommend going on YouTube and watching students share their daily life as an international student in Melbourne."
“Start with a budget and narrow your options down by what you want: distance to uni, safety, public transport. It depends what you are looking for,” Fakhira said.
She knew what she wanted: “I wanted to walk to uni except when it was raining, and preferred the idea of student accommodation, because it feels safe and they have monthly events and it’s really fun to meet people.”
Her first instincts were good: she has lived in the same apartment in the CBD throughout her studies. She hopes to complete her Master of Marketing Communications at the University of Melbourne this year.
“Google Maps was literally my best friend when I first arrived. Even within the University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus, which is really big!” Fakhira said.
“I began to feel at home when I stopped relying on Google Maps to tell me where I was.
"When I started to recognise this tree or that street, or I could find my way around campus on my own.”
It took a little longer to properly find her groove, but everything fell into place when she applied to a leadership program for international students offered by the City of Melbourne.
“I was really struggling to adapt and make friends during my first year in Melbourne. In my second year I had this feeling that I wanted to put myself out there a bit more, so I applied for the Student Ambassadors program.”
Fakhira flourished as one of 12 successful My Melbourne Student Ambassadors for 2024.
“I felt really welcome from the start.”
Together the ambassadors designed a series of events and workshops to bring together international students to have fun and create new memories in Melbourne. Activations include a podcast and video series and $5 cooking workshops in collaboration with Laneway Learning.
For her cooking workshop, Fakhira guided 20 budding chefs as they chopped and spiced three big pots of chicken curry, made to her mother’s recipe. You can find it in the World Flavours cookbook External link (PDF).
Then everyone sat down to share the meal.
“It was pretty chaotic in a good way," Fakhira said. “I hope it was good. They said it was good!”
When Fakhira isn’t studying, you might find her roaming the “coffee city” on foot after ordering the signature brew at Good Measure External link in Carlton, or watching the sun set by the water in Southbank.
Fakhira’s top tips for new international students
1. Embrace the butterflies. Try to enjoy the moment, the highs and the lows as you navigate your life in Melbourne. I held back on socialising, joining new clubs and exploring new hobbies because I wanted to take things at a slower pace.
2. Growth is not linear. Some days are going to be difficult, but there will be days when you’re going to be fine. I was hesitant. I was worried about my accent, about making mistakes and cultural differences. It can get overwhelming.
3. Keep going! Take the first step. Connect with other international students.
4. Try a new hobby. I started going to Pilates in Melbourne and now it’s part of my weekly routine. I have a favourite studio, but I am also using Pilates as a way to explore different suburbs by trying different studios.
5. Take your time to decorate your space. Make your bed look cute and cosy. I have pictures of my family and friends on the wall. The small touches really make a lot of difference.
6. Be kind to yourself. Even on your bad days. Especially on your bad days. Your strongest support system will come from you. I wish I was kinder to myself in my first year.
7. Have a good support system. Find your people here and stay connected to family and friends back home. The journey can be very lonely sometimes. It can help you feel less lonely when you have friends who share similar interests.
8. Cook your favourite meals from home. It makes me feel less homesick when I cook the dishes my mum cooks at home. Simple meals like tom yum, fried rice or chicken curry.
9. Travel. Explore the city. We went to the Visitor Hub External link and got great tips for our road trip to the Great Ocean Road. Even domestic trips feel like international travel, everywhere is so different. I travelled to Sydney and Brisbane on my own and I will remember it for the rest of my life.
10. Volunteer. Get involved in events across the City of Melbourne as a volunteer. I volunteered at two citizenship ceremonies. It was a highlight, a very heartfelt moment.
Watch Fakhira's episode of Home Away From Home
Spend time in the city with Fakhira as she shares her story for the Home Away from Home video series on the Facebook page for International Students in Melbourne.
Find your happy place: meet Ruva
Save yourself from unnecessary fines and discover a musical cure for homesickness with international student Ruvarashe Mandhiza.
Just before Melbourne started to feel like home, nursing student Ruvarashe Mandizha was desperately homesick for her life in Zimbabwe.
“I was really missing home. And then I found out that Hamilton was playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre. It came at the perfect time," Ruva said.
A self-confessed ‘theatre kid’ who was raised on musicals and had fallen in love with Hamilton during the pandemic, Ruva quickly booked herself a ticket.
“It was an amazing experience. I went there and I cried! It was like a dream come true," Ruva said.
“After the show, I took a walk through the city and I took in the fresh air, and I thought, you know what? Everything’s going to be okay.
“Since then, I've really been able to walk into my passions in Melbourne.”
Full of enthusiasm, Ruva applied for City of Melbourne’s My Melbourne Student Ambassador leadership program.
“It came from wanting to immerse myself in the community,” Ruva said.
“Being a Student Ambassador was such an amazing experience, to help other people settle in and make Melbourne feel like home a little bit sooner,” Ruva said.
Tune in to Episode 1 of the Student City Student Stories External link podcast series developed by the 2024 ambassadors to hear Ruva’s highs and lows of student life in Melbourne.
“I also got the chance to be the voice for international students in important conversations with Councillors and other industry stakeholders.”
When Ruva isn’t studying at the Australian Catholic University, she is a support worker through the NDIS, caring for clients with disability.
After she finishes her nursing degree in 2025, she hopes to turn her attention to medical law.
Ruva’s top 10 tips for new international students
1. You don’t have to have it all sorted out straight away. It's ok if you feel overwhelmed right now. Ask what you can do right now to make yourself feel better.
2. It’s ok to take it slow. It takes time to make friends. Have grace for yourself early on. If you feel greatly overwhelmed, seek help. Visit the Student Services at your uni. Ask about free or low-cost counselling.
3. Celebrate your diversity. When I came in I was like, do I need to adopt an Australian accent? Do I have to dress like everyone else? I had to remember that this is a city that respects diversity. Be diverse. Be unique. Be yourself. [Melburnians] value where you came from, they value what you have to share.
4. Avoid a Myki fine! Back home we don’t have trains or trams, so navigating public transport was a big one. I got a couple of Myki fines because I didn’t know how to use the system. Don’t be like me, guys! Learn the system! Find out about the International Student Travel Pass External link.
5. Find your happy place. I’m a big foodie. Every time I'm in the city I go to The Bagel Shop. I love the Bagel Shop. And it’s all about balance, to walk it off I go to Fitzroy Gardens. It’s so cool in summer and beautiful in autumn.
6. Seek help early. If you’re frustrated and things don’t make sense, especially to do with your studies, ask for help before it’s harder to retrieve the situation.
7. Put yourself out there. It’s easier said than done, but push yourself into situations you would normally shy away from. If you’re looking to make friends, ask someone for coffee after class. The worst they can do is say no. If you’re looking for work, print out your CV and walk your local area. The best thing you can get is an opportunity.
8. You’ll feel more homesick if you stay in your room all day on the phone back home. Sure it's great that we can stay connected, but you can make cool memories here as well to add to your core memories. Rediscover yourself. Find a new passion.
9. Get involved with the community as early as you can. Find people that align with your beliefs and goals. Check out the clubs and societies at your university. When you have a collective, you feel less like a small fish in a big pond. Then you can share a smile when you recognise someone on campus, and know that you’re not a stranger to them.
10. Even if you’re introverted, join an event. City of Melbourne runs great events. Come to The Couch International Student Centre External link. You’ll find a beautiful community there. Do some volunteering. Come to the Lord Mayor’s Student Welcome in March 2025.
This video shows a photo of international students having fun in the city, with music in the background.
Text over the photo reads: What are your top tips for international students in Melbourne?
Followed by a series of short video interviews, featuring six international students
They share their responses with an unseen journalist, who is holding a microphone.
Isabella: I always try to go to the international student events because you will always get to know people from different cultures, different places. It makes me feel like I'm part of the community, I'm part of Melbourne.
Nas: Most of the students would feel homesick, so the best tip for that would be to go out and explore. Melbourne is amazing. There are different suburbs, each one has its own vibes.
Ha: It’s time for them to step out of their comfort zone and explore what Melbourne has to offer. For example, I started going to the library. And I looked into some studios: I wanted to try some dance classes
Marina: Volunteering is one of the best ways to make new friends and even besties.
Fakhira: I was a Student Ambassador for the City of Melbourne. I hosted a cooking workshop where I cooked for 20 students, it was amazing. I’m from Malaysia so what I did was I cooked chicken curry.
Steven: I recommend students get a driver licence. During road trips, you can make friends very easily.
Nas: And one more tip I would give is, if you see my backpack [takes his backpack off his shoulder and gestures to items]: Essentials! Water bottle – always need to be hydrated. And an umbrella as Melbourne’s weather is unexpected. So you always carry them because you’ll always need them!
Watch and listen to real-life student stories
Ride the highs and the lows with other international students in these podcasts and videos, and pick up some tips and tricks to survive and thrive on your study journey in Melbourne.
Podcast: Student City Student Stories
Check out the Student City Student Stories External link podcast to hear 12 unique and relateable lived experiences of international students in Melbourne.
Videos: Home Away From Home
And learn how international students create a Home Away From Home External link in this video series with the graduating class of My Melbourne Student Ambassadors, including Fakhira External link and Ruva External link.
Watch the series External link
The Couch – International Student Centre
The Couch is a safe place to make friends, learn new skills, have fun, enjoy free cooked meals, give back through volunteering, and connect with the local community through events and activities.
- Where: The Couch – International Student Centre, 69 Bourke Street Melbourne
- Follow: The Couch on Facebook External link and Instagram External link for updates
The Couch is an initiative of the City of Melbourne and the Salvation Army Melbourne Project 614.
My Melbourne Student Ambassadors
Stand by to meet the My Melbourne Student Ambassadors for 2025.
This annual voluntary program supports a select group of dedicated and passionate international students in their professional development.
Student Ambassadors advocate for their peers and address the issues and needs of the international student community.
They also dream up new ways to help others thrive and enjoy new experiences in Melbourne.
Resources for international students
Discover all the programs, events and support available to international students who live and study in the City of Melbourne.
- Visit International Students to stay connected
- Subscribe External link to our newsletter
- Follow us on Instagram External link
- Follow us on Facebook External link
- Find out about the My Melbourne Student Ambassadors
- Visit The Couch – International Student Centre on Facebook External link and Instagram External link
- Join new and returning international students at the Lord Mayor's Student Welcome every year.
- Explore What's On Melbourne External link and discover events, places to eat and drink, self-guided walking tours and great shopping, as well as Melbourne's best student discounts and freebies External link
