Making friends in Australia
There are many opportunities for meeting new people both on and off campus. This information site suggests some ways for you to do this.
How can I meet other students?
You could make new friends when you first arrive by attending the activities during orientation to UniSA for International Students. See the suggestions below for other activities on campus and off campus.
Sporting and Social Clubs, Religious and Cultural groups in Adelaide
Sporting and social clubs, religious and cultural groups in Adelaide can be a starting point for getting out and about in Adelaide. There may a group in the community that has activities of interest to you. Look in the Telephone directory - Yellow Pages under Religious Organisations or Clubs. You can also look in your free local community newspaper eg. The City Messenger, Eastern Courier for more information about activities in your area.
Youth Hostels Activities Group
The Youth Hostels Activities Group organise many activities during the year such as canoeing, bush walking, camping, bush dancing. They also have information about travelling around Australia.
Part-Time Work
Part-time paid employment is another good way to meet Australians. Often when you work alongside others, you get to know people well and make friends with your co-workers. In order to work in Australia, you need:
To be permitted to work in Australia, you or your dependent family members will need a Student visa granted on or after 26 April 2008. Students and dependent family members who were granted a Student visa before 26 April 2008 and have not yet applied for permission to work may only apply for permission to work after they have commenced their course (generally this is the start date on your CoE) in Australia.
Please contact the Learning and Teaching Unit on your campus in order to have your Work Rights form signed.
To find out more about working while studying please visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.
One way of finding work is to contact the Careers Service where you can find information about part-time jobs and casual vacancies.
Accommodation - Living with Australians
Living with Australians is a great way to learn about another culture and build up a network. You can experience this by choosing to:
- share accommodation with local students,
- move into a students residence or a residential college.