Find a better place than the room at Uni or the back packers. `First impressions` lasts people tend to say, but luckily this does not necessarily apply to sleeping in backpackers or small student `cells`. Follow the link to great tips (link to real estate) that may help you find a great place.

Find home ware like bed, desk and sofa to make the place feel like home. There are several ways to get furniture for your accommodation:

1.     Rent: If you’re planning to go back to your country after your study, you might want to consider this option. You don’t have to make big purchases once you move in and you don’t have to sell your stuff when you’re finished studying. Items that can be rented are white goods (refrigerator, microwave, etc), electronics and furniture (table, sofa, chair). You will need to make a deposit before renting or provide a credit card number as a guarantee. You make payments every month or depending on your arrangement with the company. Useful links:

a.     Radio Rentals: Quite reasonable price, considering most of their white goods on offer are brand new items. Most items are rented out in 18-month term.

b.     Hireworks: Higher-priced items but there are no contracts and do not require deposit. Available in Brisbane only. Find a rental center in your state and use these websites as a guide for comparing prices.

2.     Buy: There are many furniture stores in Australia. You should look around and choose something you like and within your budget. Here are a couple of furniture stores that is considered affordable for a student budget: Fantastic Furniture and IKEA. Buy at Markets: There are many second-hand markets in Australia. Most of these markets are open on weekends. Check your local guide for market listings. You can really find cool stuff with a pleasing price if you’re keep your eyes open in these markets.

Get telephone and internet: Set-up a telephone line: Landline telephone connection (or usually called fixed line) is not the most popular means of communications for international students in Australia because they usually choose to communicate via internet or mobile phones. However, if you choose to set up your own fixed line connection, you’ll need to show some identification (e.g. passport, driver’s license), bank account statement and your address in Australia. Depending on the company’s offer, to connect usually you have to pay a connection fee, monthly line rental fee and your monthly telephone use cost.  There are a few companies that offer home telephone packages and some offer packages that include internet connection. Browse around to look for what’s best for you. Prices for broadband iiternet have come down in recent months, but value is still average compared to Korea, Japan, Europe or US. Find the best deals at: http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/

Some large telcos ares:

a.     Telstra: www.telstra.com (largest in the market)

b.     Optus: www.optus.com.au (second largest)

c.     Primus Telecom: www.primustel.com.au

d.     Westnet: www.westnet.com.au

 Organise your finances

It is handy to get a bank account, especially if you plan to work. Most banks have a fee service for students. Please checkthis link or more info

Study books are often very expensive. It is best to shop around for second hand books (see Kanga market LINK) or wait till your teacher tells you which books are really important. If you are quick, you may be able to borrow books from the library before anybody else gets them. Copying the important pages is also a cheaper option than buying.

You will improve your English as soon as you arrive, as there is no better way to learn a language than to use it daily. If you think you need some extra help, you may want to check your school or university for cheap tuition, or approach professional English classes. Remember: the better your English, the easier your study and the better your results will be!

Almost every university or school organises special orientation days. They are a great way for learning about courses and life in Australia. General orientation usually takes place before every semester. It is a good way to:

·        Know your way around campus

·        Get introduced of what university services are available

·        Know what facilities the campus offer

·        Get familiar in using the library to help you study

·        Know what activities are available in your university

·        Make new friends

·        Make your transition from school to university life

·        Other useful things

Most schools and universities even have an orientation especially designed for international students. This is a very good opportunity to get started on your study journey because other than the benefits listed above, international student orientation offer: