Image 1: International students often report feeling alone despite being surrounded by people.
Source: CC BY-SA 2.0
The Hidden Struggles Behind Australia’s Education Export
Australia is known for providing a range of opportunities along with world-class education to students and this attracts students from various countries. Students like Zhang Wei hope that their decision to move to Melbourne to study for a master’s degree will open up new doors for their future careers. However, the reality can be quite different.
Wei had high hopes and the excitement of attaining an excellent education in Australia along with the chance to experience diverse cultures and the possibilities for career improvement. But only in six months, Wei found himself isolated, having difficulty with his studies and questioning his very decision to move to Australia.
“Yet, despite being in such a crowded environment, I often feel like an outsider and alienated from everything around me. I communicate internationally with my family more than anyone at my Aussie university.”-Wei shares depicting the adjustment difficulties he has faced.
Wei’s experience is similar to the experience of almost every international student in Australia which is a typical pattern of feeling isolated that reveals concerning trends about their well-being. Despite the sector contributing approximately $25.5 billion to the economy of Australia from international students and $3.5 billion from online students (Universities Australia, 2023), research reveals a troubling pattern among international students which include feelings of isolation, loneliness, and mental health challenges whilst struggling to integrate into the new environment.
A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry with a Human Cost
Australian higher education system attracts students from different backgrounds who play an important role in fuelling the nation’s economy. The Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) report shows that China, India, Nepal, Brazil and Vietnam are the leading five countries, contributing to the overall student population in Australian Universities. International students tend to pay considerably more tuition fees than domestic students. However, they encounter difficulties that are not prioritized by the universities. The plight of the international students has been a matter of concern for Australian scholars with Dr Amani Khan from the University of Melbourne emphasising the importance of understanding the complexities faced by international students. Newton et al. (2021) stress that international students go through personal, academic, social and emotional changes without any external support. Simultaneously, they have to adjust to a new academic, social and linguistic environment whilst struggling with financial stress.
Image 2: International Student Facing Educational Stress
(Source: Self-Created)
A study conducted by Deakin University reveals that health and well-being are the key concerns for international students which requires multifaceted support from universities (Newton et al., 2021). The research highlights that universities must offer specific support services that address issues beyond the initial orientation programmes such as:
- Social Isolation
- Academic stress
- Financial difficulties
- Housing
These are some of the major issues faced by international students while studying in Australia.
“The Challenge of Finding Proper Accommodation”
International students in Australia face a range of challenges. The study by Corney et al. (2024), under the BMC Public Health, reveals the widespread challenges international students face in Australian universities, suggesting that international students have much lower perceived quality of life than domestic students. The accommodations that international students live in construct their experiences in the foreign country. However, many institutions fail to provide proper accommodations to students.
Image 3: Single Room Accommodations for International Students
(Source: Self-created)
Like many other international students, Priya Sharma struggled with finding suitable housing while studying nursing in Sydney.
Priya shares “I had only two weeks to find affordable accommodation and didn’t know much about renting in Australia, making it difficult to secure the right place to live. I had to choose an overpriced apartment far from the university due to my unfamiliarity with the housing market and a lack of connections in the city. I live with four strangers and find it hard to concentrate on my studies with this much uncertainty around me”.
It is quite evident that accommodation has become a huge challenge for international students in Australia and Universities, today, fail to make proper provisions for foreign students.
COVID-19: When Isolation Became Mandatory
Along with affecting people around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated difficulties faced by international students, as well. Knight et al. (2021) state that adapting to pandemic life without any external support posed significant problems for students such as self-isolation that affected their mental well-being. The results demonstrate that most university policies fail to adequately address the challenges that international students face while adapting to foreign communities.
The Challenge of Distance Education
Distance learning has developed as a key learning option for students globally. Lin and Nguyen (2021), studied that many students find it challenging to engage in distance or online learning due to a lack of stable internet connection, feelings of isolation from the educational environment and intensified feelings of being alienated from peers and teachers. Similarly, Zheng et al. (2023), show that digital connectivity glitches act as a challenge in pursuing distance education. Hence, students face multiple challenges in pursuing distance education affecting their academic scores and emotional contentment.
Cultural Barriers to Seeking Help
Recently, the mental well-being of students has been a growing concern globally. The fact that many international students do not seek help for their mental well-being whilst experiencing difficulties adapting to the new environment, degrades their quality of life abroad. The study by Corney et al. (2024), traces significant obstacles faced by students while seeking help in foreign countries. These included stereotypical beliefs about mental health, differences in communication style, limited knowledge of available resources, and the perception of self in the eyes of others. As a result, the lack of emotional support impacts the academic performance of the students.
Building Bridges: What Universities Must Do
For the mental well-being of international students, it is required that universities shift their focus from only attaining financial gain by targeting overseas enrollments to prioritising the provision of holistic support to international students. For example, the University of Melbourne has introduced the “Cultural Connections” programme, which provides a platform for interaction between incoming international students with Australian student ambassadors (Zheng et al., 2023). Similarly, Western Sydney University provides affordable housing for international students and promotes community activities that help students feel more connected.
Attracting and retaining international students is essential for the economic future of Australia’s higher education sector. However, ensuring their well-being should be both a moral and an economic priority for the universities. Students are more likely to choose a university if it offers dedicated care for their well-being, which can help the institution build a positive reputation among international communities.
This article draws on research conducted through interviews with international students and education experts. The names of the students have been omitted for confidentiality.
References
Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.). International student numbers by country, by state and territory. https://www.education.gov.au/international-education-data-and-research/international-student-numbers-country-state-and-territory
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