'Same same but different': Life as a domestic vs international student in Australia

SBS Australia

3 days ago

SBS Punjabi visited Macquarie University during the 'Kickstart week' —the orientation period before the start of Semester Two—and spoke with Punjabi-speaking international and domestic students. The conversations revealed that although these undergraduate students all call Western Sydney's Macquarie University home for their higher education, this was one of the few similarities they shared. Not only their nationalities, but also their challenges, day-to-day lives, number of hours worked, and so much more, were 'degrees apart'. Delhi's Janav Satija talked about a day in his life, starting at 4:30 am. "I wake up at 4:30 am, catch a bus and then start my shift. I then come to uni at 2 pm to attend my classes," the 19-year-old international student said. He independently manages his cooking, house chores, studying, and work commitments. In contrast, Chandigarh-born Pranav Angrish, who grew up in Australia and is an executive on the university's 'Indian Society', has a different morning. The 19-year-old domestic student enjoys the benefits of living with his family. "My mum wakes me up around 8-9 am, and after that I attend my classes at university. I catch up with my mates afterwards and finish the day off by tutoring young students," he shared. Domestic and international students may be at one university, but each has a unique story to tell. Tune in to this podcast to hear from five students who share their challenges and experiences as students. For news, information, and interviews in Punjabi from Australia and the homeland, tune into SBS Punjabi live, Monday to Friday at 4 pm, on SBS South Asian , digital radio (channel 305 on your television) or via the SBS Audio app . You can also stream directly from our website .