SYDNEY

Cityscape image of Sydney, Australia with Harbour Bridge and Sydney skyline during sunset.

There are more you need to know about cities in Australia where you can study. There are many cities in Australia where you can study. And the name of the city is Sydney. Sydney is the leading destination for study in Australia, welcoming over 270,000 international students from 160 countries each year to study across the state. The following things are things you will be learning about Sydney:

General Information about the Sydney. Here you will get to know different things about Sydney as a city in Australia in terms of its population, major area there and the description of the environment;
You will know about the means of livelihood in Sydney, why Sydney is called the 10^th most livable cities of the world today, and how to make money to sustain yourself as a student in the city;
You will also get to know about the security system of Sydney, the service of the New South Wales Police Force and how they help in maintaining law and order in Sydney and how they ensure security. You will also get to know the body in charge of Sexual harassment and assault cases in Sydney;
You will know the different transportation systems and accommodation facilities available to you in Sydney. You will also get to know about the climatic conditions of Sydney. You will get to know the temperatures of the city; and
You will also get to know about side attractions in Sydney, such as the tourist centers where you can visit like the popular nature reserves include Royal National Parks, Sydney Harbour, Hyde Park (the oldest parkland in Australia) and Royal Botanic Garden.

General Information about Sydney

Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales in Australia; and also the most populated and biggest city in Australia. Sydney has 15 contiguous regions, 685 Suburbs, and 40 local governments. According to the 2017 population estimate of Sydney, it was said it’s housing over 5million people. To crown it all, Sydney is housing more than 65% population of Australia as a whole today. It is situated along the south-east coast of Australia.

Aerial view of Sydney, Australia

Means of Survival in Sydney for international students

The first thing I will like to intimate you with is the means of survival in Sydney for students like you. Firstly, you need to know that Sydney is the biggest economic affluent city in Australia and even one of the city with unparalleled economic standing in Asia as a whole. Sydney is ranked as one of the top ten most livable cities in the world at large. It is also ranked 11^th in terms of city with economic opportunity in the world. Sydney has been noted as one of the most formidable cities with a robust market economy.

But with all these, you must note that the cost of living in Sydney is very high for you as a student if you are trying to live above your means. It is advisable to live based on your pocket and budget. The truth is that living in Sydney is very easy as you can live there regardless of the level of your income. And in case you’re facing any financial hardship, as a student, you don’t need to panic. In fact, you have different options to meet your financial challenges. One of the options is to approach your educational institution and tell them about your financial needs, and they will help you with the necessary guidance to get it solved. They might also give you the option of paying your tuition fees by instalment.

Another interesting thing about surviving in Sydney as a student is that, you can also work even while you’re studying. You’re wowed too right? Yeah, as much as your students’ Visa, you can work for 40 hours per two weeks while the semester is on, and work for as long as you wish while you are on semester break. What a flexible study life right? Yeah, these are just part of what you stand to benefit studying in Sydney of Australia. This is why it is ranked as the 10^th livable city in the world in spite of its increasing cost of living.

You can check your education institution career board for par time Job adverts. You can also do like other international students who visit student-focused sites to look for jobs. Some of the sites they visit are SpotJobs.com, seek.com.au, au.indeed.com and so other sites like where you can get a job as a student in Sydney.

There are a lot of job opportunities for you in Sydney as a student. You can work as a Retail assistant, administrative assistant, barista, general hospitality staff, event staff, cleaner and food delivery.

Sydney, Australia - February 10, 2019: Circular Quay with crowd of people walking and enjoying afternoon in Sydney Australia

LifeStyle in Sydney

In terms of its cultural arrangement, Sydney house the largest multicultural groups in Australia. It has over 31% of the populace abroad born. The widely spoken language in Sydney is English language and other languages like Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Greek. Notably, there are 250 spoken languages in the city. This is to show you how habitable Sydney is as a country.

To nail this, you will always be there to live that form of lifestyle that you desire to live. There are quite a lot of social activities that would make you feel like kings and queens in Sydney. There are lots of exciting and buzzing pub scene of Sydney and scintillating nightlife that would make your study in Sydney Fun. There are great deal of places like Café, art scene and New castle hip shopping that would leave an unforgettable impression in your heart. You might also be a fan of engaging in a new thing, visiting Byron Bay in the north for some surfing would be good for you.

You can also have your studies and still be that sports person you wish to be. If you are at the sport freaking type, you can just be rest assured that Sydney is your home. Sporting activities is not to be compared to other cities in Australia. You need not be told this, you need to be there to see for yourself. Plus, the city is one of the top 15 cities most visited in the world. It has hosted different international tournaments. One of the popular tournament that was held in Sydney if you could remember vividly was the Summer Olympics in 2000. The city has a year-round sport events for sports fans. This is one of the reasons why many grand breaking histories in the world of sport has been dotting around the city. If you’re the individual that has flair for basketball or martial arts, Sydney is nowhere but home for you. It is a place where these sports activities are highly celebrated in Australia.

There are different relaxation centers and some restaurants that serve continental dishes. Regardless of where you are coming from, you can get your favorite dishes in places like Ovo café where for Brazilian delicacies or Vanto Restaurant for Italian dishes or Uncle Testu’s for your traditional Japanese cheesecake, Lorraine’s Patisserie is the where you could get mouthwatering baked goods and if you are the type that loves pancake you can visit Pancakes on the Rock in Darling Habour.

Young women enjoying the sunset on Sydney harbour

Climatic Condition

Sydney has same latitude with some world popular cities like Cape Town in South Africa, Los Angeles in the United States of America, and Buenos Aires of Argentina. To pep it up, as it will also interest you to know, most of the big movies in the Hollywood industries are shot in Sydney. Some Movies like The Gatsby, Matrix Series and Independence day were done in Sydney of Australia.

In terms of the climatic condition, the temperature is mostly mild throughout the year. During the summer, it has high heatwaves around 25 degrees Celsius, and during the winter around 15 degrees Celsius. So you don’t really have much problem with the weather here. This is the more reason why you need to be careful in making a decision on where to stay. Ensure there is proper heating and cooling in the house in order to adapt well to the weather at a particular point in time.

Sydney, Australia: In Circular Quay two police officers patrol the street around Opera House in Sydney Australia

How to get Secured in Sydney as an international student?

As you know that security is always key in anywhere you might find yourself. Even when you’re the wealthiest person in the world, security is very important to your life. In the case of Sydney, the New South Wales Police Force has been saddled with the responsibilities of preventing, investigating and detecting criminal activities, and maintaining law and order in Sydney. They operate for 24 hours every day of the week. They are always open to hear reports of any unlawful or criminal acts from both the citizens and the international students residing in Sydney.

If you think you are feeling insecure in your area due to some treats or sensing trace of any criminal activities around, you can reach them through phone or you report at any nearby stations in your area. The number to call in case you need to reach the police is 000. Feel free to go, the place of language barrier has been taken care of, amidst the Police officers, there are those called Multicultural Community Liaison Officers who can interpret whatsoever language you’re are speaking or understands. There are also online YouTube Videos you can watch on Staying Safe in New South Wales States which covers Sydney too. This is powered by the NSW Police Force.

To stay safe, you need to be conversant with the security and emergency plans of the local area where you reside or your institution. When you leave your institution late in the night, ensure you do not move alone.; you can go with some of your friends. Ensure that you don’t work where there is no proper illumination. Ensure that you take paths that are well lit where people do thread regularly. You can also check out if your institution also has provision for escort service, you can also make use of it.

In the case of sexual harassment or assault, you can visit the NSW Rape Crisis Centre. They are open 24/7 to entertain your complaints. You can also report to the appropriate quarters of your institution in charge of rape cases.

Sydney subway station. Motion blurred commuters. Double decker.

Transportation system of Sydney

In terms of transportation, I’m sure you might want to say based on your level of exposure, there is nothing that can be new to you any longer. Hmmm… buddy, what if I tell you, the transportation system and service will beat your imagination and assumptions hands down.

There are different means of transportation for you as students. Some of the transportation means in Sydney light rail, train, buses, Ferries, Ridesharing, Taxes, Renting of Car and Renting Bikes. There are different transport options to convey you around Sydney easily without stressing out yourself.

How do these transports work in Sydney?

Trains: trains in Sydney do transmute from the Central Business District (CBD) to different train lines that ply different routes from the central to the East, West, and South. If you desire to get to the suburbs outside or around the CBD, it is advisable to take a train. There are different station lines around, you can always check out for the time table to get one that is very close to where you stay.
Light Rail: this is a recent transport in Sydney, new stations for light rail were opened around the CBD and South East recently. You can assess them the most during the weekend when they are at the peak when they run every ten minutes. To get them is not a problem at all, they are available in CBD, South East, Dulwich Hill and Central Station in Sydney. In addition, these light rail do stop at different popular inner West location and some city centers.

Sydney Ferry

Ferries: usage of this ferries system one of the best ways to get around Sydney. This might be too expensive for you to afford though, but your experience boarding it will convince you that it worth it. This transport system covers virtually all the suburbs around the Sydney Harbour which include Circular Quay, Manly, Balmain, and Parramatta.
Buses: the use of bus service is very rampant in virtually all areas of Sydney and the suburbs in Sydney. If you are hoping to get to any place around the metropolitan area in Sydney, you can’t just do away with buses, because they ply different roads in Sydney every now and then. By effect, there is no doubt you will have a bus stop close to where you live. And no doubt, buses could be one of the fastest transport for you as students, especially when you are going for lectures.

Most of the buses do take 5 mins to 15 mins to arrive at popular bus stops; and for those going outside the suburbs of Sydney, it could take something around 60 minutes. However, I will like to warn you to be watchful while you want to board any bus. In case you see L or X entrenched on the plate number of such buses, please beware because it shows that those buses are not to stop at some certain bus stops. You can, however, ask the driver of such a bus to be sure if s/he will wait at the bus stop where you are going.

Another Transport system that you can use as a student while studying in Sydney is Taxis which you can get at a bus park where you queue to enter or you hail down at the side of the road. There are very few taxis parks in Sydney, more reason you see people line up to take them at the few centers where they are found. You can, however, borrow a bike or car for a specified number of days

Barbecue grill, friends enjoying time together in their backyard in Sydney

Getting Accommodation in Sydney

If there is anything essential for human regardless of his location to survive is accommodation. For you as a student to concentrate on so many things, there is the need for you to be settled and psychologically balanced for you to perform well. As a student in Sydney, there are different things you need to know before getting accommodation. Firstly, you must make sure that you check if the place is close to your study institution, going to stay far away from your study institution can be stressful and cost demanding. You must also ensure that the place is close to public transport since you will be in need of transport to go to your study institution virtually every day.

You must also consider some important places like Police Stations, Parks, Hospitals, Shops, and others. You must also consider if the place is noisy, if you are not the type that likes noise, staying in a noisy place might not be your own thing. You must ensure that you confirm if the place is safe and secure. You should also ensure that everything in the house is working perfectly. And ultimately you must know the cost of accommodation and insurance.

There are a lot of options for you; we have Private rental which costs about $200-$700 per week where you have the chance of either staying alone or with housemates. In this form of an apartment, you get to pay for everything if you stay alone, but, sharing the cost will be good if you can have housemates.

Another accommodation option for you in Sydney is Homestay which costs about $250-$350 per week. Here you have the chance of staying with a family in their own house. Here your meal, internet facilities, and other things are on your host. The location can either be far or near your study institution. But, you need to be so sure of the accessibility to public transports before you settle for it.

Managed accommodation is another facility for student to abode while studying in Sydney. These forms of apartments are usually large, and they are well furnished with full internet facilities. They are mostly made up of about 5bedrooms. Some of these are built majorly for students, and those things needed to live a convenient student life are there. The cost of this form of accommodation in Sydney ranges from $200-$500 per week. However, you must note that some of these rooms might not be spacious as expected.

Another accommodation option open to you as a student in Sydney is Residential College. This is quite expensive compared to others. The more reason why is because they are basically designed for the students, and they are very close to study locations. Your meals, gyms, and internet facilities are supplied and your bedrooms will be well furnished and well cleaned every week. However, one of the major problems with this form of accommodation is you paying for some extras that you might not find useful. This cost $450-$550 per week.

Sydney, Australia - February 3, 2019: Sunset in Sydney Harbour, and the iconic Opera House against an illuminated Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sites of Attraction to visit in Sydney

Another amazing thing you need to know about Sydney is that it houses the first Australia Library called the State Library of New South Wales established in 1826. More so, the first Australian University was established in Sydney in the Year 1850. In essence, Sydney house the oldest university and library in Australia. Imagine how schooling in this form of the city would be like; as in you’re just at the cradle of Australia tertiary education. Can you just fanaticize about being in that old but sophisticated Library, I’m sure it will leave you with memories you won’t recover from.

The Serene tourist centers of the city have made it one in a million, and to stand out amidst other cities in Australia country. The city has nothing less than 1 million hectares of parks and nature reserves. Amazing right? That’s not the end, the popular nature reserves include Royal National Parks, Sydney Harbour, Hyde Park (the oldest parkland in Australia) and Royal Botanic Garden. Another mouthwatering and mind-blowing built attraction in Sydney is the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The oldest building in the city is popularly called Cadman’s Cottage which was built in 1816 and located in the rocks neighbourhood. Sighs…what a paradise on earth. Don’t be told, experience is the best teacher, you need to experience and sense these things yourself.

Sydney Bondi Beach

There are also different well-known stunning beaches in Sydney. Famous Bondi Beach is one of the famous beaches in Sydney, and it is always highly crowded. There are other beaches like Bronte Beach, Coogee Beach, and Clovelly (A very small beach with minimal waves suitable for small beginner swimmers). You can go to all these beaches to just have fun during your weekends, break or end of semester break or even hangout.

If you are also looking for bars to chill out to have a blessed weekend or nice time after lectures. You can just visit places like the Bars in Darlinghurst. Some of the bars include the Shady Pines Saloon, Big Poopa, Eau De Vie where you can get fancy and tasty cocktails, Oxford Art Factory which majorly hosts live gigs all through the year, and Stonewall where LGBTIQ is mostly done in Sydney.

Around the inner west of Sydney, there is a game played at The Cipher Room located in Newton where you are locked in a room with your friends, and given cues of the way to get yourselves out of the room, and then you are told to find the escape route to leave the room. Actually, not that you’re really locked in the room, but, this is just one of the fun of the game.

What are you still thinking about buddy? You can’t afford to have your study in any other place aside Sydney. It is a place that houses the fun you cannot even imagine that will aid in making your study an unforgettable and most exciting experience. If there is any place you should be dreaming to study in Australia, Sydney is nothing but the perfect place.

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South Australian College of English