Studying in another country is an exciting opportunity, and few students expect the loneliness and isolation they can encounter. Most tertiary institutions in Australia offer support for foreign students, but student lobby groups say more is needed.

Presenter: Kate McPherson
Speakers: Lidia Nemitschenko, head of the International Student Support Unit, University of Sydney; Eric Pang, president of the National Liaison Committee for Overseas Students in Australia; international students, RMIT, Melbourne

MCPHERSON: Arriving in a new country can be exciting for international students, but it can also produce uncertainty, confusion and homesickness that can be debilitating. Lidia Nemitschenko is the Head of the International Student Support Unit at the University of Sydney.

NEMITSCHENKO: As students really deal with the initial tasks of finding somewhere to live and enrolling in the university there comes a time when they realise how far away they are from home and that's usually when homesickness hits and that sense of I'm here all alone my support network of family and social contacts isn't here it's a very long way away.

MCPHERSON: That's echoed by students at RMIT in Melbourne, who describe how they felt on arrival in Australia.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM MALAYSIA, CHINA: I feel very confused and very blurred and I had to get used to the rules and regulations in Melbourne. I think (it was) a little scary because it is the first time I go abroad to study, so (I was) a little scared. I wanted to explore Australia and hope to pick up Australian slang so that I can understand Australians. Did you feel scared? A little bit, I think everyone feels that. I'm nervous but after I got here and I found a few friends in my studies; they helped me a lot.

MCPHERSON: Making new friends can be even harder for international students who aren't comfortable with their spoken English. Lidia Nemitschenko from the University of Sydney.

NEMITSCHENKO: The Australian accent can be a bit of a challenge for people before they tune their ear to it. And also expressing yourself in English, when maybe you've learnt it in the classroom you haven't had a lot of experience simply interacting in the language, this can be daunting. So for individuals who don't have that confidence in their language skills, making social contacts can be quite a challenge.

MCPHERSON: Students from overseas also have to adjust to a new education culture. What's expected of them, and what they can expect from lecturers and tutors can be very different to how things are done at home. And, expectations from families back home can put extra pressure on students. Lidia Nemitschenko.

NEMITSCHENKO: Families back home are often making an enormous sacrifice to have their child study here. And the expectation is often you must not waste your time here you have to do well you've got to not just pass but you've got to get high marks and you need to finish in the shortest amount of time so that puts a great deal of pressure on international students.

MCPHERSON: Under a National Code of Practice, the Australian government requires all education institutions to provide support services to help international students adjust to study and life in Australia. The level of those services isn't always ideal, according to Eric Pang, president of the National Liaison Committee for Overseas Students in Australia.

PANG: The Federal and State Governments could really play an important role in enforcing the compliance of the Act. And when I say enforcing it is not reminding them that you need to provide these services but really enforcing strict penalties for institutions that do not comply with the Act.

MCPHERSON: Mr Pang says the institutions themselves must take more responsibility in ensuring homesick or isolated students get any help they need.

PANG: Especially for the private institutions, they really need a better business approach rather than taking international students as a cash cow, driving up their numbers and not looking into quality of education and support and services provided.

MCPHERSON: Ultimately though, most international students do settle in to life in Australia - and finds ways to relax.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM MALAYSIA, CHINA: Hang out with friends explore the places more to see what Melbourne is really like. I like sports, so I always go to the Albert Park the sports centre to play basketball and I always find some friends here to play basketball. I walk around the city, explore the city, hang out with my friends and get familiarised with the city.