Shecklist: Your First 30 Days Settling in Australia

It is thrilling, terrifying, exhausting and exhilarating — sometimes even in the same afternoon — to touch down in Australia. One minute you are walking out through customs with a couple of suitcases and your head full of nerves, the next you are standing on a street that is nothing like home wondering where on earth to even begin.

I get it. And this is your Shecklist — a friendly, practical, been-there guide to your first month as an international student in Australia. No frills, just the essential knowledge you need to have dished out on a week by week basis so it doesn’t seem like a mountain.

Week 1: Survive and Adapt

During week one is not about ticking all the boxes — but landing softly.

• Get your phone plan and SIM card sorted out. Purchase a SIM at the airport (Optus desks, Telstra kiosks and Vodafone stores are all there) so you are contactable from day 1. You can always upgrade to a better plan later once you have compared options.
• Open a bank account. Most of the big 4 banks including Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, Westpac and NAB allow international students to open their bank account before or soon after they arrive on Australian soil. You should carry your passport and visa details and student ID. Get this done sooner rather than later, you’ll be needing it to rent a house, pay some bills and buy your first food shop.
• Confirm your accommodation. If you arranged temporary housing, check in and get your bearings. If you’re still hunting for something longer-term, treat this week as scouting time — walk the neighbourhood, note transport links, and don’t sign anything you haven’t seen in person or via a trusted video call.
• Register with your university. Enroll completely, go to orientation and locate your international student help office. This office becomes your best buddy for visa queries, if you are over-stressed about studies or just not feeling lonely.
• Get a public transport card. There is one for most cities (Opal in Sydney, Myki in Melbourne, Go Card in Brisbane). If you are in school, student discounts can slash your fares massively, so ask your university how to apply as soon as you’re enrolled.

Week 2: Foundation Setting

The jetlag days are behind us and now it is time to found some structure.

Get a Tax File Number (TFN) This is necessary from the Australian Taxation Office but only if you intend on working part-time. Free and online with around a week to get in the mail.

Get an Australian health cover sorted. Most student visas require Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) — check that yours is active and understand what it covers. Save the details somewhere easy to find, because you don’t want to be searching for them mid-emergency.

Find your nearest medical centre and pharmacy. You don’t need to be sick to do this — just know where they are before you need them.

If you are looking for a job, then please start to apply. Ensure that your resume is formatted for Australian frequencies (shorter, no photos and skills based), open a LinkedIn and Seek account, remember to check the actual work-hour limits of you visa so you do not lose comply.

Grocery shop like a local. There are two major Australian supermarkets, which are Coles and Woolworths plus Aldi if you want budget home essentials. Asian grocers pretty much have you covered for spices and home ingredients at a cheaper price.

Week 3: Build Your Routine and Community

This is the week loneliness likes to creep in — so be intentional about pushing back against it.

Get involved in a club or society at uni. This can be cultural, academic or just a sport that you love and it is the easiest way for you to make friends with people who know exactly how you feel.

Explore your neighbourhood properly. Find your favourite café, the quietest study spot, the best cheap eats. Small familiarities make a foreign place start to feel like yours.

Set a study rhythm. Figure out how you work best — library, home, group study — and lock in a schedule before assignments pile up.

Touchbase to home but not all the time. Calls home to family and friends are grounding, but allow yourself the permission to exist in your new life as well. Comparing everything to “back home” can also slow down your settling.

Budget check-in. Track what you’ve spent in your first three weeks. Rent, food, transport, phone — get a real sense of your monthly cost of living so nothing catches you off guard later.

Week Four: Get Comfortable and Plan Forward

By the fourth week, the panic should have settled down into something more like a rhythm.

Review your accommodation situation. If you’re in temporary housing, this is decision time for a longer-term place. Read leases carefully, understand bond requirements, and know your rights as a tenant (every state has a tenancy authority you can check with).

Understand your visa conditions properly. Know your work hour limits, course load requirements, and what would put your visa at risk. Your university’s international office can talk you through this — use them.

Reflect on what’s working and what isn’t. Are you eating well? Sleeping enough? Making friends? Homesickness is normal, but if it’s tipping into something heavier, most universities offer free counselling for international students — please use it if you need it.

Plan your first “just for me” outing. A weekend trip, a solo café afternoon, a walk somewhere beautiful. You’ve survived a genuinely hard month of firsts. Mark it.

Set one goal for month two. Whether it’s landing a part-time job, joining a sports team, or finally feeling confident on public transport without Google Maps open — give yourself one clear, small thing to aim for.

A Gentle Reminder

That’s fine because 30 days isn’t enough time to be home anyway. You’re not behind. Every international student who now strolls confidently through Melbourne or Sydney or Brisbane once stood exactly where you are — SIM card in hand, slightly lost, wondering if it would ever feel normal.

It will. Checklists, week to week, small wins at a time.

Welcome to Australia. You’ve got this.