When I moved to Melbourne few years ago, I thought I had done enough homework to prepare what I’d need. Turned out, there were lots of things that I wished I’d known earlier. This list comes from my personal experience and stories from friends, including some tips that hopefully might help.

1. Know the Weather

As most of you might have already heard the phrase about Melbourne ‘four seasons in one day‘, the weather here is indeed very unpredictable. If you’re from a country that’s not used to extreme weather, Melbourne’s can be a bit overwhelming and sometimes it makes me miss my home country even more.

Tips: Make it a habit to always check the weather forecast before you go. This might seem simple, but you don’t wanna be the only one who didn’t bring umbrella when others already know thunderstorm’s coming.

2. Know the Public Transport

Public transport is one of the best things we can enjoy in Melbourne. One of the main reasons why I wanted to study in Melbourne (instead of other cities in the world), is because of stories I heard about how nice it is to go anywhere independently using public transport. That expectation is proven to be true, yes, but like what I said before: not always rainbows and butterflies!

Tips: Download the app for PTV (Public Transport Victoria) and Tramtracker on your phone. Later, when you arrive in Melbourne, buy your Myki card. You can buy it at train stations, 7 eleven, or some convenience stores. Another lesson to take from my previous unfortunate event: don’t forget to touch on your Myki card, otherwise you might get fined by the inspector. I did.

3.Know your Interests

Just because you are moving to another country, doesn’t mean that you can’t do things that you enjoyed in the past. What did you do when you were in your home country? Did you play any sport? Did you play any instruments? Did you enjoy doing any particular hobbies, e.g. cooking, baking, fishing, photography, knitting, gardening, or writing blogs like what I’m doing right now? You can join student association or any organization. You can go to places of worship too, that is also a very good place to find a community. And just like everything else: take your time, don’t rush. Find a community that you fit in and become a better version of yourself.

Tips: A community where you can speak the same language is good, especially you have the relatable challenges, culture, tradition, and of course similar FOOD! Melbourne is a great place to explore food from different countries. Oh by the way, if you like Indonesian food, I have curated all Indonesian restaurants in Melbourne that you can (and should) try!

4.Know your Accomodation

If you want Melbourne to be your second home, it would help if you find a house that you like. It does not have to be a fancy overpriced apartment in Melbourne CBD, but it’s important to know about where do you want to live, what kind of accomodation suits you, and who you’re gonna live with. There are many (maybe too much?) information you can find online about this topic, and it can be overwhelming! I’ve been in your shoes, you’re not alone. The most important thing is, you should know what you need. After that, you can add what you want depending on your budget too.

Tips: If you’re not sure about what kind of accomodation you want on your arrival in Melbourne, it’s not a bad idea to go to student accomodation, share apartment with someone you know, or find a place through mutual friends. After you’re already settling in Melbourne, you will have a better idea about what you actually need or what kind of accomodation you really want.

5.Know your Budget

At the end of the day, managing money is one major life skill that you need when moving to another country. You might feel like everything in Melbourne is much more expensive than Asian countries. We can’t change the price, but we can do some things about it.

Tips: Learn to do it yourself (e.g. cooking, cleaning, lawn mowing,), avoid getting fined (know the laws!), find extra income (e.g. part time job, sell stuff you don’t need), and find some free things to do in Melbourne (e.g. museum hopping, library membership, local community sports)