• Adelaide has continually increased its efforts in promoting the city as an education hub
• Students are allowed to work part-time of about 4 to 5 hours a day to supplement their allowance and gain work skills
• Adelaide is a known for its year-round cultural, cuisine and music festivals
• Students aged at least 16 years with an accredited course provided by Australian school may apply for your student visa via the Australian immigration website

The first thing comes to mind when thinking about studies is the quality of education that you are going to get. This is obviously important as international students have to spend a lot on housing, food, clothing and other domestic needs. Without a quality education and lifestyle in a reputable university, all of this seems futile. Education is of prime importance in Adelaide. The government of Adelaide constantly tries to promote the city as a Learning City and an education hub of Australia. In fact, 3 of their universities are positioned highly in the QS World University Ranking 2016, i.e. University of Adelaide, University of South Australia and Flinders University. According to QS Higher Education System, Australia stands impressively at 4th position after USA, UK, and Germany. Australia is also known for welcoming international students with open arms. Australia has the highest number of institutions appeared in the 'QS Top 50 under 50'.

Adelaide is vibrant and has something to offer for everyone. It is especially known for its year-round cultural and music festivals that provides entertainment to everybody. Some of the Adelaide Festival are Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide Festival of Ideas, Tasting Australia, etc. International students will also get to experience some international festivals such as German Schützenfest and Greek Glendi. To look for beauty in arts, you need not look further than Art Gallery of South Australia, which has around 35,000 works and holds Australia's second largest state-based collection. That aside, Adelaide Botanic Garden, National Wine Centre and Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute are interesting places to explore. For outdoor activities, Adelaide hills offers stimulating activities to do such as hiking, wildlife-watching, cycling, etc.

‘’Adelaide constantly tries to advertise the city as a Learning City and an education hub of Australia’’

Part-time jobs are a lifeline to international students living in a foreign country. It is important not merely to cover living costs but also in the development of your skills. However, it is essential to check the terms and conditions on your visa. According to the rules of student visa, he or she is allowed to work maximum up to 40 hours per 15 days during a semester that is, 4-5 hours per day and work full time during holidays. Opening an account in any of the banks in Perth is also beneficial as the employer can pay a student easily. Before applying for a job, a tax file number (TFN) is required which can be easily obtained from the Australian Taxation Office. Some of the popular job search websites are Seek, Adzuna, and CareerOne. In order to be informed about your rights as an employee, visit Fair Work Ombudsman. Retail, hospitality and service are some of the sectors suitable for a part-time job.

The multicultural identity of Australia is established due to its enchanting diversity. There is not a country in a world from where you will not find its people here. The diversity ensures that there is no lack of familiar people in a foreign land. This is consoling for the students who find it difficult to immerse themselves in local culture. The easy going, tolerant and inclusive nature of Adelaide, the city is a boon for international crowd. Adelaide is ranked 5th most liveable city in the world by Economist. However, the culture can be intimidating to many people despite its diversity. In such circumstances, it is important to learn about the place beforehand. Culture shock can lead to social isolation which is the worst thing happening to an international student. Overall, the culture of Australia is said to be friendly and welcoming.

Food often becomes an issue for an international student especially if the culture is completely different to his or her own culture. However, thanks to Australia's multiculturalism, the city of Adelaide boasts of every kind of cuisine that the world has to offer. One of the best places to get your taste buds stimulated is Adelaide Central Market that has a wide range of international cuisine ingredients, fresh produce, eateries and shops. The small eateries are an economical option for students on budget.

The most dreaded word for international students is visa. Most of the students spend sleepless nights over it. In order to get over such fears, it is necessary to have proper knowledge about the whole procedure and guidelines of getting a student visa. Ensure that you have all your documents ready including medical records and IELTS result. Australian student visa is quite accommodating as it let students study and work for the duration of the course and holidays. You can package multiple courses with the same visa. Unless sponsored/ part of secondary exchange, visa fee starts from AUD 550 and can be paid directly on Australian immigration website. In order to get your visa approved, student visa needs to be combined with an accredited course provided by some Australia’s schools. Confirmation of enrolment (COE) identifies the beginning and ending of the date of the course, this will be sent to you electronically. A student must be above 16 years of age to apply for student visa. You should send your application for a visa at least 12 weeks before your start date. Your application will be allocated a unique Transaction Reference Number (TRN) by the Australian Government, which you may find out about the application status online.