Diversity and Liveability Make Melbourne One of the Best Cities for International Students in the world
Is Melbourne good for students? The answer is a resounding, Yes!
Melbourne is Australia’s most liveable city 2023 and one of the top 10 most liveable cities in the world. With its affordability, arts and culture, there’s no doubt it’s a great place to live.
We catch up with Minako from Japan to find out what she thinks about Melbourne as a study destination and whether it really is one of the best cities for international students in the world.
Minako started her student experience at Melbourne University, an elite university ranked 33rd in the world. But when it came time to graduate, she loved living in Melbourne so much that she decided to extend her stay by pursuing further studies.
Minako is now studying her Master of Teaching at Deakin University. Just a short train ride from the city centre, Deakin University is also an excellent university, with the highest student satisfaction in the state of Victoria.
Read on to get Minako’s thoughts on what makes Melbourne one of the best cities for students in the world.
Why did you choose to study in Melbourne?
Upon completion of the foundation course I did at Trinity College, I could go to any university within Australia. I then decided to study at Melbourne University to do my bachelor’s because I simply fell in love with how livable Melbourne is and the university is it the centre of Melbourne CBD.
What do you love about Melbourne?
Melbourne is very multicultural. Back when I was doing my bachelor’s, I really enjoyed meeting new people with different backgrounds. It expanded my knowledge of the other cultures as I come from a monocultural country. If you go to Lygon st, you see Italian restaurants and kind of feel the Italian vibes, if you go to Chinatown you can feel the Chinese vibes, if you go to Footscray or Springvale you can feel the Vietnamese vibes. Even just within the city, you have easy access to authentic cuisine from other countries.
What made you feel warm and welcomed when you first arrived in Melbourne?
The vibes in the city and friends that I made. When I first landed in Melbourne, I felt like I never left Asia because of the population of Asians as well as the number of Asian restaurants.
The majority of my friends were in the same situation, leaving home and in Australia alone. There are a lot more international students in Melbourne than what I’ve imagined, it was very easy to get along with them.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Melbourne to study?
When you start your studies, join any societies and clubs within your university or the school that interests you. Studying is important, but you can meet people with similar interests this way and make your uni life more enjoyable.
Be open-minded because you’ll encounter people that come from different cultural backgrounds. It is a great learning opportunity.
I would recommend studying in Melbourne because…
- Multiculturalism.
- You never get bored living in Melbourne because there’s always something happening.
- If you are from Asia, there is less time difference compared to many other countries.
- Melbourne city is easy to access with a bunch of parks nearby to explore.
Looking for a diverse and liveable city with top universities?
If you’re like Minako and want to study in a liveable city, Melbourne is the place for you. It’s a safe, walkable city full of people from around the world.
You’ll fall in love with the bustling city and its sea of diverse faces. Whether you meet a lot of people from your home country or not, you’ll be welcomed warmly by Aussie locals and international students alike.
Students like Minako often say experiencing different cultures is one of the most rewarding parts of studying abroad. In Melbourne, you’ll make lifelong friends with Aussies and other international students.
Walking, biking and taking public transport are easy here, so you can enjoy a high quality of life at an affordable price. And with endless festivals, events, sports and parks to explore, you’ll have many opportunities to make friends, experience all that Melbourne has to offer and grow as a person.
It’s really no wonder Melbourne continues to rank as Australia’s most liveable and best student city.