Adelaide Student Life Handbook

December 14, 2022

Clothes

Adelaide is a city with a pleasant climate and four distinct seasons, so it is recommended that you bring some clothes for the four seasons accordingly. You can also bring a pair of comfortable casual shoes and a pair of formal shoes.

Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and humid winters. The following is the average temperature of the four seasons for your reference.

Spring: 12°C~22°C (September-November)
Summer: 17°C~29°C (December-February)
Autumn: 13°C~23°C (March-May)
Winter: 8°C~16°C (June-August)

Food

Adelaide is a city with a very diverse culture. Whether you buy your own food and cook, or go out to eat, there are many choices, so you don’t have to worry about not getting used to it! Moreover, among the major capital cities in Australia, the prices in Adelaide are relatively low, and the cost of living is more controllable. If you miss the food of your hometown, you can find food from many different countries in Adelaide, and the price is very reasonable!

Tips

Australia’s ecological environment is pure and unique, so border control is quite strict. When packing your luggage, you remember to check the list of contraband listed by the border inspection department to avoid accidentally bringing contraband into Australia. It’s worth noting that a lot of food items are on the list! Therefore, everyone must check their luggage and do not bring prohibited food into the country.

Accommodation

Finding accommodation that suits you in advance is an important part of preparing for studying abroad. The accommodation options for international students in Adelaide are quite rich! From accommodation approved by the Student Accommodation Association (SAA), university-managed apartments, student apartments, to student hostels, on-campus college-style dormitories, to private housing rentals, and homestays~

Transportation

When we move to live in a new environment, knowing the local transportation is very important. In Adelaide, international students enjoy the same transportation discounts as local students, which greatly saves the cost of studying abroad.

The main means of transportation in Adelaide are:

Train
Bus
Tram

You can use the same bus card Metro Card to take the above public transportation, and you can transfer unlimited times for free within two hours. Moreover, there are free trams and four bus lines in the city of Adelaide, which can lead in all directions even without spending money~

Tips

In Adelaide, a green city advocating a “zero-carbon city”, of course, bicycles are indispensable. Free bicycle rental is provided in the city, and there are many special bicycle passages and sightseeing routes. Adelaide’s flat terrain makes riding one of the great ways to explore the festival capital. You can appreciate the natural and cultural aspects of this vibrant city as you weave along wide streets, past parks, beautiful gardens and iconic attractions, and along the Torrens River.

Communication

As a newcomer, in the face of all kinds of telecom companies and various phone plans, how should I choose a mobile phone card? Australia’s three major telecommunications operators are Vodafone, Telstra and Optus.

Package types can be divided into:

Pre-paid: No contract, charge as much as you use, and you can stop at any time;
SIM Only Plan: Use it first, collect the bill every month and then pay, relatively cheap but need to sign a long-term contract;
Phone Plan: The so-called “contracted mobile phone” in everyone’s mouth, that is, the bundled package of mobile phone and phone bill, usually a two-year contract.

It is suggested that newcomers can choose from the cheapest package. After all, there are relatively few calls when they first come, and now a WeChat or other Apps can basically handle the needs of calls and videos. There is no need to worry about data, as the mobile phone plans in Australia have sufficient data, and many business places such as schools, shopping malls and restaurants provide free Wi-Fi, which is generally not enough.

Bank

When you arrive in South Australia for the first time, you can prepare some cash for emergencies, but it is not recommended that you bring more than 800 Australian dollars in cash with you. After you settle down, go to the bank to apply for a local bank card of your own. In this highly digital age, credit cards and electronic payment methods are accepted in many places, and banks also provide e-wallets, just add the bank card to the e-wallet in your mobile phone~

Australia’s four major banks are ANZ, CBA, Westpac and nab, all of which provide international students with free bank card business. There are also bank outlets and ATMs all over the city, you can Google by yourself.

Account opening material preparation list:

Passport or driver’s license can prove your identity

Visa & COE

Mobile phone number (If you do not have a mobile phone number, you can fill in the information later)

Tax number TFN, namely: Tax File Number (If you do not have a tax ID number, you can fill in the information later)

ID number (probably need to provide)

These are some tips for studying in Adelaide. If you want to know more information about studying abroad in Adelaide or Australia, just visit cateight.com.