Recently, Australian colleges and universities have gradually ushered in the start of the S1 semester, and many students have also begun to return to Australia. Here, I would like to remind everyone that some things must be done first after arriving in Australia, because they are closely related to the future life of studying abroad in Australia.

① Apply for a local phone card

Regarding the choice of phone card, one is that you can buy an overseas phone card in your own country and activate it after landing. The other is that you can apply for a local phone card. One of the advantages of this method is that the operator has a lot of local sales offices, so if you encounter some problems, you can easily solve them.

In Australia, there are many operators to choose from including Vodafone, Optus and Telstra.

A major advantage of Telstra is that it has a wide coverage, and the signal and network speed are very good, but the price is relatively expensive.

Vodafone has a very favorable price, whether it is Internet access or long-distance calls, it is relatively cheap, but the signal is weak, and you may encounter the possibility of no signal in the wild.

Optus is quite satisfactory, the price is moderate, and there will be promotional activities, but the signal in the urban area is not as good as the first two, but it is still better than Vodafone in the wild.

You can choose the right supplier according to your needs.

② Apply for a local bank card

For friends who go to Australia, applying for an Australian bank card is the top priority, because food, clothing, housing and transportation need money, but it is not safe to carry a large amount of Australian dollars with you.

The most commonly banks used by Australian students are: Commonwealth Bank and ANZ Bank. These two banks are large banks in Australia with many outlets, easy-to-use APP and convenient transfer. What’s more, there are also branches in the school!

·Commonwealth Bank

Commonwealth’s mobile APP enables you to go out only with your mobile phone! It includes real-time payment and cardless cash withdrawal functions, and also supports binding Apple Pay.

Moreover, the transfer between CBA users can be realized by using the phone number, eliminating the trouble of memorizing the Account Number and BSB.

For international students, there is no account management fee, and overseas account opening is also supported. And three months before arriving in Australia, students can open a bank account online on the CBA official website.

·ANZ Bank

ANZ Bank is one of the oldest and best-known banks in Australia. It ranks among the top 50 banks in the world and has many advantages:

– There are multiple accounts to meet different savings requirements

– Moreover, the collection account and payment account can be separated, and the security is guaranteed

– International students are not only exempt from account management fees, but can also apply for credit cards. The annual fee is waived for the first year, which is very attractive

③ Purchase a transportation card

The bus cards in different regions of Australia are different. International students can choose the appropriate bus discount according to their state. The main bus cards are roughly as follows:

Opal: for Sydney and surrounding areas

Myki: for Victoria, where Melbourne is located

Go Card: Applicable to Gold Coast, Brisbane

MyWay: Available in Canberra

Metro Card: for Adelaide

Smart Rider: For Perth

④ Activate or register OHSC

It is very important to activate or register an OHSC insurance account! If you need to seek medical treatment in Australia during your studies, you will need to be reimbursed through OHSC insurance.

The activation or registration steps are also very simple:

First of all, find your OSHC Cover Certificate and confirm which insurance you bought. The certificate will generally be sent to the email address provided by you after the payment is completed, you can find it in the email address.

Secondly, after confirming the insurance company, you can log in to the official website of the insurance company to activate it. Click Register here on the official website to register first, and students who have already registered click Log in.

The activation process generally requires a Policy Number, which is included in the insurance certificate. You can complete the activation registration by filling in other information according to the website requirements, and then you can make an appointment with a GP (General Practitioner) when you need medical treatment.

⑤ Apply for a USI number

Some students may not be familiar with the USI number, which is also a recently updated policy.

The full name of USI is Unique Student Identifier, which is usually composed of 10 numbers and letters. It is a student-specific code issued by the Australian government, which includes all student training records, transcripts and professional certifications.

From January 1, 2023, all students receiving higher education in Australia must have a USI to enroll in Australian universities, including public TAFE, private colleges, or other training institutions recognized by the Australian government.

Without USI, students will likely not be able to successfully obtain a certificate of completion or degree certificate.

So don’t forget to apply for a USI number after arriving in Australia!

Some institutions, such as UNSW, will prompt students to provide USI as part of the initial course registration, and some institutions require students to provide it before the start of the semester. You can refer to your own institution requirements.

When applying, go to the USI official website: usi.gov.au/, find the “For students” option, click and select “Get a USI”, and follow the page prompts to register.

⑥ Remember the main ways to seek help

Remember how important it is to seek help! Very important! In case of danger, be sure to call for emergency services first.

000: Emergency! Can transfer police, fire trucks and ambulances

131444: Police helpline, non-emergency dial

When you arrive in Australia, remember to solve these problems first, otherwise your future international student life may be affected. In addition, don’t forget to pay attention to some local news at all times to get some useful news and tips so that you can better integrate into the local life.