{"id":58231,"date":"2026-04-02T14:53:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T03:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.latrobe.edu.au\/mylatrobe\/?p=58231"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:55:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T03:55:23","slug":"the-life-of-an-international-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.latrobe.edu.au\/mylatrobe\/the-life-of-an-international-student\/","title":{"rendered":"The life cycle of an international student\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This blog was written by Semester 1 Storyteller, Monty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From leaving home to finding another one.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One random afternoon, I checked my mailbox and saw something that would change everything \u2014 an offer to study at La Trobe University for my masters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I leave all my friends and family behind? 
Do I move to a country I\u2019ve never even visited? 
Do I stop working and start studying again? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to take the leap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time to leave the nest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 12-hour flight gave me too much time to think. Every possible doubt crossed my mind. By the time I landed on campus, the excitement had quietly turned into nervousness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything felt unfamiliar. 
I didn\u2019t know where to go. 
I didn\u2019t know who to talk to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day moved slowly, and I\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0even sure what the next step was.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, I stepped out for orientation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when I saw someone \u2014 confident, talking to everyone, looking like he belonged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked up to him and asked, 
\u201cHey, do you know where the Agora is?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He smiled and said, \u201cYeah, I\u2019ll take you there.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That small moment changed everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Agora, I met new students, joined clubs, and for the first time, I felt like I might actually figure this out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

University life picked up quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned how to navigate the LMS, manage assignments, and settle into classes. I made friends, started going out more, and spent time in apartments that slowly began to feel like home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those friends turned into family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Somewhere along the way, I stopped second-guessing myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started becoming who I was meant to be here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the year, I went back home for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I saw my mum \u2014 a few more grey hairs, moving just a little slower than before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I met my closest friends, but this time, there were jokes I didn\u2019t fully understand. They had to explain things to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The home I grew up in felt familiar, but different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost like a place I was visiting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I realised something had changed \u2014 not around me, but within me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it was time to return, I left with a heavy heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this time, I was also happy to be going back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to routine. 
Back to campus. 
Back to something that now felt like mine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had even secured a role at the university \u2014 something I was incredibly proud of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walking into orientation again, I found myself thinking: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What have I left behind? 
Is it worth it? 
Do I belong here? 
Is this really home? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I felt a tap on my shoulder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A nervous-looking student asked, 
\u201cHey, do you know where the Agora is?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I smiled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d I said, \u201cwalk with me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as we walked towards the same place where it all started for me, I realised: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe this is what the life cycle of an international student looks like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You arrive unsure. 
You find your feet. 
You build something of your own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And one day, without even realising it, 
you become the person someone else looks to for direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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