Moving to a new country

Hi! I’m Jolene. I am an international student from the Philippines, studying Psychology at uni.

I arrived in Australia by myself in early 2022. I was incredibly excited to start this new chapter in my life. However, when I arrived, I found myself feeling extremely overwhelmed and anxious. I was in a relatively unknown environment with no one to turn to. I didn’t know anyone around me, so I tried to be excited and outgoing, but that led to me feeling tired and exhausted at the end of each day. I was missing my family and friends back home, so I started to drown myself in school and work. After a while, it became too much for me to handle, so I started to isolate myself from everyone around me. It felt as if everything was moving, and I was just stagnant: I couldn’t catch up. If it weren’t for my close friends, I don’t think I would’ve made it out.

The short time I spent with them every so often helped me take my mind off my anxious thoughts. They all understood what I was going through and encouraged me to seek help and support. I was able to speak to a university counselor who listened to what I was feeling and offered me support in my studies. She taught me skills like practicing mindfulness and small goal setting to help me cope with my anxiety and depression. She also helped me get a learning access plan, which provided me extra time on assignments and exams.

Soon it felt like the weight on my shoulders was slowly being lifted, and I had a chance to get back on my feet. I was slowly able to catch up on school and work. I started to become more confident in my capabilities, and I began to feel more in control of my life.

Now, I still have days where I don’t feel well enough to do anything, but it is good to know that there are people around me like my friends who I can turn to when I am not having a good day. It’s also been amazing that there are support services within the uni that can help me when I need them.