by Bernardo, Sophia, Vivian and Fernando  Photo: Sophia Stober  Do you often feel stressed out as a student?  You are prone to facing stress during your studies. In this case, it’s even worse for international students when faced with stress factors like loneliness, homesickness, discrimination and language barriers. One way to relieve stress is by doing meditation and incorporating it into your daily life.   The Benefits  Students can allocate a little amount of time each day to relax, meditate and calm down when faced with stress. This can be done in the morning when students wake up, at night before … Continue reading Slow It Down 

By Clarisa Caitleen Wijaya, Sujata Leo & Huang Yi Fei Have you ever felt powerless when you’re hurt? And nobody is there for you… Student counselor, Say Chin shared about a student with anger issues.“He didn’t have a very good relationship with his parents.” They were not supportive nor compassionate about his feelings. What’s worse is that he is disliked and excluded by his classmates. Being the weakest in class, he envied his classmates who gate-kept their notes due to his harsh behavior.  Unfortunately, international students often experience anger, frustration and hurt. It’s a bad thing but it’s common! Negative … Continue reading International students suffer in silence when unable to express themselves 

A TASTY TRIP THROUGH GLOBAL COMFORT FOODS By Mohammed, Judy & Betty Jakub Kapnusak via Catalyst Planet Introduction Every culture has its special comfort foods that bring warmth and joy. Let’s dive into two favorites: China’s hotpot and the UAE’s Machbous. These dishes not only offer delicious flavors but also bring people together in a unique way. Machbous—The UAE’s Famous Comfort Food Now, let’s dive into Machbous, a beloved dish from the United Arab Emirates. This rice dish is packed with tender meat (like chicken, fish, or lamb), loads of spices, and a mix of veggies such as bell peppers, … Continue reading GULPING & GUZZLING

by Manman Ren, Ledi Chen, Yutong Zhang, Kaela Alyssa & Chen Lin Are all international students dressed in luxury from head to toe? That is a common stereotype, but it is far from the full picture. Indeed, families who can afford to send their children abroad are often financially well-off. While the desire to “provide the best for their children” often results in many international students owning a luxury item or two, not everyone follows this trend. A wealthy international student carrying designer shopping bags Photo: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels Is it a necessity or just driven by vanity? Practicality … Continue reading Luxury or Necessity? What exactly is the true value of “luxury”?

By Jiayi Yuan, Ulemjgoo Amar-Erdene, Leqi Yu, and Haozhe Liu A pair of friends talking, laughing, and giggling. Credit: Ulemjgoo Amar-Erdene  Is Blood Thicker Than Water? Friendship is unique: unlike family ties, or romantic relationships, it has much more freedom of choice, and much less pressure and obligations. For international students, however, this unique bond is also a lifeline — especially when they find themselves far from home in a place like Australia, where even the Emus are plotting war against humans. It is a period of hardship, as the well-known sitcom “Friends” suggested, “at this point of time, your … Continue reading ‘They’re all I have’: Trinity Students on Friendship, Expectation, Experience, and Advice

By Ma Huiying, Qin Yiming, Andreja Stefanija Vingraite & Ye Zihe It is no secret that people all around the globe have hobbies and activities they enjoy partaking in, after all, asking people about their hobbies is usually the first step in getting to know someone. But have you ever been curious about what your fellow Trinity College students get up to? The sport lovers Active lifestyle enthusiasts Throughout our interviews at Trinity, a popular hobby amongst students was keeping active, usually through various sports. One of our interviewees – Sanuki, had done almost every extracurricular activity imaginable. From swimming, … Continue reading From Home to Australia: What extracurriculars have students been taking part in?

By Caroline Wang, Solin Sok & Calvin Zhou Jay playing baseball Credit: Image supplied by Danielle Senyschyn International students experience dramatic changes after coming to Australia. Everything changes from what you eat to your party life, especially your hobbies. Have your hobbies changed as well? Let’s dive into the hobby adventures of international students! Hobbies are a crucial part of international student’s lives, as it helps them navigate the stress of academic and social pressures. When students move to a new country, they often tend to continue the hobbies and interests they began earlier in life, seeking to reconnect with … Continue reading Did your hobbies fly here with you?

By Evangeline Xiang, Sabrina Wang & AlanYing For our cheap eats, our team of foodies recommend three must-eat restaurants which are around CBD of Melbourne and Trinity. Don’t worry, the food in these restaurants is not only affordable but also has an excellent taste. Dao Noodle If you love noodles, don’t miss this unique flavor from Shanxi China! Shanxi noodles not only carry the history of noodles, but also color the diners with unique texture and rich flavor. The signature food DXM means knife sliced noodles and you can choose DXM with sauce or noodle soup. What is more, you … Continue reading Not just McDonald’s! 3 affordable restaurants you’ll love

By Abdullah Al-Shamlan, Andres Canilao, Jiachen Weng, and Shermie Tio Facing pros and cons in roommate dynamics As long as there have been rooms, there have been roommates. For many international students moving to Melbourne, this will be their first time sharing a home with people other than their families. We’ll be taking a look at the experiences of students from Trinity College in Melbourne as they face living in shared accommodation for the first time, highlighting the benefits and challenges that may arise as a result. Photo: Mark Blackwood via Pinterest Advantages Moving away from home can be overwhelming, … Continue reading The World in One Room

By Ashley Koh, Yolanda Liu, Zhengrui Pan & Zihan Li Scape. Photo: Zihan Li. Struggling to decide on an accommodation to live in? Worried about whether your new place will suit your needs? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. By gathering information from a group of students, we found that the top priorities for housing are affordability, security, location/convenience, and access to transportation. In this article, we’ll show you the distinctive features of each accommodation and how they improve living experiences for its residents. Aurora Melbourne central: The Iconic Skyscraper                                          Aurora. Photo: Zihan Li. Built in 2019, Aurora is … Continue reading An Honest Review of the 5 Most Popular Accommodations in Melbourne: Are They Really as Great as Advertised?