You have made the decision to pursue international study in Australia. It's an exciting time, you've chosen the perfect course, made plans for travel and let all your close friends know about this decision. There's only one big thing left on your to-do list: Find the right student accommodation.

It's likely that this will be an area of worry for your parents. They care about your safety and want to make sure you have housing that's safe, secure and cozy for your big adventure! For these reasons, a lot of international students start doing their research well before they even set foot on a plane.

Here are some tips for choosing the right student accommodation that are sure to put you on the right track.

1. Consider all your options.

There are quite a few options for overseas student accommodation in Australia. The two broad categories are:

• On-campus accommodation: Housing on campus usually consists of big buildings with around five to six single or shared rooms on each floor. Every level of the building has shared bathrooms, showers, kitchens, and lounge areas usually made up of various buildings with single or shared rooms similar to an apartment building. You'll often share these spaces with 5 to 12 other students.
• Off-campus accommodation: Some institutions offer university-run apartments off-campus. Failing this, international students can rent a house or a flat from an agent or landlord. When choosing to flat you'll often have anywhere from four to five other flatmates. Your university can often put you in touch with reputable agents if you go with this option.

2. Decide what you want from your location

It's no secret that your choice of accommodation will play a big role in your international study experience. You need a home away from home - somewhere you can hang out with friends, enjoy a good meal and take a break from all the study. To ensure this you'll want to consider the following factors:

• Your monthly expenses + cost of rent.
• Distance from the university.
• Room size and quality of facilities.
• Safety of the neighbourhood.
• Proximity to local restaurants and activities.

3. Take your personal preferences into account

It's important to take some time to consider how you prefer to live. Does it irritate you when other people leave a mess in the kitchen? Do you like to have people over on weeknights? What kind of personalities do you generally get along with? Consider the answers to these questions before choosing flatmates or your living arrangement. For some people a big flat with 10 mates is the dream, for others, an on-campus single room is their ideal - there are options for everyone, just make sure you know what you need.

How we can help.

To help ease your stress (and probably that of your parents too) we offer a safe and secure booking service for short-stay accommodation when you first arrive in your country of study.

With Cohort Go you can book your airport pickup and temporary accommodation in one simple package before you even leave home. Our provider's transport and accommodate thousands of students every year so you can be sure you're in safe hands.

In 2019 Cohort Go also partnered with purpose built student accommodation provider UniLodge Australia to improve your payment experience.

Save on your accommodation or living expenses by paying in your local currency through our dedicated payments portal, with access to competitive foreign exchange rates and no transfer fees.