‘Do better’: International student blasts Australia’s university system in wild rant

A young student currently studying in Australia on a visa has lashed out in a scathing rant, saying she is sick of “being treated like sh*t”.

Jamie Wu has slammed Australia's university system for it's attitude towards International students. Picture: @jamiewujq / Tik Tok

An international student living in Melbourne has slammed Australia’s university system in a scathing rant that exposes some of the biggest flaws in tertiary education.

Jamie Wu may adore Australia however she doesn’t feel the love in return when it comes to being an international student in the country.

In a fiery TikTok video, the young Melbourne University student – who left her home country of Singapore to stay in Victoria’s capital on a visa – blasted the education system for relying on international students for money.

“International students matter,” the commerce undergraduate said while thumping her fist on the table.

“I always rave about how good Australia is and I truly do believe that Australia is a really good country for international students … but I am so sick and tired of universities treating us like cash cows.”

Ms Wu forks out up to $25,000 per semester for her bachelor’s degree, which according to the university’s website can take between three to six years to complete depending on the level of study.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 29,600 international students arrived in Australia between March 2022 and March 2023 to participate in higher education.

Consequently such interest has contributed $29 billion to Australia’s economy, with this figure including the $3.5 billion made from international students participating in Australian courses online.

Jamie Wu is an international student at Melbourne University. Picture: @jamiewujq / Instagram

An analysis by Keri Ramirez, the managing director of data analytics firm Studymove, found five Australian universities increased their fees for international students by more than 4 per cent last year, while 15 other universities increased their fees by 2 to 4 per cent.

Additionally, he also found the fees for international students grew more expensive depending on where the university placed on the QS World University ranking scale, Australian Financial Review reports.

Such statistics angered Ms Wu who exclaimed those coming to Australia to learn are worth more than “just (their) money”.

“We are actual students who want to learn so when we face problems I’d expect a solution, not just weeks of waiting,” she said.

Ms Wu feels International students face pressures domestic students never have to experience. Picture: @jamiewujq / Instagram

A race against time

The problems Ms Wu raised include not knowing whether she could graduate due to not scoring internships required for her degree and interruptions to her course schedule.

She feared that a delay in both areas would see her visa expiring before she had the chance to graduate.

“I get it that in a country you have to prioritise your own citizens first … but I would really appreciate it if you could (specify) if you’re just looking for local students clearly on your job applications,” she said.

Ms Wu explained this simple indicator would prevent international students from wasting hours on job applications, only to “never hear back” due to not fulfilling a criteria.

Another issue the young student highlighted is the insufficient pay international students receive when working in casual and part-time jobs.

“So many international students are getting ripped off … and a lot of them don’t complain because they are in need of that cash,” she said.

Ms Wu explained she could go to the “authorities” to address her concerns, however felt she would be overlooked and rather ended her video by calling on Australia to “do better”.

Ms Wu says it's difficult to find internships, particularly when those hiring don't reply to applications. Picture: @jamiewujq / Instagram

An all too common experience

Unfortunately Ms Wu’s experience is known all too well in the international student community, with many non-permanent residents who commented on her post sharing they were in the same boat.

“Worst part is, you give job interviews and everything and they’d be like, ‘Oh you’re an international student, sorry (this role is for) citizens and permanent residents only,’” one person shared.

“I agree totally with you. My story is even worse. After so many degrees, so many experiences, I am now working in a contact centre. I don’t know what to do,” a second person commented:

Another person said: “Universities offer trips and paid internships to citizens only. We don’t even get a chance to at least apply. Even after paying five times more tuition fees.”

Many international students have reacted to Ms Wu's post, saying they feel like they're in the same boat. Picture: @jamiewujq / Instagram

Yeganeh Soltanpour, the president of Council of International Students Australia (CISA), also backed Ms Wu’s claims.

“As an international student you already have that disadvantage of not being seen to have any Australian experience,“ she told Yahoo.

“You will see a large majority of international students volunteering at universities. The whole reason behind that is that we understand to be considered, we need to have perfect grades, perfect volunteering, perfect experience. Everything needs to be a ticked box.”

Ms Soltanpour added that international students aren’t always considered for internships due to the perception that companies don’t want to train staff only for them to later leave and return to their home country.

“They‘ll never say they’re only hiring local students openly because they don’t want to get that backlash, so workplaces just ghosting international students is a big struggle.”

International students can seek support with their studies and university experience through the CISA, which aims to give them a voice and advocate for their rights.