# To the teenagers coming 2 aus hope his helps



## a_young_mind (Jan 16, 2009)

I have been in Aus for 2years now. It feels like alot longer. The first month felt like a holiday. After that was really hard. I started a new school at the end of grade eleven. If any of you are consider moving your child through this time there is a good and bad decision for this. 
What i hated about this decision
-i missed my matric dance and they don't have it here. I was really looking forward to it. They have a formal but its different traditions, none i looked forward too. Especially that the dance was a week after my arrival.
-i had to make friends in groups that were already comfortable with each other and not very welcoming to a person that would only be at school for a year.
-graduation was particularly difficult as i didn't finish it with people i grew up with and shared memories with
-after a year of making friends and getting accepted, we moved again. Back to square one.
- i had to share my 18th with people i hardly knew
-They were all a year younger and didn't have fake ID's- no1 to go clubbing with

What was good
-I did subjects i had never done before, i am now majoring in a subject i previously had no knowledge about whatsoever
- i made friends alot quicker than my family.
-I learnt 'the australian way' alot faster than a person out of school could. I even started to loose my accent
- I met alot of nice people but it wasn't easy. Every moment felt like i had to work at it extra hard. Be prepared for that, its not a walk in the park.

If you are immigrating or thinking about it, there are a number of things to consider if you have a child around my age/ still in high school. The younger the child the easier. Children are adaptable, they will fit in no matter what, it just gets harder as they get older. If they plan to start school here from the beginning of gr11 i'd say go for it. The last year of school however is what you look forward to your whole life. I don't wanna say i regret not being in SA for my last year, but it made things extremely difficult and made me not want to get involved in my australian schools traditions because they weren't mine and they were shared with 'default' people who didn't nearly fit the role as my real friends- who i could be whoever i wanted to be around them. The education side of things was a breeze, very fun and rewarding compared to SA. The social side not as much.

What i find about uni
- It is harder to make friends compared to Australian school. If you can rather go to school here first then continue to uni with friends you have made already
- if not go to a college where you are in a dorm with crazy ladies from every part of the world. It makes it so much easier. Its fun and gets u into the spirit of things.

After 2 years, i have been through alot. Immagration is not something you can explain fully to some1 till you go through it. We are all different. You can make the change, everything DOES get easier, but give it time. Patience, acceptance and understanding are what matters most. I still visit SA, it still is my home, but so is here. Im stuck in the middle at the moment, it is a slow process both with their own positives and negatives.

What i don't miss
- the main issue of course, crime (although when missing the place this seems easy to forget)
- the lack of freedom. I can go wherever i want and use that to its full advantage.
- the lifestyle of JHB. Drinking, smoking, clubbing. It all becomes to much because a place with boundaries leaves little space for enjoyment. Those 3 things are really the only types of 'social freedom' left in SA. The days are used for shopping, the nights for going out. Thats it. There is nothing more. Wrong, there is a whole lot more in life to look forward too. I have been to every beach here, rock climbing, surfing, skydiving, public pools, caught trains to cities, planes to other parts of aus, road trips with friends, experiencing the variety of clubs. everything!
-the whole vibe of 'materialistic people' that i was surrounded by- and used to be! I don't care how many shoes you have. it does NOT matter. A little cellulite never hurt anyone, im enjoying who i am and working at my body for me and for no1 else. 
-the horrendous traffic!
-the beggers, the litter, the bad service, the constant feeling of fear

what i do miss
-the food. Nothing can beat it
-having money to blow on clothes n alcohol. But really what is that helping me in the long run? Its what you choose to sacrifice for the greater good. Sacrifice an 'easy' lifestyle with money in your pocket for an environment you need to work harder in but accomplish so much more 
-my familys and friends. Its flippen difficult but does get easier. 
-MY MAID!! like u have nooo idea! haha

Hope this helps every1. Let me know if you have any questions and ill do my best to answer


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## vegasboy (Apr 28, 2010)

a_young_mind said:


> I have been in Aus for 2years now. It feels like alot longer. The first month felt like a holiday. After that was really hard. I started a new school at the end of grade eleven. If any of you are consider moving your child through this time there is a good and bad decision for this.
> What i hated about this decision
> -i missed my matric dance and they don't have it here. I was really looking forward to it. They have a formal but its different traditions, none i looked forward too. Especially that the dance was a week after my arrival.
> -i had to make friends in groups that were already comfortable with each other and not very welcoming to a person that would only be at school for a year.
> ...


 Dear Young Mind, What a great report! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us all.

Your inspiring post gave me insight as to how "young minds" perceive and experience moving to another country. I am sure a lot of folk will find this incredible report helpful. Good luck with your studies


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

really great balanced post, young mind!


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