Living in another country is not easy. A Nepalese foreign student at the University of Technology in Sydney, headed an association until recently. They’d arrange social events and build connections among Sydney’s burgeoning Nepalese student population. However, the organization folded, at least nominally, due to low attendance at events.
Why is that? They were too preoccupied with part-time employment to pay tens of thousands of dollars in college fees and handle the high costs of living in Sydney. “They never expected it to be so high, “People don’t take the time to investigate before coming in; they just come in.”
China and India are the top two source nations for foreign students coming to Australia, according to most people. However, Nepal’s third place finish may come as a shock.
The country of little under 30 million people, best known for the Himalayas and Mount Everest, now accounts for 7% of international students studying in Australia, far more than neighboring, bigger, and more industrialized countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Unlike the Chinese and Indians, who favor university education, Nepalese students are equally divided between higher education and vocational training. The majority of the 30,000 Nepalese university students are studying management and commerce, computer technology, or health.
Bhandari, 22, is from Butwal, Nepal, not far from Lumbini, where Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is claimed to have been born. He fared well enough in school to get accepted to UTS, and his parents cover his tuition costs, but he recognizes that not all Nepalese kids are as fortunate.
