Regional NSW's multicultural education
Chatarina is completing a PhD in Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England.
About Chatarina
Chatarina has lived and studied in Armidale for more than 3 years after finding a unique pathway to her degree through the Australian Awards Scholarship Program. She enjoys the small, friendly community in Armidale, finding it easy to make new friends, raise kids and access high quality education.
Chatarina suggests gaining first-hand fieldwork experience before studying in Armidale, since this can only be done in her university’s city campus.
The highlight of Chatarina’s NSW journey was teaching in one of the primary schools in Scotts Head that offered Indonesian language lessons as part of the NSW Bilingual Schools Program. The program aims to help primary school students become global citizens. This gave Chatarina full confidence in NSW’s education offerings.
Now, Chatarina is working towards improving her knowledge and skills in agriculture to give back to Australian and Indonesian communities. She looks forward to moving back to Armidale NSW with her family and seeing more Indonesian international students' study in NSW.
Chatarina’s tips
"Australia offers more scholarships, global talent and upskilling programs, and opportunities in general. Surprisingly, I found very little difference between Sydney and regional NSW. The coffee shops and restaurants in town close late night and it's very easy to connect with local communities. Other than considering studying in regional NSW, finding the right accommodation is important – explore the different renting options in NSW, such as private renting etc.”
Learn more about studying in Regional NSW.
