SUMMARY

Being an International Student is a challenging experience and overcoming obstacles to achieve success is vital. Certainly every student wants to have a good academic standing with a truly rewarding experience. The aim of our study was to explore the experiences of international students in their academic pathway, to reveal the difficulties and challenges faced, and the current support available to them.

There are various researches indicating how factors have an influence on the academic pathway of international students. On the one hand, a national survey conducted by Department of Education and Training showed 89% of students were satisfied or very satisfied with their accommodation in Australia (Australian Government 2015). On the other hand, according to Turcic (2008, p.11) international students also witnessed discrimination in the rental market owing to shortage of a rental record and financial stability. Thirdly, some studies explored that exercise could have benefits for overall health and cognitive function. According to Cotman (2002), it was clear that voluntary exercise can increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and other growth factors, stimulate neurogenesis, increase resistance to brain insult and improve learning performance.

Our study investigated and analyzed the issues and challenges facing international students in their academic pathway. The scope of the survey was all international students who were in EAP4 class in Swinburne University of Technology in August 2017. In-depth interviews were carried out with 15 international students. This survey attracted students in three EAP4 classes, with 60% of male students and 40% of female students. We had students participating from Iraq, Oman, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan and Korea. The top two nationalities of respondents in ELICOS sector are Iraq (26.7%) and China (20%).

The key findings of the survey included the top barriers influencing the academic pathway of international students. They were found to be:

• Shortage of using the library.
• Negative impact of accommodation:  This was contrary to the survey result of Australia Department of Education and Training 2015, our investigation explored that accommodation was reported as one of the main difficulties for international students.
• Effect of favorite activities outside classes: Our research showed that activities outside classes could have a far greater influence on academic pathway of international students.