Although she isn’t living away from her Wagga Wagga home, she deals with homesickness on a daily basis.

As part of the Student Services Quality Assurance team at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Megan is responsible for ensuring students, who travel away from their homes to study, have the advice and support they need to settle into their new life.

“I get calls from students with a wide range of inquiries and I also assist students applying for loans and offer basic financial advice,” Megan said.

However, she says the most rewarding aspect of her job is helping students find solutions.

“I try to investigate options that are available to the students and give them the choice – they are the best judge of what will work for them.”

She says international students take the longest to adjust to their new lifestyle, with each student taking an average six weeks to settle in.

“Some adjust more quickly, depending on their background and personality, but others take longer,” she said.

A new mentor scheme designed especially for international students started this year and, according to Megan, helps students become accustomed to every day activities, from making an appointment to see a doctor to how to approach their lecturer with a question.

“From what I have seen while working in this position, adjusting to a different way of life is the biggest hurdle for most to overcome, but we work very closely with each student to make sure their transition is as smooth as possible,” she said. 

Megan, who once worked with the New South Wales Police Service, taking triple O calls, says her role at CSU means she deals with the challenging and sometimes the amusing.

“One of the more funny queries was from an equine studies student who called to request a new subject outline, as her horse had ‘chewed and poohed’ on the original,” she laughed.