a growing experience - Student Services - University of Melbourne

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HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTSLIVING ARRANGEMENTSStudents on average are quite satisfied with their living arrangements. As Table 12shows, the average satisfaction rating is 2.2 on a scale of 0 to 3; over 80 per cent ofrespondents give a positive rating on item B2. Some 16 to 17 per cent of respondents(n=163), however, are less happy about their living arrangements. It is interesting tonote that, of the university services (other than health and counselling) which studentsspecify using, the housing service is the one most frequently mentioned.Table 12Satisfaction with living arrangementsItems Mean SD 0Not at allB2. I am satisfied with my living arrangementshere. (n=976)Percentage ratings1To somedegree2To aconsiderabledegree3Very much2.2 0.8 2.5 14.2 44.1 39.2Satisfaction varies with type of accommodation. As Table 13 indicates, the majorityof students live with friends or other students. Smaller percentages live with familymembers/partners or on their own, while some 53 respondents live with others whoare neither friends, nor students nor family members.Table 13Satisfaction with living arrangements based on type of accommodationType of accommodationNumber (n=977)Alone162Withfriends/students507Withfamily/partner255With others53Percentage16.551.826.05.4Mean rating ofsatisfaction2.162.162.371.87Students living with family members/partners are the ones most satisfied with theirliving arrangements, whilst those living with others are clearly the least satisfied. Aunivariate analysis of variance shows that there is a main effect for type of livingarrangement on level of satisfaction 80 ; students living with others are significantly lesshappy than other students about their living arrangements.The number of changes in accommodation that a student makes might be an indicatorof dissatisfaction and difficulty with housing. Table 14 presents information aboutthe number of accommodation changes made by respondents, together with the levelof satisfaction with living arrangements for each category. Apart from the very smallgroup who have changed living arrangements more than six times during their studiesin Australia, there is little difference in the mean satisfaction rating of other students.A univariate analysis of variance shows that there is not a significant main effect onsatisfaction based on number of changes. There is, however, a significant positive80 F(3,971)=8.39, p
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTScorrelation between number of changes and number of years of enrolment 81 , as mightbe expected.Table 14Frequency of accommodation change and level of satisfactionNumber of accommodation changesNumber (n=975)Not at all 1-3 times 4-6 times More than 6times395516586Percentage40.352.75.90.6Mean rating ofsatisfaction2.222.192.211.67An examination of demographic variables that might differentiate amongrespondents’ level of satisfaction with living arrangements (item B2) was undertaken.No significant differences were found on the basis of age, gender, marital status,faculty 82 , years of secondary schooling in Australia, Asian/non-Asian country oforigin, or, if a parent, having a child living/not living with the student in Australia.The following significant differences were found.• Students who felt they were doing less well academically than they had expectedare significantly less satisfied with their living arrangements than those who feltthey were doing as well as or better than expected 83 .• The same is true of students who speak a LOTE off campus compared with thosewho do not 84 .• The longer a student has been enrolled, the more positive are the student’s feelingsabout his/her accommodation 85 .• Students from Asian countries who have completed a Foundation Studies programare significantly happier with their living arrangements than students from Asiancountries who have not 86 .• The same is true of respondents who spoke some English while growing up,compared with those who did not 87 .• There is a significant main effect for country category, with students from PRChina being significantly less satisfied with their accommodation than studentsfrom Singapore 88 . A higher than average percentage of Singaporean students livewith family/partner and a lower percentage than average live with others. Theopposite is the case for students from PR China.There is also a significant relationship between satisfaction with living arrangementsand students’ experiences of connectedness and cultural stress in Melbourne. Thehigher the Connectedness scale score, the more satisfied the students are with their81 =+0.32, p
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