Fitting in: what Australians actually expect

Informality is not disrespect

Australians use first names almost universally, including with lecturers, managers and people considerably senior to them. A professor who signs an email with their first name means it.

Titles are used sparingly. Continuing to address someone formally after they have invited you not to can come across as distant rather than respectful.

Conversation is direct, humour is dry, and gentle teasing among people who like each other is normal. It is a sign of inclusion rather than hostility.

Everyday etiquette

• Punctuality matters. Arriving on time means on time, and being late without a message is noticed.
• Tipping is not expected. Staff are paid a legal minimum wage, and service charges are not standard. Tipping for genuinely good service is welcome, never obligatory.
• Queue, and do not push in. It is one of the few things that reliably annoys people.
• On escalators, stand on the left so others can walk past on the right.
• Bringing something to share when invited to someone's home is normal — an invitation to a barbecue often assumes it.
• Say please and thank you generously, including to bus drivers and shop staff.

Academic culture will be the biggest adjustment

Australian universities expect independent work. Fewer contact hours does not mean less work — it means more of it happens on your own initiative, and nobody will chase you.

Students are expected to question, disagree and discuss in class, including with the lecturer. This is participation, not rudeness, and in many courses it is assessed.

Academic integrity is treated extremely seriously. Plagiarism, contract cheating and unapproved AI use carry heavy penalties up to exclusion, and 'I did not know the rule' is not accepted. Learn your institution's referencing requirements early, and ask before you guess.

Asking for help is normal and expected. Every university runs free academic skills support, and using it is a sign of a competent student rather than a struggling one.

A genuinely multicultural country

A large share of Australians were born overseas or have a parent who was, and most cities are visibly multicultural. You will not be the only person adjusting.

Australia also has the oldest continuous living cultures in the world. You will hear an Acknowledgement of Country at the start of university events, recognising the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land. Listening respectfully is all that is asked.

Discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, disability or age is unlawful, and universities have processes for it. If something happens to you, it is worth reporting.

Rules people get caught by

• The legal drinking age is 18, and photo identification is checked routinely regardless of how old you look.
• Drinking alcohol in public places is restricted in many areas and fined.
• Smoking is banned indoors in public venues, and vaping is regulated more tightly than in many countries.
• Australia's biosecurity rules at the airport are strict and seriously enforced. Declare any food, plant material, wooden items or medication — declaring something is free, and failing to declare it is not.