🚗👀 Student Stories - No More “Driving Blindfolded” with Jinghui
🧑‍🎓 About Jinghui
Name/Nickname: Jinghui
University: University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Degree: Master of Curating&Cultural Leadership
Time in Sydney: 1 year
Jinghui is a postgraduate student at UNSW, studying Curating and Cultural Leadership. After realising his background in digital media didn’t suit him, Jinghui came to Sydney to explore new possibilities,unsure of what came next, but certain he needed a change.
“I don’t want to drive blindfolded anymore. I want to walk a path that’s truly mine, not one someone else told me to follow.”
In this conversation, Jinghui talks about arriving in a new country by himself, living alone, and choosing to step away from a path that wasn’t his.
Q: Did you come to Australia alone? What was going through your mind at the time?
A: Yes, I came here by myself. Everything was rushed. My visa was approved quickly, and I booked my flight soon after, so I didn’t have time to find anyone to fly with. I flew from Beijing to Sydney on a 2:10 a.m. flight during China’s summer holiday. Most passengers were tourists, and I didn’t meet any other international students.
I was really anxious before leaving. I kept checking maps and reading online posts. The more I read, the more I worried about what could go wrong. I ended up booking a Chinese airport pickup service. It cost me $100, which was expensive, but it made me feel more secure. I was unfamiliar with the place, and I didn’t want to risk miscommunication or a bad Uber experience on my first day. I just wanted to arrive somewhere that felt safe.
Q: Are you living alone now? Do you ever feel lonely?
A: Yes, I live alone, and I actually enjoy it. I used to share a place before, but I found myself constantly trying to accommodate others which was exhausting. Living alone may be quieter, but it gives me more freedom and independence. It lets me manage my time better and focus on studying and thinking.
I am definitely an introverted person and tend to warm up slowly, but I’ve made some great friends here. One of them is an amazing cook. He often invites me to have meal at his place. He has helped me a lot with both study and daily life. I really appreciated having someone like him around.
Q: Have you joined any extracurriculars or campus activities?
A: I haven’t joined any official clubs, but I volunteered at the Welcome Desk at the airport. I originally signed up just to improve my spoken English. I was nervous because most of the other volunteers were from different countries, and I was worried about saying the wrong thing or embarrassing myself. At first, I was on edge and afraid that tourists would ask me questions I couldn’t answer.
But over time I relaxed. The other volunteers and visitors were kind and patient. Most of the questions were about daily life or transportation. I realized you don’t need perfect English to be helpful. There’s one impressive moment. A woman from Taiwan couldn’t reach her airport pickup and looked really anxious. I helped her make calls and sort things out. We went back and forth for over an hour. In the end, I walked her to the pickup area. Before she left, she said to me, “You really saw it through to the end.”
Q: Do you have a clear career path in mind?
A: Not really. I studied digital media art during my undergraduate years. At the time, everyone said new media was booming and that platforms like Bilibili and TikTok were hiring, so I followed the trend. But once I started working in the field, I realized I didn’t enjoy it at all.
I gradually came to understand that no matter how good a career path looks on paper, it has to feel right for you. It’s like wearing a pair of shoes. Everyone says they’re comfortable, but only when you actually wear them do you know whether they fit. You might try to convince yourself it’s your feet that are wrong, not the shoes. So you keep walking, even if it gives you blisters and pain. Eventually, you realize the shoes just weren’t made for you.
Now I’m more interested in areas like education, training, or management. I want to walk a path that’s truly mine, not one someone else told me to follow. I don’t want to keep going through life driving blindfolded.
Q: What does studying abroad mean to you, personally?
A: When I first arrived, I didn’t have a clear goal. My English wasn’t great, and I didn’t plan things very far ahead. But that uncertainty forced me to start asking important questions. What do I actually want? What kind of life do I want to live?
The biggest meaning of studying abroad isn’t just getting a degree. It’s the opportunity to stop, reflect, and examine how I’ve been living. I realized I couldn’t just follow the script anymore. I needed to try things, fail, and slowly find the direction that fits me. I may not have it all figured out yet, but at least now, I’m the one holding the steering wheel.
Q: Finally, what advice would you give to new international students arriving in Sydney?
A: It’s good to read guides and prepare, but don’t let the internet scare you. Some posts make it sound like moving to Australia is the start of a nightmare. In reality, things are much easier than you think. Most people are friendly and willing to help. Real adaptation doesn’t happen through your phone screen. It happens when you land, when you live, and when you experience things for yourself.
In the full interview, Jinghui reflects on the quiet adjustments, learning to cook because local food didn’t taste like home, feeling defeated after every driving lesson, and slowly adapting to a
life that felt unfamiliar. On top of his university schedule, he filled his weekends with online courses, not for a degree, but to explore where he might go next.
🎧 Listen to the full 23 min recording (in Chinese Mandarin) below.
