My Experience at MNSH

As an international student, I experienced how hard it was to find a place and to feel at home. After moving several times from one apartment to another, finally, in May 2006, I found Madre Nazarena Student's House (MNSH). From the first day I moved in, I felt comfortable, warm and—most importantly—at home.

MNSH is quite far from my university, but I still find that this place is really comfortable for me. MNSH really helps me in all my needs such as providing meals, cleaning my room... and creating a better environment for student life. Even though I have a lot of activities which make it hard to manage time properly, I still have a healthy and comfortable life. This is why I decided to continue staying at Madre Nazarena Student's House in 2007.

When I came back to Melbourne on 25 February, after the summer holidays spent with my family in my home country, the Sisters and other residents of MNSH welcomed me with warm smiles and hugs, I felt good and at home. These simple gestures always make me feel better especially when I feel lonely and homesick.

Moreover, at the start of each academic year an Opening Mass is held in our beautiful chapel asking God to protect us, and bless our journey and our studies. This event, the first for me since I missed it last year, was so wonderful because for the first time I participated in a celebration with so many other girls from various countries coming together with the same aim: to study far away from home. I really enjoyed the Mass especially when the priest encouraged us not only to study but to allow ourselves to be enriched by the diversity and the friendship of each other.

Daughters of Divine Zeal Emblem

I also felt excited when we brought our countries' flags to the altar and put them together in one basket surrounding the big heart that our Sisters carry as their emblem. This simple symbolic gesture was meaningful for me, because even though we come from different countries, backgrounds, languages, etc, in putting together these differences they become instead an enrichment that surely enhances friendships in which we are a great help to each other. I believe that this kind of event helps us to know and respect each other and strengthen our relationships.

Living in Madre Nazarena Student's House means having a lot of fun and I don't think anyone will feel bored staying here. I hope that through MNSH's care and high quality services, the house will always be filled with students willing to share and receive the beauty of one another.

Feroni, 2007

At MNSH from a Rural Perspective

It was a bold step to move from a very small rural area in southern NSW to the big smoke of a city. When I was looking for accommodation in Melbourne my parents were concerned for my safety and also how I would manage domestic chores and study.

When arriving at Madre Nazarena Student's House (MNSH) I was greeted with many warm welcomes and smiling faces. My parents knew straight away I would be very happy here and felt at rest knowing that I was in a friendly, safe and comfortable place. This building architecturally is amazing; it is not only modern and stylish, but spacious too. Our meals are catered for during the week by our chef Trish, who works very hard to make dinners interesting. Elvira is just as much our friend, as she is our cleaner. It is such a luxury to be looked after so well, which allows more time for study.

People are curious when I say I live at a hostel with three nuns and thirty other girls. Our two Italian Sisters and one Filipino Sister are a family for each of us. Sister Floriana is like a grandmother to me, she is full of endless love, compassion and understanding. Like most Italians, she is forever making sure I have eaten enough. Sister Tina is a student and can relate well to what other students are going through. Sister Licia has qualities of a mother, prompting our thought patterns, for example what time we should plan to be at school and how we could better organise our day. Young girls can initially find it hard to live without their mothers, however at MNSH we have strong and compelling women as role models who I believe jointly share their wisdom to assist with any individual situation required.

Initially, I felt very uncomfortable walking around the streets of Melbourne. For the first time in my life I was one in five Anglo-Saxons. There were people of all nationalities speaking words that I could not possibly understand. In this hostel I have had the opportunity to embrace culture. We sample each other's exotic food, exchange recipes, share stories and cultural understanding. I now have many friends from all over the world and know for sure that if I will be overseas I will have friends to visit.

I have chosen a wonderful Madre experience for yet another year. Come, visit and see what a relaxed, caring environment in a tranquil setting in busy Melbourne has to offer at Madre Nazarena Student's House.

Rhycea, 2007

In Australia from India

I came to Melbourne, Australia in 2003 from India. I was welcomed into MNSH by the Sisters and the current residents. It has been four years since then and I am still happy to stay here. When I first moved into this house the Sisters and the residents made me feel so comfortable. This is an ongoing process. When a new resident moves into the house the Sisters and the residents make them feel at home. I made friends so quickly and I am still friends with them.

It's already hard to leave your family and come to a new place to study. I am glad that I chose this incredible place to stay. I just concentrated on my studies and the Sisters and the staff took care of the healthy food and many other things. The staff are very friendly and caring. They are always happy to help. This house is at a good location. It is very easy to get into the city from here and transport is easily available to go to any other suburbs.

It is my pleasure to recommend MNSH to any student who wants to study in Melbourne. It is a very clean and secure place to live. If you have any doubts just come here and the Sisters will take you for a little tour and you will be able to see for yourself what I am talking about.

Surbhi, 2007

I Find MNSH an Ideal Place to Live In

Arriving in a new country, not knowing anyone or not knowing your way around can be a daunting, intimidating and overwhelming experience. It is the first time you have been separated from your family and the comfort of familiarity in a country that you call home. Without the necessary support and assistance, it is understandable why many people feel depressed and lost, not used to the independence and relative solidarity one feels when in a completely new atmosphere.

As was with me, the first few days in Australia were lonely and disheartening. I missed my family, my friends, my dog, the cooking, almost everything. I longed to return home and started counting the days to return home. Things gradually started to change however as I lived by each day and started settling into the new place I was living in, one, which I would eventually call home. Madre Nazarena Student's House is the perfect place for me, a new international student, to stay as it provided me with a friendly and wholesome environment where I had the chance to meet many new people from an array of backgrounds, races and interests. I never did feel lonely as the comfort of a friend to talk to or share my thoughts with were just a knock away. Not only that, the student house gave me enough privacy for myself, as I got my own room, fully furnished and very comfortable indeed. It's ideal for studying and doing anything else that I might have wanted to do.

Although I wasn't staying in a residential college or on campus accommodation, I found MNSH to be most convenient as there is a tram stop situated right in front of it and it is a five-minute walk to the nearest train station, East Richmond Station. When I want to buy groceries, clothes or anything else, shops are a mere walk away and I never feel like I have to venture out anywhere else. At the same time, it is close to the city and is not isolated or far from any interesting events that may be on in the area.

All in all, I find MNSH an ideal place to live in and would recommend it to anyone new who longs to find a place to stay where all their needs are met and most importantly, where they'll always find the comradeship of the Sisters and friends.

Sonia, 2007

MNSH—the Best Place to Stay

One thing I really like about this place is its strategic location; it is close to the city and to most universities; it is just opposite the beautiful St Ignatius' Church which makes it easy to go to church so that we will not miss the Sunday Celebration.

A tram stop is right in front of the house which makes it so easy for us to travel around. The train station, post office, restaurants, and supermarket are just 10 minutes walk from the house.

Another good thing about living here is you do not feel lonely since there are 30 students in the house and 3 Sisters who will always take care of you. Trish, Elvira and Paula are MNSH's staff and they are such great friends too. There are so many different nationalities and backgrounds and this makes our living here so interesting and we have much fun.

As an international student from Indonesia, it is such a big step to study overseas and the feeling of loneliness is what most students experience when they first arrive in this country so far and different from the country we left. I was lucky enough not to really experience this because I have a lot of friends in this house.

So, I can conclude that Madre Nazarena Student's House is the best place to stay when you have to study in Melbourne!

Maureen, 2007