u/abundance_bountiful

Hi! I’m a woman in my early 30s who recently moved to Canberra this late January and would love to make some genuine friends.

A little about me:

I’m into sociology, psychology, philosophy, literature, and spirituality.

I used to do creative writing but not anymore due to my depression

I like reading, listening to podcasts and guided meditation.
I also do yoga, Pilates, and long walks in nature.

I’ve lived in Europe for around 3 years, have been in Australia for about 1.5 years, and grew up in East Asia.

I enjoy exploring new places, trying new experiences, and wearing cute dresses because fashion makes me happy.

I’m… reluctantly learning to enjoy cooking. 😅
Cooking is my forced hobby now because I can’t afford to go to restaurants.

I don’t know if I can count therapy as my hobby but why not ?

Bookstores, libraries, museums, art galleries, theatres, and even cute little gift shops are my happy places.

I absolutely love deep conversations about life, people, ideas, and everything in between.

I’m also a fan of medieval fantasy, especially Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.

I think I have a strong sense of social justice and I am thinking going to law school in the future.

Some things I’m not really into:
❌Nightclubs or raves
❌Watching or playing sports
❌Video games (including mobile games)
❌alcohol
I know those are pretty common interests, so I realise my social circle might end up being a bit smaller.

That said, I do enjoy live music, concerts, stand-up comedy, opera and musicals. When I lived in London, I watched quite a few musicals and operas, and while traveling in Spain I fell in love with flamenco performances.

I know my interests are a little niche, but I’m hoping there are some like-minded people out there.

One last thing: I am kinda broque 😎 so I can’t really go to a coffee shop with you （ I don’t drink coffee) but I might consider going to a boba tea shop occasionally 🧋

p.s. I also don’t have a car

If you think we’d get along, feel free to send me a message.

I will try my best to reply.

Thank you 😊

New update: I got an email saying this research project is designed specifically to fulfil the placement so they don’t have the details yet

Hi 👋
I am an international student around 30 yo, doing MSW.
I am very disappointed, sad, anxious, and angry because I got an online research placement.

So I am at X university in a non-major city.
And they promised to give everyone a placement at the end of June.
I only received it yesterday, with no descriptions at all.
It just says I will be a research assistant for professor Y at the same university but she’s based in a major city, hence remote.
I followed up with professor Y to see if she can provide a short job description or more information, no response, just a zoom meeting link for the interview.

I am ok with research or indirect placement.
But, if I pay lots of money to X university, they can only place me at X university, that sounds ridiculous.

And I believe a research assistant is a paid job or at least a part of PhD or master of research students’ stipend, so I find it exploitative and the placement team obviously doesn’t really put much effort in it.

This city I am in is not that competitive in terms of placement opportunities, unlike what I have heard, the tragic stories at WSU, University of Western Australia, Flinders, Federation university, etc.

I am at this age, and I previously studied master’s degree in my home country, I honestly don’t want to do research as a placement at this X university because I have spent many many years in uni.
I am ok if at least they tried to put me at an NGO or even another university‘a research team.

I just find it unacceptable, it feels like they didn’t find me anything.
An analogy: you pay a lot of money for a job agency to find you a proper job, but thy only found you a job working at that exact job agency

Meanwhile, still some people out there who haven’t heard back.
What’s worse is, they don’t write those people back, and some students tried to see the staff in person but got stopped.

I just feel hopeless. I will try to draft an email to express my concerns and also not to offend them.
But I don’t think they will respond or treat it seriously.

It just feels financially unfair 😭, especially when we pay at least 3 -6 times more than a domestic student.
But, at least it’s something… some people get nothing…

But this research thingy… I suppose professor Y can probably take 100 people? If the placement team is desperate they might as well just chuck everyone with professor Y. Quick fix. Everyone works from home. No one gets anything real.

Question: does it work to contact AASW?

Please help me with some genuine advice 🙏

If you are here to say something nasty or racist, or xenophobic towards international students, please just don’t comment below

If you are genuine ,please don’t comment below the trolls, as I have blocked them, and won’t be able to see your comment.

Thank you.

p.s I am genuinely surprised receiving so much hate on this subreddit. I thought people here should be kinder because social work is a helping profession.

Guess racism and xenophobia are prevalent not only in here but in the social work industry as well.
Because of the anonymity, those nasty people can let out their racist and xenophobic side.
Shame on you.

I don’t know if anyone has experienced similar.
Yesterday, I probably went to bed 12ish and fell asleep short after.
I was awake at 9 ish
But I just couldn’t get up.
I usually stay in bed till 11ish or 12 ish or 1 pm, which I always self blame myself for that. I feel guilty.
Meanwhile when I struggle to get up, I experience panic attacks, like my palms and soles are sweaty, I am nervous to face my life, my heart is pounding.
Before 25yo, I never experienced that.
The most difficult moment of the day is the morning ( not midnight )
What’s worse is I don’t usually sleep at a reasonable time, my rumination is really bad that I sleep somewhere in between 2-4 am, and I usually am awake 10 am ish but it takes me 2 hours or so to actually get up.

Those 2 hours I usually listen to guided meditation podcasts and I might be half awake and half asleep.

And my mood is really low.
I honestly can’t feel any happiness.
I know it’s not normal because I wasn’t like this when I was younger.
I have therapy sessions on and off for 10 years.
My depression is major depressive disorder and I have taken antidepressants non stop for 10 years too.
I even tried tsmr ( it’s expensive) to trigger my brain.
Still not useful.

I guess I am seeking emotional support from you.

More info about me: based in Australia / master’s student / don’t have money/ socially isolated / East Asian immigrant / a claimant of racial discrimination, unfair dismissal, harassment at the employment tribunal in the uk in the middle of the legal proceedings ( I have been through a lot, the case started in 2023 and it inspires me to consider doing a law degree in the future)

Sometimes I want to go out and about to do something, say, going to an event, but on that day, I just can’t, and I just have to rot at home.

But oddly enough, my grades are not bad, last semester I got distinction ( and some assessments were high distinction despite English isn’t my native language)

Thank you for reading this.

I don’t know if anyone has experienced similar.
Yesterday, I probably went to bed 12ish and fell asleep short after.
I was awake at 9 ish
But I just couldn’t get up.
I usually stay in bed till 11ish or 12 ish or 1 pm, which I always self blame myself for that. I feel guilty.
Meanwhile when I struggle to get up, I experience panic attacks, like my palms and soles are sweaty, I am nervous to face my life, my heart is pounding.
Before 25yo, I never experienced that.
The most difficult moment of the day is the morning ( not midnight )
What’s worse is I don’t usually sleep at a reasonable time, my rumination is really bad that I sleep somewhere in between 2-4 am, and I usually am awake 10 am ish but it takes me 2 hours or so to actually get up.

Those 2 hours I usually listen to guided meditation podcasts and I might be half awake and half asleep.

And my mood is really low.
I honestly can’t feel any happiness.
I know it’s not normal because I wasn’t like this when I was younger.
I have therapy sessions on and off for 10 years.
My depression is major depressive disorder and I have taken antidepressants non stop for 10 years too.
I even tried tsmr ( it’s expensive) to trigger my brain.
Still not useful.

I guess I am seeking emotional support from you.

More info about me: based in Australia / master’s student / don’t have money/ socially isolated / East Asian immigrant / a claimant of racial discrimination, unfair dismissal, harassment at the employment tribunal in the uk in the middle of the legal proceedings ( I have been through a lot, the case started in 2023 and it inspires me to consider doing a law degree in the future)

Sometimes I want to go out and about to do something, say, going to an event, but on that day, I just can’t, and I just have to rot at home.

But oddly enough, my grades are not bad, last semester I got distinction ( and some assessments were high distinction despite English isn’t my native language)

Thank you for reading this.