Kyle asked:
I’ll be in Sydney for 6 months. How much money do you suggest I bring? (for transportation, pubs, dining out, replacements of personal necessities like shampoo, etc) I already have a meal plan so I won’t need to buy groceries
First of all, Sydney is an expensive place to live. But you have a meal plan bought already so that should take care of your food.
You mention that you have a meal plan, so that probably means you have your accommodation covered. If not, check out some of the schools in Sydney to get an idea how much a week accommodation would costs. The best option is to book 2-3 weeks of homestay and then find a shared flat through the newspapers, bulletin boards or your classmates.
Excluding your accommodation & meals prepare at least AUD 1000 for each month. So 6 months would be around AUD 6000. Less is possible — but that means sitting on the beach more , and not going for drinks afterwards.
It is however quite easy to find a part-time job in Australia, and if you are on a student visa then you automatically have the right to work. So if you are able to find a part-time job for 20 hours a week, you should have most of your expenses covered.