Most research on international students’ experiences has focused on tertiary settings and consistently shows that this cohort negotiates significant risks during their time abroad. This paper draws on data from the first year of a three-year Australian Research Council funded study to address the un(der)examined cohort of young people who complete their secondary school education as international students and temporary sojourners in Australia. We analyse the data from the initial interviews undertaken with 60 Year 10 international students during their first year of the senior secondary schooling. Drawing upon the theoretical resources associated with the politics of belonging, we ask if, and in what ways, students felt themselves to be marked as ‘other’ to constructed educational and social norms. We note the significant role that online activity played in helping students deal with feelings of disconnect and exclusion.

关于国际学生经历的大多数研究都集中在大专院校，并且始终表明，这一群体在出国期间会商讨重大风险。本文借鉴了澳大利亚研究委员会资助的为期三年的研究的第一年的数据，以研究未完成的未成年人群体，这些年轻人在澳大利亚完成了中学教育并成为国际学生和临时居留者。我们分析了60名10年级国际学生在高中一年级期间进行的初次访谈的数据。利用与归属政治相关的理论资源，我们问学生是否以及以何种方式将自己视为构建教育和社会规范的“他人”。