The Yarn

Ask a group of teenagers about their dream jobs and you’ll likely hear a familiar list: doctor, lawyer, architect, psychologist... 

According to an OECD survey, these are some of the most desired jobs among students worldwide. 

But what about all the jobs they don’t even know exist?  

This week, we’re bringing you stories from off the beaten career path. Stories about people along the number 19 tramline finding fulfilment in unc...

The number 19 tramline is Melbourne’s backbone, taking passengers all the way from Coburg north to Flinders Street Station. Our new series, Tram Tales, shares the stories and struggles of people who, live, work, and travel along this central artery.  

For our first episode, we're focusing on an issue that’s top of mind for most Australians — the cost-of-living crisis. 

Energy, housing, and food costs have skyrocketed, the price o...

In the days of hunter-gatherers, social exclusion meant certain death. Humans have evolved with a primal need for belonging — and we still suppress our differences so we can fit in. But what happens when we buck this trend?  

This week, we’re bringing you stories about embracing our differences.  

It’s the sixth episode of Not Natural, a series about the tension between the natural and the artificial. These stories were produced ...

According to an old urban myth, a frog suddenly dropped in boiling water will instantly leap out to safety. But if the water is tepid and gradually heated, the oblivious frog will slowly boil to death. This process is a metaphor for human psychology — especially when it comes to ecological decline.  

Over time, gradual changes can make unprecedented catastrophes feel normal. 

This week, we’re bringing you stories about revolution...

Every day, our brains take cognitive shortcuts. 

Our limited time and attention make it easy to fall back on familiar biases. 

Among the most deeply ingrained is the assumption that “natural” always means “healthier”. 

This week, we’re interrogating this idea with stories about “natural” and synthetic remedies.  

It’s the fourth episode of Not Natural, a series about the tension between the natural and the artificial. These sto...

In the throes of addiction, people can enter a time warp. The clock seemingly stops when cravings are met and dopamine floods the brain. 

But I’m not talking about drugs. I’m talking about social media.   

Heavy users can squander hours per day on TikTok binges. And the App’s developers see this as a feature, not a flaw.   

This week, we’re bringing you stories about how social media is rewiring our brains and reshaping real lif...

Social media feeds can make Botox and fillers seem as commonplace as getting a haircut. On TikTok alone, the plastic surgery hashtag has 22 billion views.  

Is this newfound acceptance democratising beauty, or making beauty obligatory? And who gets to decide what counts as beautiful? 

This week, we’re binging you stories about our increasingly narrow beauty standards.  

It’s the second episode of Not Natural, a series about our ...

There’s this phrase God Mode that was born out of the gaming world. It refers to a notorious cheat code in the 1993 shooter game, Doom. Once activated, a player becomes invincible and vanquishes opponents with ease. 

Nowadays, God mode is a slang term for achieving superhuman feats in real life, and in our era of artificial intelligence and cybernetic implants, it’s becoming more and more pertinent. 

This week, we’re bringing you...

Since July, the cost of living crisis has gotten a whole lot worse for international students. Thanks to the reinstatement of pre-pandemic work restrictions, their maximum working hours have been limited to 24 hours per week. Experts call it a return to "normal", but those facing financial peril say otherwise. 

This week, Wuxi Fan talks to three students whose lives have been turned upside down by this U-turn. 

Credits:

Serie...

Rules have been following us from the moment we were born. Children follow the rules set by parents, students follow the rules set by schools, workers follow the rules set by companies, and citizens follow the laws set by governments.

But what happens when international students face rules in different countries and cultures?

This week on Subclass 500, Xuyang Liu investigates the stories of two international students who feel tra...

This episode explores long-distance relationships for international students. Part one is about the problems faced by a couple who are dating long distance. The second part introduces the phenomenon of life partners based on the story of a Melbourne-based Chinese student's relationship.

Credits:

Series Producer: Yuxuan Liu 
Senior Producer: Songyu Wu, Xuyang Liu
Host: Cissy
Sound Design: Elliot Rodriguez
Design and...

The number of international students in Australia is rapidly increasing, and some of them want to stay here to work and live. But they will face various difficulties and challenges. They have all put in a lot of effort. However, their future is still uncertain. The first interviewee, Michael Zhao, studies engineering and will graduate at the end of this year. He is very dissatisfied with the employment environment in his own countr...

When international students first set foot in Melbourne, they often feel alienated due to the absence of a sense of home and may feel apprehensive due to the cultural differences. They yearn for resonance and familiarity. In this episode, two Chinese students join the university's Chinese martial arts club, while another student from China blends Chinese music with various other genres. An Indonesian student, on the other hand, joi...

In this episode of Subclass 500, Elliot Rodriguez speaks with fellow international students about struggles with language barriers. At the University of Melbourne professors are strict about translation rules for assignments, making it even harder for some students to do their assessments. However, the language barrier doesn't just affect non-native English speakers, Elliot discovers throughout the episode that he too has faced sim...

From the rule changes that make hard to earn a living, to the challenges of a long-distance relationship, from the freedoms of being a woman in Australia, to the cage made by paperwork designed to keep you out, all while learning to speak in a new language. These are some of challenges faced by international students at the University of Melbourne, and this is a podcast revealing those stories.seven-part series coming very soon fro...

For the first time in four years, Australia is facing an El Nino — a weather pattern that can cause extreme heat. 

These increased temperatures would make Bendigo especially vulnerable to droughts. But an adaptation plan to restore the region’s waterways will provide a much-needed safeguard.   

Today, we’re bringing you an interview with journalist Sasha Gattermayr about her reporting on Bendigo’s waterways. Her article was co-pu...

This weekend, millions of Australians will vote on whether to enshrine an Indigenous voice to Parliament in the constitution.  

 
For most young Australians, it will be their first ever referendum. It’s also the first to take place in the era of social media — and misinformation has been rife.  

Today, we’re taking a break from our Regional Reporting series to bring you a special report on the referendum from CAJ journalist...

Fires and droughts are only the flashpoints of rising temperatures. Heat-induced health issues, though less conspicuous, are also a risk.  

Bendigo’s socio-economic landscape makes it especially vulnerable to this creeping problem, and its residents are suffering — both physically and mentally. 

Today, we’re bringing you an interview with CAJ student Jerome Des Preaux about his reporting on health and heat. His article was co-pub...

This week, we’re investigating a controversial strategy to control Bendigo’s pests by reintroducing an apex predator — the dingo. 

It’s a response to Victoria’s growing Kangaroo population, which has increased by approximately one million since 2017.  

The national icon is decimating crops, causing car accidents, and destroying ecosystems. Hundreds of thousands are culled by hunters every year, but critics say this ignores the ro...