Starting off with renting a place for studying in Sydney

I'm about to go to Sydney and have recently gathered a lot of information about renting. My friends don't recommend renting student apartments, saying they are expensive and small. But I heard that private rentals are very expensive [crying emoji][crying emoji][crying emoji]. Would it be cheaper to rent an unfurnished place? Do any friends who are already in Sydney have any advice? Is it better to live in a student apartment or a house? I heard that many apartments in Sydney don't have air conditioning. Do I need to bring my own fan? [petrified emoji]