There can be plenty of reasons a student would want a local bank account, some are pretty obvious, while others may surprise you.
Save on cash conversions and currency fluctuations – You don’t really want to pay all those bank and conversion fees by using an account from home, do you? Typically, you’ll save when you transfer larger amounts and work within the local currency as much as possible.
Also it is advisable to receive a payment from your home country when your currency fluctuations are favourable to you.
Build a local credit history – If you’re keeping your post-graduation employment options open, you may well find yourself living in your host country longer than expected (or you may already hope for a long stay). Either way, opening a local bank account is the first step towards building your credit in a new country