In addition to coral, sandy beaches and a happening city life, Australia is home to some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. It is crucial to do your research when it comes to being a newcomer/student in this island country. Things on top of your research list should be the planning of your finances, the immigration requirements and the stark contrast between lifestyle in Australia and your home country.
The popular fields of study in Australia range from Agriculture and Environmental Science to Information technology and Business studies. In addition to the variety of courses, there are also a lot of different places in Australia to choose from based on your lifestyle preferences. Do you prefer to study by the countryside or do you want to be smack dab in the middle of the chic urban Australian lifestyle? Queensland near the Great Barrier Reef offers educational institutes that train marine biologists. Business Majors can study in unparalleled corporate cities like Sydney. Besides Sydney, there are options such as Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne or Canberra, to name just a few. It is quite common for Australian Universities to offer double/combined Bachelor’s Degree Programs. The most popular streams are that of arts, commerce, science and law. In addition to being globally reputed for courses in environmental science, engineering and IT, studying in Australia is also a great option for those opting for medicine, accounting and finance. There are 43 Universities in Australia (2 international universities, 1 private university and 40 Australian Universities).
You can segregate the list of universities based on their location as follows:
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria and
Western Australia.
The best universities to consider studying include Australian National University (ANU), University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales (UNSW), University of Queensland (UQ), Monash University, University of Western Australia (UWA), University of Adelaide, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and University of Wollongong.
Other factors that need to be taken into consideration are your visa and health insurance. If you plan on studying in Australia for more than three months, you will require a visa. The application process is carried out online and it will be virtually linked to your passport. As far as health insurance is concerned, you will need the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Sign up for a plan that best fits you.
The Australian Lifestyle may be considered relatively expensive. Sydney and Melbourne tend to make it to the top 19 most expensive cities to live in. In order to thrive as a student here, make sure you are used to living on a strict schedule and constricted budget. However, exposing yourself to such an advanced lifestyle may be one of the best things that have ever happened to you.