Australia has become a magnet for both immigrants and international students alike. In 2018, Australia’s universities and colleges enrolled over 800,000 students, making Australia the country with the highest international students per head of population in the world. There are however, things you may not know about studying in the driest country on earth.
So, today, we share with you 25 things you probably did not know about studying in Australia! This post is brought to you by After School Africa. Consider subscribing to AfterSchoolAfrica on Youtube to continue exploring opportunities and watching videos like this one below:
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Let’s begin…
- Australia is the third largest destination for international students
Each year over 5 million students study abroad. Australia is the third largest destination just behind the US and the UK, receiving around 831,000 foreign students each year. Australia has however been forecasted to take over the UK in second place in 2019.
- You need a student visa
If you are going to be staying in Australia for more than three months which is the likely case, you will need to get a student visa. You will only be granted a student visa if you meet requirements such as; Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE), financial requirements, English proficiency requirements and health and character requirements. The student’s visa will cost you around 420 Australian dollars.
- Flying to Australia will give you severe Jet lag
The time difference between Australia and the rest of the world is immense, except you reside in a neighboring country. Australia being at the eastern-most part of the earth experiences day and night quite differently from most places on earth. It may take you time to adjust to your new time zone but you will in time.
- Australia is big… and dry.
Australia is the 6th largest country in the world, making the cities very spacious. The roads are wide and buildings are built out, not up. It feels as though there are less people. It is also the driest place on earth with a warm desert climate for most of the year.
- Tuition fees in Australia are expensive.
Australia is very popular with international students but is also considerably expensive. Tuition fees for Bachelor’s degree in Australia usually cost on average $22,700. For master’s degree, they would have to part with $14,400 on average. A doctoral degree in Australia would set you back by around $10,060 on average.
- Work-study option is available and high paying too.
Remember that student visa that shrinked your bank account? Well this is where it pays off. As an international student on a student visa, you are allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week while school is in session and full time when school is on holiday. This could be a great way for you to make some money, seeing as you will be paid the minimum wage which is quite high in Australia; $740 per week or $19.49 per hour.
- Flexibility on when to start lectures
Like Australian students you have the option to start university either in the first semester which begins in March and ends in June or the second semester which begins July and ends in October. If you want to start in the first semester your application must reach the university by December by the latest.
- Most Universities are clustered in the country’s east.
The bulk of Australia’s universities are clustered around its eastern coast with a total of 21 institutions in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and other towns in Queensland and New South Wales.
- Australia has some of the best Universities in the world
Six universities in Australia are ranked in the top 100 universities in the world. The best university in the country is the University of Melbourne which ranks 32nd in the world.
- Alcohol is expensive in Australia… except wine.
If you are the beer or spirit type, you may have to change your liquor preferences except you’re prepared to put your money where your mouth is… literally. Australia imposes a lot of taxes on those items, making them one of the most expensive liquor varieties in the country. Wine is however cheap.
- Acceptance rates are high
Australia has quite a high acceptance rates for admission compared to other developed countries like the US and UK. Provided you meet the requirements for both your Visa and admission and prove that you have the funds to foot your tuition, there’s a high probability that you will be accepted to study in Australia.
- Australia is brimming with wildlife.
Australia has some of the most fascinating and diverse wildlife population in the world, some of them are unique to Australia. Kangaroos, Koala’s and wallabies are some of Australia’s iconic wildlife, unique to the arid continent.
- There are scholarships to study in Australia
There are a number of fully and partially funded scholarships to choose from to study in Australia. Scholarships include; Australia Awards, University of Sydney International Research Scholarship, Macquarie University International Scholarships and Adelaide Scholarships International.
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- On campus accommodation is much cheaper
Once you receive your admission offer and students visa, apply for accommodation as soon as possible. It will be cheaper for you if you get accommodation on campus as you get to avoid feeding and utility bills. On campus accommodation can cost between A$80-A$250 per week, while off campus accommodation can cost between A$ 1900 –A$2400 per month.
- Cost of living is high
One disadvantage that comes with having a high minimum wage is that businesses tend to hike the prices of their goods to meet up with workers pay. Prices of basic food in Australia are high. A cup of coffee will cost you around A$3.35, a loaf of bread cost around A$2.80 and a litre of milk will set you back by around A$2.
- Australia uses a different grading system.
Australian institutions use letters to assess your school work. They use “HD” for “High distinction” which sits a scale of 83.00 -100.00 and is also equivalent to a First Class. “D” stands for “Distinction” with a scale of 73.00-82.99; equivalent to a Second Class Upper Division.
- Australia has a large immigrant population
Australia is a very diverse country with a large immigrant population. In 2018, there were 7.3 million immigrants living in Australia; this made up 30% of the immigrant population born overseas. England continues to remains the largest group of overseas population born in Australia, where China coming a distant second.
- Chinese students dominate Australia
International students from China make up the bulk of Australia’s international students nationality. China accounted for about 38.3 percent of foreign students in Australia in 2018. India came a distant second.
- You can become a permanent resident after your graduation
Many international students chose to apply for permanent visa after they graduate. To do so, you must express interest through the Department of Immigration and Border protection’s SkillSelect migration program. SkillSelect is an online service that allows applicants to be considered for a skilled Visa.
- Explore Australia
Australia is big and beautiful with lots of places to visit. The Sydney opera house is one of the most iconic buildings in the world, a UNESCO world heritage site. The location is stunning with water surrounding the structure on three sides. The Great Barrier Reef, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National park, Sydney Harbour amongst many others are just some of the places you could visit during holidays.
- Voting is compulsory in Australia
Citizens above 18 years of age are required under the law to vote in federal elections. Failure to do so without a valid and sufficient reason incurs a fine of A$20. But not to worry, international students aren’t eligible to vote, so you are exempted.
- Cricket is Australia’s second religion.
You probably love football, basketball or tennis. If you’re moving to Australia get ready for another sport entirely; cricket! Australians are passionate about cricket.
- Your Student visa can be revoked
Your student visa could be revoked and you’d be deported if you flout any of the rules of your admission into the country. A common rule which most students break is the work hours per week. Students are not permitted to work more than 20 hours a week when school is in session. They can however work unlimited during the holidays.
- Australia has different time zones
Australia has three time zones. They are known as the Western Standard time, Central Standard Time and Eastern Standard Time.
- It is easy to make friends.
It’s easy to make friends in Australia. Because a large number of the students themselves are foreigners just like you, this makes it easy to relate with one another.
There you have it. You just learned the 25 things you probably did not know about studying in Australia. Which of them struck you the most? Tell us about it in the comments section. If you are yet to subscribe to After School Africa channel, now is a good time to subscribe. Until next time, YOUR SUCCESS MATTERS!
