Due to its warm climate, lovely beaches, safe environment and a robust education sector, Australia has become a favorite amongst many students who look to study abroad.
The country also has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Australian tertiary education is also considered as one of the best in the world as six universities from this country made it to the top 100 in a 2018 world university ranking.
Studying in Australia can give you a competitive edge in almost any field of study you’re interested in. Since you’ll be studying abroad, you should be looking for more than just study tips but also for ways that’ll make your stay easier in Australia.
Get better at speaking English
One of the best study tips for college in Australia is having a good understanding of English. As a student, improving your English could even be one of the reasons behind your interest in studying in this country.
The best thing to do if you aren’t familiar with English is enrolling for an English course to get a firm grip on the basics of this language.
However, exclusively studying the language in a classroom setting won’t help you much if you won’t put what you’ll to practice and the most effective way to practice English is to get English-speaking friends.
Get the right visa
There are three kinds of visas that the Australian government offers to international students the first one of these is the Visitor Visa.
This visa allows you to stay for a maximum of three months in this country and will be good for you if you’ll be going there to conduct some research, there’s also a Working Visa that allows you to stay for up to four months.
The application process for an Australia students visa for students who want to study towards an Australian qualification is now simpler. Instead of applying for a visa that allows you to only study towards a vocational, tertiary or postgraduate qualification, you can now get a visa that’s meant for full-time students called the Subclass 500.
Public transportation
There is a wide variety of reliable modes of transport available that include ferries, trains, buses and trams that will save you traveling time in Australia. Public transport is available almost everywhere in this country and it runs in accordance with a strict schedule, so looking out for changes in the timetables of these services beforehand is very important.
Some places in Australia offer discounted fares to students. You could do some research or ask around to know if public transport in the area you’ll be studying has these discounts.
Getting these discounts will also depend on you carrying the right transport card so you should make sure that you get a student transport card that’s appropriate to your age.
Familiarize yourself with road rules
Australia has some of the best scenery in the world and many students may choose to hire a car and hit the road so they can experience it. Experiencing the beautiful Australian countryside can turn sour though if you get caught breaching traffic rules or end up causing an accident.
One of the best tips for college students who want to go on a road trip around Australia is that they have to drive on the left lanes. Driving at night, dusk or dawn is also discouraged as these are the times when people are most likely to get involved in an accident with animals.
Get all the support you need
Many institutions offer free assistance to their students through experienced and qualified counselors who’ll help them with both academic and personal matters. The most common personal problem that international students usually need help with is culture, as they’ll need to adjust to a completely different environment.
To help international students adjust quicker, many institutions have student groups where these students meet local students and other students from abroad. Some campuses assign a new international student to a senior student for mentoring.
But if you don’t get a mentor, Edubirdie for Australians can help you with your assignments. When it’s about writing, their writers are the best for handling thesis, term papers and dissertation work.
Calculate all your expenses
Living in Australia isn’t that cheap; the cities of Melbourne and Sydney, for example, are almost always listed as part of the most expensive cities to live in. Besides preparing yourself for the high cost of living there, you should also try to cut your expenditure by living like the locals.
Medical costs can also get very expensive in this country and to prepare international students for this, the Australian government won’t issue you a visa if you don’t have a health package.
Conclusion
Learning abroad will always be a fantastic experience; this is especially more so in a country as interesting as Australia. What makes studying in Australia a fantastic experience goes beyond the fun stuff you can get to do over the holidays as they have some of the best academic institutions in the world.
Studying in this country can be a little difficult, though, as you’ll have to get used to being in a way, language or accent that you aren’t familiar with. Living there can also be difficult as you’ll have to adjust to a new culture, climate and a new way of buying stuff.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth Skinner dons many hats – she’s an academic writer and editor, an English language online tutor and an interview coach for college students. Her mission in life is to help underperforming students to boost their scores in the class and have mastery in writing assignments. She’s a true champ.