Studying abroad is an opportunity to learn so much more than just the core content of your degree (although you should keep an eye on that as well, of course).
Studying in a foreign context quite literally broadens your horizons. Yes, it presents challenges, but those very same challenges are exactly the benefit of branching out and taking a big adventurous step into another country: independence, experiencing different cultures, and learning what makes you tick away from friends and family at home are all massively challenging but enormously rewarding things to do.
This article will explore the practicalities, benefits, and potential difficulties of completing a degree in Australia – a stunning country with wonderful universities, cities, country, flora, fauna, and people from all over the world.
Knowledge Is Power – The Academic Nitty-Gritty
Before we can get on to the more fun aspects of studying abroad, I think it is worth perhaps a couple of words of reassurance – just in case you were considering limiting your options out of a prejudice towards universities outside of the States.
Australia boasts a number of the world’s top universities, featuring 6 of the top 50 tertiary education establishments worldwide, according to QS. These institutions attract many top scholars from all over the world, ensuring that the quality of both their research output and their teaching is of the highest possible standard.
So, while it goes without saying that you must do your due diligence with respect to whether or not the course you want to study is well-taught at the particular university you’d like to attend, you should rest easy in the knowledge that there will almost certainly be somewhere suitable in Australia, even if it wasn’t your first port of call.
Fun In The Sun, But So Much More
Having got that caveat out of the way, we can now explore the amazing benefits that an Australian university experience has to offer.
Obviously, it would be impossible to give an accurate one-size-fits-all description of the Aussie student experience: there is such an enormous diversity of options that such a task would be impossible.
Therein lies the great strength of Australia generally, but particularly as a university option – there truly is something for everyone. This is partly because there is a representative of almost everyone there: Australian cities are some of the most multicultural in the world, lending them a rich blend of cultural, culinary and lifestyle options for students to explore.
There are beaches, mountains, metropolises, reefs, deserts, and even ski resorts – whatever floats your boat, there’ll be a spot for you.
Heading Down Under: The Practicalities
Sounds amazing, right? Well, it is – and as a result, an Australia student visa can be hard to obtain.
Fundamentally, you must be able to demonstrate that you are a legitimate student capable of supporting yourself for the length of your degree, and are thus unlikely to have anything but a positive influence on Australian society as a whole. One of the critical upshots of this is that you must have been accepted onto a course before you apply for a visa, otherwise your application will be rejected and you will have wasted your money and time – so consider yourself warned.
That said, if you are a legitimate student (which hopefully you are, if you’ve read thus far), the process should not present any real challenge: start on time, stay on top of the documentation, and you’ll be surfing at Bell’s before you know it.
Too Good To Be True?
You must, at this point, increasingly be thinking that people would be mad to go anywhere else – and while that is true in my opinion, dear reader, I would be remiss if I were not to point out that there are absolutely aspects of pursuing a degree in Australia as a foreign student which may not be either possible or appealing to everybody.
One such consideration, to be frank, is the potential cost of the enterprise. Unless you are able to enter on some sort of sponsorship programme, exchange, or you happen to also be an Australian national, you would have to pay international fees on top of all of your living expenses: these in turn, depending of course on where on this great planet of ours you hail from, may be more expensive than you are used to before you even consider tuition. I do not say this to put you off, but rather to suggest that you research the potential costs of your studies abroad and investigate potential assistance in mitigating such expenses.
It must also be said that unless you have lived away from home before, it can make a big step even bigger if the place you are moving to is not even in the same country as friends, family, and other loved ones. Before applying, then, it is worth considering whether this is something that you feel would help you grow and branch out, or whether it might just be a step too far (no pun intended) for you at this juncture.
