Australia is becoming one of the favorite study-abroad destinations, and it’s very easy to understand why. Starting with a multicultural community where everybody can fit-in, high standards of life and education, a laid-back lifestyle, and what everybody knows the country for: beautiful beaches. If having good weather all year ‘round is not enough of a motive for you, we’ve written a big article showing why and where you should study in Australia.
If you are a native English speaker from the United Kingdom, USA or Canada, the transition will be very easy because you won’t have any language barriers. And to be honest, English is such a global language that I feel most teenagers from Europe know to speak English at a conversational level.
Maybe not at the same level as the US or other countries, but you will come to see the English and Dutch influences and the cultural diversity that immigrants have created in Australia. By 2050, it is estimated that approximately one-third of Australia’s population could be born overseas.
Australian society is generally laid-back and full of nice and welcoming people. Maybe it’s because of the good weather or because the economy offers a great life. Australia is always featured at top of the World Happiness Index.
We all know that Australia has some of the best beaches for surfing, but it also has the best places for snorkeling and diving. You can do a lot more activities and sports. For example, rugby, tennis and cricket are some of the sports where Australia have always had top performers.
You will need a visa – Most of the countries will allow you to make use of a travel/tourist visa but that is only for three months. But for studying, you will need a real visa, so be sure to research it carefully and in-depth.
Get health insurance – Australia is, for most of the people, at the other end of the world and your body may adjust differently to it. There are a lot of dangers if you are an outdoor person and the medical services are not at all cheap, so make sure you research the best health insurance for your needs.
The grading system is different – You will have to get used to a new grading system where getting a D is actually a good thing. The Australian grading system starts with HD (High Distinction) and goes lower with D (Distinction), C (Credit), P (Pass) and N (Fail).
Driving – If you are coming from UK, you will have no problems. But if you come from other places, be prepared to start driving on the left side of the road. And also, look out for the kangaroos because they are everywhere – especially in the morning and evening.
ANU is located in Canberra (the capital of the country) and is the only university created by the Parliament of Australia, in 1946. It is the highest-ranked university from Australia in the QS Ranking at #19, and it is highly regarded for its politics, linguistics, geography and science courses.
The University of Melbourne is the second oldest in the country, being founded in 1853. It is ranked at #42 in the world, which makes it the second-best university in Australia if we take into consideration the QS World University Rankings. It is highly regarded for its education, accounting, psychology and medicine degrees.
The oldest university in the country (1850), the University of Sidney is also featured in the top 10 beautiful universities around the world according to The Telegraph. It is ranked only 3 spots lower than UNIMELB, listed at #45 in the world rankings. USYD is a very large educational institution with an enrollment of over 45,000 students.
Also located in Sydney, UNSW is a member of the Group of Eight, a network of the top universities in Australia which put a big focus on research. It is ranked jointly at #46 with the next university from our list.
The QS World University Rankings have ranked both UNSW and the University of Queensland at the 46th spot in their list. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest university in Queensland and has produced notable alumni like Geoffrey Rush and Nobel Laureate Dr. Peter Doherty.
Sydney The biggest city in Australia is probably also the most known by people overseas because of all the images with beaches, surfers and important landmarks like the Sydney Opera House. So if you are a person interested in taking pictures or doing a lot of beach-related activities, the beaches of Sydney will provide the perfect place for you.
As far as the academic life is concerned, two of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight universities are based in the city (USYD and UNSW) plus a few more like Macquarie University, the University of Technology in Sydney and the University of Western Sydney.
Melbourne Melbourne is the second-biggest city in Australia and it is a great alternative if you want something a little less noisy, but still having a lot of things to do like sports and outdoor activities. The city is very well-preserved and is renowned for its Victorian architecture and notable landmarks like the Flinders Street Station, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the extensive tram network. Melbourne has two Group of Eight universities (UNIMELB and Monash University), as well as the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Deakin University, La Trobe University and Swinburne University of Technology.
Brisbane Australia’s third-largest city, Brisbane offers a big live-music scene, many cultural institutions and access to many beautiful beaches for all kinds of water sports or simply a sun shower. The University of Queensland is the biggest and the most known institution, but you can also check out the Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University. Perth If you like to have more of a quiet life, then Perth might be a solution to your problems. You will still have access to beaches, but people here like to spend their time in cafes and parks rather than hitting hard the clubs and nightlife. Universities in Perth include the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University and one of Australia’s two private universities, Notre Dame University. Adelaide If you are into food and drink, Adelaide might really be the best spot for you.
The capital of the region of South Australia is well known for being a wine-growing region and also for many nature conservation areas which are very close to the city. Being a smaller city, the accommodation prices are a lot lower, which makes it a great place for students who want to spend their money on more important things. The top three universities in Adelaide are the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and Flinders University.
Like in any country, people are creating slang words for some of the most common things in their life. And if you want to better integrate into a new environment, you will need to know the basics slang. So, to make your life a little easier, we will list here a few of the most-used slang words in Australia. Arvo – Afternoon Barbie – Barbeque Bogan – Redneck or an uncultured person Grommet – Young surfer Mozzie – Mosquito Roo – Kangaroo Root – Sexual intercourse Servo – Gas station Sickie – Sick day Ta – Thank you Togs – Swim suit Ute – Pickup truck or a utility vehicle Whinge – Whine (complain annoyingly) And if you need more slang terms, you can watch Margot Robbie explaining them in the YouTube video