Making a Sensible Choice
Australia
The last year has been a roller-coaster
ride for many of the world's economies, with some resultant
political upheavals providing even more uncertainty for
the student who wishes to travel to study. So what should
the student who wishes to study abroad now consider? Is
it time to give up on the idea altogether? For those with
the maturity to look into current events in detail and make
choices, then there are still opportunities to study abroad
and get that high quality internationally recognised degree.
If
you have been contemplating studying abroad for a degree,
then unless you are lucky enough to live in a country that
has not yet joined the world recession, you are most probably
having second thoughts. The fall in currency values means
that foreign university education is looking more expensive
this year than last and may well rise in cost next year.
The same can be said for travel and accommodation costs
as well. Yet a more detailed look at what is on offer can
provide you with some really viable choices and options.
The immediate reaction to go to a cheaper country or university
is not the only option you have left.
Students who wish to study abroad often wish to do this
for a variety of reasons including the desire to see the
world, experience a different culture and often to get a
qualification that is more internationally recognised by
future employers back home and abroad. There have been world
recessions before, and whilst the numbers of students travelling
each year for study varies, there has been a near thirty
years of continuous increase in numbers of such students.
All that has happened is the slowing or speeding up of this
growth. Is there any difference now? Not really!
Struggling to save and afford the cost of overseas study
has always been part of the experience of international
studies in all countries, including those students who stay
and study at home. What may be different this time is the
level of current uncertainty, but this will go too. Most
experts see the current economic problems as related to
a banking crisis rather than economic inefficiency. As a
result, most (but not all) forecasts see rescheduling of
debts and the restructuring of the world's banking systems
as the answer to a relatively short-term problem. After
all, the manufacturers and businesses in Korea, Thailand,
Japan, Malaysia and many more economies are just as efficient
as they were last year (if not more so), they have just
borrowed too much money from a banking system unable to
cope. Once this is resolved, these economies will begin
to grow again.
So if you are an international student starting a degree
course this year, you should find your economic problems
getting easier over the next few years. In fact, if you
start your studies now you could be qualifying just as the
world economy is in high growth and has a shortage of well
qualified graduates. Having said that, how do you afford
a quality degree education today with all the current economic
problems?
Bearing in mind you are reading "Study Australia",
you would expect the advice to be 'Go to Australia to study'
- and you would be right! However, there are some very practical
reasons to do so that you should consider. Let us first
examine the main reason for choosing any degree course or
programme: academic quality. Australia is pretty well near
the top of the tree when it comes to the academic quality
of its universities and degrees. Besides having one of the
world's oldest university sectors (everyone always thinks
of Australia as being new or young), it has several academic
advantages. Its university sector was originally based on
the British system, with famous universities like Oxford
and Cambridge founding colleges in Australia. Yet in this
century, the Australian university sector has also emulated
American methods of teaching and course structures. Put
this together with reforms and developments throughout the
1970s, 1980s and in this decade, and you have a uniquely
structured academic sector driven by a desire to achieve
excellence.
You will find almost every variety of traditional and modern
degree subject offered by Australian universities, with
all of them concentrating very heavily on the future employment
and career prospects of their graduates. The variety of
teaching and learning methods is also uniquely varied, and
has something for almost any student from any cultural background
and aspiration. The teaching in Australian universities
is also acknowledged as superb and it is often quicker to
include the findings produced by research activities.
This research activity sees Australia as a world leader
in several important fields, from telecommunications to
biological sciences, medicine, cultural studies, economic
development, tourism and a range of subjects too long to
list here. In almost every measure of quality, including
those done by organisations such as UNESCO or the Association
of Commonwealth Universities, Australia is classed as excellent.
That excellence of academic teaching and research is jealously
guarded by even the Australian Government, who maintain
a quality control and auditing system that is so demanding
that no other country has copied it (or dared to!), and
further guarantees international students that they are
going a worthwhile education. So international students
thinking of studying in Australia have a quality and range
of choice almost unmatched and certainly not beaten anywhere
else in the world.
So what's the cost or price for such excellence? Normally
better quality almost always means a higher cost. Well,
in the case of choosing Australia, the world's current economic
problems have made it an even more attractive choice based
on cost alone!
It is a fact (not particularly liked by Australians themselves)
that the Australian dollar has suffered quite a drop in
value in the last year in comparison to other currencies.
So whilst your own currency may be not as strong as last
year, it still can buy more Australian dollars than you
most probably thought. The even better news is that it still
has a good domestic value, so it buys just as much in Australia
as it has - including tuition fees - at universities. This
Australian value for money becomes even more obvious when
you compare such study cost to the other major educational
provider countries (such as the U.S, Britain and Europe)
where currencies are very strong and resultant cost much
higher. So you can see that if you are an international
student only looking for quality and excellence with value
for money and lower costs, then Australia is a more attractive
choice than it has ever been. Yet these are not the only
factors you will consider (even if they are the most important
in financially difficult times). If you are studying abroad,
then you are also choosing to be a guest in a country, and
what that country has to offer socially, culturally and
as a place to live is also very important.
As a place to live, Australia is still one of the world's
best locations. Millions come here as tourists, so it is
easy to see why international students also choose Oz! Everyone
knows our beaches are the best in the world (as well as
the longest!), but do you know about our mountains, winter
skiing, tropical rainforests, deserts, waterfalls and rolling
green valleys as well? Whether you want to be in one of
the world's most cosmopolitan cities, or in a country town
where you are a neighbour as well as a guest, then you can
find a university to match.
With all of the advantages mentioned above, you should
be booking your ticket and making your application now!
If you do consider studying in Australia, don't forget the
best reason for coming: the Australians themselves. We are
proud of our diversity of every creed, race, colour and
religion that will ensure you will feel at home as well
as enjoy experiencing new horizons. But most of all, enjoy
our hospitality and genuine friendliness. When Australians
wish you G'day ('Have a Good Day') they mean it! Who knows,
if you act now we could see you in time for the Olympics.
Author
Paul Weller
