|
Full
Site Search
To search the entire TransWorld Education Site for both
articles and college details please use the form below.
Warning: Results can be extensive.
|
See the real Australia
with the University of Ballarat
The best of both worlds is at University
of Ballarat. Modern methods and facilities sit side by side
with history, heritage and the Aussie bush at the Mt Helen
campus, which is a modern facility, with extensive links to
local information technology firms. It sits next to a major
technology park, but is also far enough away from the big
cities for international students to experience the real Australia.
It's not rare to see koalas or kangaroos in nearby bushland,
or even on the campus itself.
 Ballarat
is 120km west of Melbourne, and just 80 minutes drive to Tullamarine
International airport - less time than it takes from many
suburbs of Melbourne. The city and University have a shining
future and a golden past. People from across the globe swelled
the streets in the 1850s, hoping to find their fortunes in
the local soils. This sudden wealth and population led to
the growth of a magnificent Victorian-era city, and organisations
that are still operating today. They include the School of
Mines Ballarat, which turns 130 this year and is Australia's
oldest Technical and Further Education institute. It merged
with the University in 1998, and is now known as the SMB campus.
Another more recent landmark for the University was the establishment
of the Ballarat Technology Park with the local City council
in 1995. The site is next to the Mt Helen campus, and houses
several major businesses, including IBM Global Services, Oztrak
and several enterprises launched by current and former students.
This is just a small part of the extensive industry links
that the University has forged.
For example, computing students can now complete one of Australia's
few Information Technology degrees with a year of paid work
placement in the middle.
Many major firms from across the country come straight to
the campus to look for staff, knowing they will get a work-ready
employee who has stayed ahead of technology, and been educated
with their company in mind.
The University caters for the real world, especially when
it comes to the needs of rural or isolated people. It is one
of eight universities in the state of Victoria, but the only
one fully-based in the country. The University is involved
in many projects helping to break the distance barrier by
using information technology, and this is not limited to our
computing classes. Examples include the first ever Online
Australia Field Day, the 'Internet to the Outback' teaching
program, the Uthnet health education program for country Victorian
schools, and Virtual Mentoring, where tertiary students help
secondary students in isolated schools with special research
projects via e-mail.
 But
back on campus, life on campus is relaxed, comfortable and
free of distractions if you want it to be. For students wanting
a more rounded university experience, the campus has an indoor
heated pool, sports stadiums, ovals, running track, gym, native
bushland, social clubs, shops, cafes, and activities such
as rock-climbing and camping through the Unisports program.
Ballarat is also hosting the 2000 Australian University Games,
the nation's biggest multi-sport event outside the Olympics.
The city is the first non-metro area to host the University
Games, and the winning bid reflects the excellent sporting
facilities in the city and at Mt Helen. Off campus, students
can hike or visit aboriginal art sites in the Grampians, rock-climb
at Mt Arapiles, stop to surf along the Great Ocean Road, or
come face to face with furry friends at the Ballarat Wildlife
Park.
One of the city's biggest drawcards is Sovereign Hill historical
park, a recreated 1850s village just five minutes' drive from
the Mt Helen campus, and the scene of a royal visit in March
2000. In fact, local and regional bus routes to the campus
travel straight past Sovereign Hill, and link up with coach
and train services in the centre of Ballarat. They in turn
are linked to routes to Melbourne or Adelaide.
Another bus service to Geelong and the surf coast stops at
the Mt Helen campus.
Meanwhile, classes at the University are generally small
and friendly. Students are more likely to get personal attention
and feel like a valued member of the University, not a number.
People remember your name, and that can make a big difference.
The warm welcome gives students a greater chance of finding
new friends, fitting in, staying on and doing well. Going
into the right environment from the start means international
students have a firm foundation for whatever course they chose.
Choose the wrong environment, and it can be a lonely experience
- or a very costly one if things don't work out. Staff and
students often organise informal meals or social functions
to get to know new students, which is something you will not
find elsewhere. The Mt Helen campus also has two general practitioners,
six counsellors, five chaplains, a short-term student loan
service and international student experts who can help anyone
dealing with issues away from home for the first time.
For more on courses in the University of Ballarat visit
www.ballarat.edu.au,
or call + 61 (3) 5327 9500.
Author
Gabrielle Hodson
Media Liaison
University of Ballarat - Mt Helen campus
|
