Australia is one of the best places to study. If you come from another country but want to study in Australia, you need to prepare properly. Luckily, you don’t need to be very fussy about your preparations.

Usually, the first obstacle international students face is the language. But since Australia speaks mostly English, this shouldn’t be much of a problem.

Still, we advise anyone who is planning to move to Australia, to research on culture and history before setting off to the unknown, to avoid any unfortunate surprises. In this article, we will walk you through 11 education in Australia facts you should know before you set foot on the land of ‘Straya.

But before we get to the actual facts, here is a brief checklist of what we are going to cover in this article:

You Need a Visa to Study 
Australia is Expensive
The Seasons are Flipped!
Different Grading System
Melbourne, the Second-Best Place among the
Best Student Cities in the World
English is not the Only Language
Kangaroos Are Everywhere
Sydney – Another Student Mecca
The Ultimate Beach Destination
Time to Learn Some Slang!
Mind the Driving Rules

1. Education in Australia Facts: You Need a Visa to Study

Though some countries allow students to study without any visas, to study in Australia for more than three months, you need a visa.

In most cases, you may need the student visa rather than the tourist visa. Applying for the visa is as simple as filling out a form to purchase something on Amazon.

Basically, you will have to apply online, and after confirmation, your passport will be linked virtually.

No more embassy-related difficulties or on-arrival visa processing hassle! However, the visa-processing fee is comparatively high. If you want to study in Australia for less than three months, you should go for the tourist visa.

2. Education in Australia Facts: Australia is Expensive

It is true indeed that Australia is a rather expensive country to live in. So, before you have decided on moving there to pursue your studies, make sure to balance your budget.

Melbourne and Sydney are the most expensive cities to live in Australia. If you are planning to study in one of these cities, you have to be prepared to spend some extra bucks.

You will notice the difference in prices everywhere, from cafes and groceries to utilities and housing.

But don’t panic! Most universities and colleges provide opportunities to work after classes. This way, you can also work in the second half of the day to feed your bank account.

Most universities allow their students to work as many as hours as they can during the semester breaks and holidays. A student can earn in between AUD10 to AUD18 per hour.

Australian Student Visa allows you to work up to 40 hours every two weeks during your academic semester.

When you are in a hurry to complete your assignments due to academic overload, you can ask your classmates for assignment writing services in Australia. After all, it is sometimes easier to entrust the work to professionals and not to worry about your assessment. So when the deadline is close you can pay someone for assignment.

They will probably give you a few hints about what you can do. It will be better if you maintain a routine to earn extra money and study at the same time. Unless you want to fail in the exam, you have to limit your extra works when the examination is knocking at the door.

3. Education in Australia Facts: The Seasons are Flipped!

Australia is a country with all seasons. You can enjoy anything here, at any time of the year. You’ll be surprised to know there are two types of seasons in Australia.

In the tropical north, there are only two seasons – Wet and Dry. But, in the meantime, you’ll notice four seasons in entire Australia – Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring.

If you are from the northern hemisphere, you’ll have to prepare yourself to take the blow of a new season.

For example, when there is summer in the northern hemisphere, you’ll notice extreme cold weather in Australia, as Australian Winter begins from June to August.

The Summer begins from December to February and it is a great time to enjoy the beaches. Be prepared about the opposite nature of Australia before your arrival.

4. Education in Australia Facts: Different Grading System

If you get a D in the exam in an Australian university, don’t cry! You’ll be shocked to know that D is actually the second-best result after HD (High Distinction).

In most educational institutions in Australia, you’ll notice these shocking differences in the grading system. This is probably the most crucial thing you should know about the educational system in Australia.

Basically, you can compare an HD to an A+. The grading system of most universities’ looks like this:

HD (High
Distinction) – A+
D (Distinction) – A
C (Credit) – B 
P (Pass) – C 
N (Fail) – F

Of course, there are some variations depending on which part of Australia you are going to study, at, but the general picture is like we have just described it.

5. Education in Australia Facts: Melbourne, the Second-Best Place Among the Best Student Cities in the World

After the gold rush of Victoria in 1851, Melbourne has become one of the richest cities in the world. It is in the top ten list of the world’s richest and expensive cities.

In spite of being one of the wealthiest cities, Melbourne surpassed Sydney as Australia’s most popular city when it is time to education.

After Parris, Melbourne is called the ‘city of students’. There are some great universities that are the reasons for the expansions of the popularity of Melbourne city to the students.

The city is home to seven universities that already claim a good position in the international ranking.

Not only the universities but also the atmosphere of the city itself is the reason why students choose to come to the city. 

No one can write and describe the inner-beauty and calm environment of Melbourne to study in a single article. You can enjoy your studentship and even your service in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

The multicultural exchanges allow the universities to get the best rank among others in the field of Student Mix.

6. Education in Australia Facts: English is not the Only Language

As more than 25% of residents are not born in Australia, you will notice cultural changes here and there. Did you know that English is not the official language of Australia?

Although it is the most widespread language spoken on the continent, there is no official language.

Australian English is the most common language, and all legal and governmental affairs are conducted or translated into it, but, in fact, there are more than 200 languages and dialects spoken in the different parts of the country.

It is believed that there were more than 400 Indigenous languages in Aboriginal and Torres Strait before the first contact with Europeans. Most of them are now either extinct or moribund.

Other common languages include Mandarin (2.5%), Arabic (1.4%), Cantonese (1.2%), Vietnamese (1.2%) and Italian (1.2%).

So, if you come from any of these countries, or speak one of them fluently, you will feel much more at ease when you get to Australia.

7. Education in Australia Facts: Kangaroos Are Everywhere

As you are going to stay in Australia, you should keep in mind that you are going to notice Kangaroos here and there.

You may have a collision with Kangaroos in the open street. Usually, they are found over most of the open plains.

Kangaroos are in the Australian coat of arms. They are chosen as the symbol as they cannot walk backward. So, a Kangaroo in the Australian coat of arms symbolizes that the nation moves forward.

You’ll also find an island named after Kangaroos – the Kangaroo Islands. Red Kangaroois also the national animal of Australia.

The most interesting fact about Kangaroos in Australia is that you may able to purchase the Kangaroo meat from the shelves of supermarkets and butchers!

Some restaurants also serve Kangaroo meat as an alternative of red meat that contains high fat.

8. Education in Australia Facts: Sydney – Another Student Mecca

After Melbourne, Sydney is another great place to get education in Australia. Sydney has some World Class Universities where you can complete your study.

Most of the Sydney universities provide working opportunities to make some money. Isn’t that great news?

There are some great universities who are already in the top list of World University ranking.  Sydney ranks first in the entire index for desirability.

Thanks to the stunning view and environment of Sydney that make it possible for Sydney to stay No. 1 in terms of desirability.

Besides the great student experience in Sydney, it is also popular as for its high score on Employer Activities.

9. Education in Australia Facts: The Ultimate Beach Destination

Australia has more than 11,000 delightful beaches – all to your enjoyment. The country has 37,000 kilometers of coastline where you will find all sorts of amazing things to do.

If you think, you can visit all of the beaches within 3-4 years of your study program, then you are living in the dream.

If you decide to visit a beach every single day within the time of your stay, you could only visit 10% of them.

If you do a bit of counting, you will be surprised to find out that it will take you about 27 years to leave a footprint on every beach in the country.

The good thing is that most of the beaches are public. So, you can easily enjoy your free time in Australia by visiting one of them.

Frankly, that is the reason why Australia is called the ultimate beach destination in the world. If you are getting stressed, you can take the Surfing Therapy.

There are currently four schools that provide Surfing Therapy to improve students’ anxiety levels and improve their social interactions.

Besides surfing, you can even do paragliding, swimming and even play beach football.

A fun-fact for you: before 1901, it was illegal to swim on the beach during daytime! Now, how curious is that?

10. Education in Australia Facts: Time to Learn Some Slang!

Have you heard the term Aussie? Yeah, that’s the term used for an Australian. There are also some common phrases you should practice before going to pursue education.

Australians always love to shorten their words. When they are uttering something, you’ll notice a big change in their pronunciation.

People do say ‘G’day’ instead of Good day. You should also know some of the common slangs such as ‘Mell-bun’ instead of ‘Mel-Bourne’, ‘mozzies’ (mosquitoes), ‘barbie’ (barbeque), ‘arvo’ (afternoon), ‘preso’ (presentation), ‘sickie’ (sick leave), and much more.

No Worries, you’ll start learning the shorter slangs quite fast when you start living in Australia and interact with Aussies on a daily basis.

11. Education in Australia Facts: Mind the Driving Rules

As you are ready to pursue education in Australia, you should also know the driving rules. Aussies drive their cars on the left side of the road.

More than 60% of the cars are automatic transmission. While driving from one city to another, be aware of the fuel.

Suppose you are planning to drive from Perth to Melbourne which makes approximately 3,500km. Be ready that 2,000km is just a plain dead road with just a few roadhouses, sometimes set hundreds of kilometers apart from each other. In that case, you should take a rest in the nearby motels or rest-houses.

Don’t drive the car at dawn and dusk. Strange? Since Australia is the land of Kangaroos, you may not be able to see the Kangaroos passing the road.

Kangaroos are everywhere and if your car is racing, it will be much harder to spot them approach. Just be reasonable when changing the gears and don’t forget about Kangaroos.

Wrapping Up

We hope that you have already made a note of the education in Australia facts. We have tried our best to cover the important facts that should be known to you.

We could write another 365 things you didn’t know about Australia, but it will be better if you discover the things on your own.

Though your ultimate goal is to study well in Australia, don’t forget to experience everything from the Great Barrier Reef to the Sydney Opera House on one continent.

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