Onwards and upwards

I have grown as a person at this University. Not just in terms of academics, which made me realise how tough and complex a teacher's job is, but also as a person.

The course is rigorous and designed in a way which doesn't allow any breaks. Unlike a semester system, ours is a 'Study Period' system where the unit load is less, but the study periods are spread out across a full two years with four practical placements. I recently finished my first two-week practical, which was an eye-opener. It gave me exposure to how my full-time work life would feel like. The teachers at the school were quite supportive which made the journey easier.

The faculty is quite approachable. They seem quite knowledgeable and friendly. There is especially this one teacher, Bich, who is quite active when solving doubts about our assignments. She is quite responsive to emails when deadlines approach and is always ready to offer help or extra time if needed to a student. Her class is full of activities and interactions, which is a refreshing take on teaching.

Our university is very active in sports and extracurricular activities. With an active student guild, almost every other day, different events, such as stress buster activities, cultural festivities, food truck events, end of semester parties or housing cup sports are advertised, which help keep the campus life upbeat.

My course apparently has a high demand for employment, which is one of the reasons why I opted for this course. Usually, the schools we have our placement at, offers us a pre-placement offer. The starting salary for teachers is $5000 per month.

The accommodation costs in Perth are on the rise. University accommodation tends to be on the higher end. Right now, I pay $472 for two weeks for a flat that I share with 8 other girls where gas and electricity are included. However, aircon is not provided if you are in the older buildings. Accommodations outside prove to be cheaper (with liberty to purchase an aircon). University lodging has its own advantages of security, happening life (events etc) and proximity to the university).

IELTS, Band 8.5 - Speaking - 8., Writing- 7, Reading - 7.5, Listening - 9. GRE/GMAT wasn't a requirement for the course.. I had to submit my Experience letter from my employer, SoP, CV and other identification documents. The SoP required me to justify my shift from a financial firm into Teaching, what drove me onto this path and how I will financially support myself during my stay in Australia. I had to provide a rather detailed CV outlining my experience at every stage of my academic and professional journey. I submitted an LoR from my manager at my firm to strengthen my application, which spoke about my character and work ethics. Interview round: No, I didn't have any interview for this course. On the contrary, they were more focussed on my SoP and my IELTS score. Since it was teaching, the requirements were a Band 8 for Speaking, 7 for Writing, 8 for Listening and 7 for Reading. I had to work really hard on the IELTS for which I enrolled myself in a IELTS crash course. I believe my application was successful because of my SoP which should seem genuine, relatable and crisp. Universities tend to identify content which is superficial and favour SoPs which reflect passion and drive.

The total tuition fee is around AUD 63,000 (approximately INR 35,00,000)

No I haven't received any scholarship, although I did earn 25% scholarship for my first year for being a meritorious student. Scholarships in Australia are minimal, and majorly for PhD and research based courses.