What Students Say
Likes
- It is a reputed university which offers great learning opportunities.
- The quality of education imparted by professors is the practical one which focuses on real-life implications.
- The kind of support available to new international students is great to smoothen the process of enrollment.
Dislikes
- Sometimes only a few students attend classroom lectures when invited to university, this number should increase.
- The level of bonding among various international students is not that great and needs to be improved.
- Some level of process improvement is needed when timetables clash for students and queries are lined up which are resolved after a few day's delay.
Course Curriculum
10
- The average student in my class is around 45-55. Out of this, around 25-30 are Indian students or from Indian origin.
- To be honest, the course generally has 2 faculty members for the class and I honestly have no complaints regarding that as I found the coursework compatible with my understanding.
- The teachers use PowerPoint presentation slides to show the content for a particular course and share with students.
Admission Experience
- I applied to three universities: La Trobe University, James Cook University, and Australian Catholic University. Out of these 3, I have confirmed admissions from La Trobe and James Cook University. I have not received confirmed status from the Catholic university. It might be due to their criteria which my profile was not fulfilling. I am not sure of other reasons.
- I chose La Trobe University as it is a reputed university and has a good QS ranking. Also, the level of learning opportunities in La Trobe is larger when compared to James Cook University. Another aspect is the location in Melbourne city which is the centre for diverse career opportunities after completion of the course. Looking at all these factors, I preferred La Trobe University.
- I applied for the July 2023 intake. I chose this as this is the major intake and I could finish up collecting and streamlining all my documents for the application. The admission process took around 2 months when I prepared in advance and made up all documents as required by College Dunia associates for fulfilling the application. This was started in Feb and completed by May. Later I got a CoE and VISA for my course.
Campus Life
8
- I don't have a list of the campuses of the university. However, there are various sports activities available on campus including sports like Cricket, hockey, basketball, etc.
- Melbourne city is always surrounded by festivals which can be from any religion. The college, however, is relatively less occupied as I have observed so far.
- There are student organizations that I have seen available for student enrollment and support. However, I have not observed the bigger picture of student organizations like we have in India.
Part Time Jobs
- The students securing the Teaching Assistant (TA), Research Assistant (RA), or Departmental Assistant (DA) positions are very few in numbers. Most students opt for off-campus jobs like UBER and typical shift jobs with a pay rate of around 22-23 AU$ per hour. The teaching assistants jobs have comparatively higher pay rates of 4-5 AU$ in addition to the amount mentioned above.
- The work hours are a maximum of up to 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and full-time during university breaks. Jobs can be found easily but smartly.
- Every student has a different area of work typically but mostly work in deliveries using UBER or work in some restaurant. The job market was relatively tougher a year back but it is easier now. The process involves getting the CV delivered to the concerned organization and then having a discussion and negotiations for salary and then the routine for the job if selected. The Children's check is the major certificate needed for every job.
Placement
8
- This is only what I have heard and not seen practically and got to know that around 70% of students get placed in the first 2 months and almost 100% in the next 4 months with a salary range from 35,000 AU$ to 60,000 AU$ per year.
- This can be +- 10 % in extreme conditions but this is what I have seen here. The jobs are typically the leading teacher, coordinator, Principal etc.
- Average Package: AU$ 35,000 to AU$ 60,000 per annum
Accommodation
Off Campus
10
- I have opted for off-campus accommodation which I have discussed in advance. There are few people from my known ones living there and I had shifted with them.
- The monthly rent inclusive of everything is around AU$ 1000, which includes water, Wi-Fi, gas, and everything from a ration perspective. It is safe to live in. For now, I can recommend the accommodation nearby where other students have opted.
- The rent costs have risen considerably in the past 1 year. My stay is around an hour's drive from the university. Most students stay in the outskirts of Melbourne to bear rent costs.
Exams
- I have taken the PTE English language exam as it was quicker to prepare when compared to IELTS. I have practiced the pattern and taken coaching from the local institute in Rohtak and cleared it on the first attempt with over 6.5 bands.
- I have written the SOP, prepared my CV along with this English Language test and practiced for the GTE exam which proved fruitful and I got admission to a good university.
Fees
- My total course fee is $AU 66,800. This fee is for a total 2 years course duration.
- I have taken an apartment which is another university-provided accommodation and paying around total expenses of $AU 1,500.
- Apart from this, there is the complete OSHC cover for the full course for $AU 1504. This excludes the flight tickets booked for my arrival in Australia.
Scholarship
- Yes, I did receive the scholarship for my course. It is 25% of my tuition fee for the first year of my course. This includes the 25% deduction in the amount I paid for the first two semesters. $AU 12,525 is the first fee paid for the first semester after deducting the scholarship of 25%. Also, I received an Early bird acceptance grant of 5% for the first year for taking admission early. This amount is adjusted in the 2nd year of education.
