My UWA experience

University of New South Wales

7.9(13 Reviews)

Reason for choosing my college

• I choose UWA over UNSW for several key reasons. Firstly, the location in Perth provided a unique advantage, with abundant opportunities tied to the mining industry, which is a major sector in Western Australia. Being in close proximity to key mining operations allows for direct access to industry insights, internships, and job prospects that align with my field of study.
• Moreover, the Electrical and Electronics Engineering program at UWA is accredited by Engineers Australia, ensuring the course met high professional Australian standards. It offered a core program, focusing directly on the skills and knowledge essential for a career in electrical and electronics engineering, which made it an ideal fit for my career aspirations.

University of Toronto

7.4(80 Reviews)

Reason for Rejection

• The application process was a lot more competitive. I submitted my application but even having an 8.1 GPA at graduation, I got rejected as a lot of international students apply to this university. It is very competitive.

• Genuine application, include all the documents that are asked during the process, can also contact the student help centre to understand the admission process through email or phone. They are very helpful in responding.

• I chose UWA due to its strong academic reputation, Engineers Australia accreditation and a focus on core electrical and electronics engineering. Perth's location offered unique opportunities in the mining industry, aligning well with my career goals.
• UWA's program provided the technical foundation I needed, and the campus life was enriching, with access to various extracurricular activities. Overall, my experience at UWA was positive, combing excellent academic learning with career opportunities in a vibrant city.

• All 5 days of university in a week, depending on the units you take, you can decide the tutorials and lab timings; the class timing is decided by the lecturer but since there is a provision of recording it, you can hear it at your convenience. But the tutorials and labs are compulsory to attend in person. Average class strength is 200 students.
• Students in the cohort are from multi-nationality backgrounds; international students are mainly from China and India. Each unit outline would mention how much time you must devote for the unit in the week; it usually used to vary for me. I used to spend about 8-12 hours each day for 6 days and 1 day for rest, which included self-study, doing assignments, writing lab reports and working out for tutorial questions.

• Faculty is very approachable; any question can be discussed with faculty either in class or on the email ID provided. The faculty are very quick in clarifying queries and sometimes they also provide time, location and day to discuss questions. All the faculties are very approachable and have expertise in what they teach.
• Faculty advise not to engage in part-time jobs as the course is very time-demanding if studying full-time.

• UWA has one main campus located in Perth, offering a wide range of facilities, including a well-equipped library, sports centre, and medical services. During my time at UWA, I participated in orientation events that helped me to connect with fellow students and get familiar with campus and different clubs on campus.
• The university also hosts various clubs, including engineering and cultural groups, as well as popular events like O-week, which were great for socialising and learning extracurricular opportunities. Overall, the campus experience was engaging, with numerous activities.

• Depends on where there is availability; usually they prefer working either near the university or near their home. The process is time consuming like 3-4 weeks and very competitive, as many international students try for part-time jobs while studying.
• They normally work in restaurants, cafes, or 5 star hotels as receptionist or even take up jobs such as uber eats delivery or be an Uber driver.

• There were lots of opportunities within campus but I was working as an engineer with a casual contract, which meant I had flexible working hours during university but the course was very time demanding so it was very hard to manage my job and study. I used to restrict mostly 8 hours per week but the weeks when I felt there was not much work load, I used to work 16-20 hours.
• The typical pay as an engineer on a casual contract is 35 dollars per hour. My friends did jobs elsewhere, so opportunities wise, there are lots of opportunities within campus, such as cafes, just a professor or student council. In my visa I was restricted to 24 hours of work while studying but during my semester break I could work full time, which means 8 hours per day and 5 days per week.

• Many graduates secure full-time job opportunities, especially in sectors like engineering, mining and energy, given Perth's proximity to these industries. Around 70-80% of graduates typically find employment within six months of completing their course. Their average salary range for most students is between AUD 75,000 and AUD 110,000 per year, depending on role and industry.
• Students usually find jobs through university career fairs, internships, and online job portals such as seek and Network with industry professionals during their study. The highest salary is offered in mining sector for FIFO roles, about 110,000 AUD and lowest salary is 75,000 AUD if in perth CBD locations.

• My husband was already here, so I never faced the accommodation challenge, but I know people who faced the housing crisis and the rents are drastically high in recent times. The university international student centre can help in finding accommodations within campus or outside or Facebook community groups can also provide references to shared accommodations.