What Students Say
Likes
- Curriculum is highly advanced and enables you to think critically.
- Lush green campus spread across hilly mountain area and view of the ocean
- Online library resources and standard library in campus.
Dislikes
- As the campus is spread wide, students might encounter difficulty in getting to classroom on time, specially if you are not good at physical activity get prepared to get your leg muscle toned.
- While the university website is amazing, it might take time to get used to.
- The university has strict policy against AI and plagiarism, so international students need to be acquainted with proper resource referencing, which I feel can be tough at the beginning.
Course Curriculum
10
- Being from an Indian background of academia, I would certainly state it was not easy switching from mechanical engineering to the field of sustainable development, social sciences and humanities. I had to skip between theoretical, practical and philosophical thoughts simultaneously, which has deeply enhanced my critical thinking. The assessment criteria are pretty clear and the cutoff for passing is at 50%. 18 units of credit are assigned each semester, so a sum total of four topics per semester.
- Enrolling in topics prior to the start of the semester is very important, as topics can sometimes clash in the timetable. Usually, based on my selections, I had three uni days per week, at least 3-5 hrs per day. On average, at least 30 students per topic and you will definitely see one to five familiar Indian faces
Admission Experience
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I applied to the following universities:
- Flinders University – Admitted
- Macquarie University – Rejected
- Monash University-Waitlisted
- Murdoch University-Admitted
- I received offer letters from Flinders University and Murdoch University. Macquarie university shortlisted me for an interview, which went terribly because I was underprepared. The curriculum of my previous degree did not match with the curriculum for Monash University.
- Flinders University was the first to send me an offer letter. I was very skeptical during the application process, as I had a gap of 2 years, not unexplained though, as I was preparing for Civil services exams. The admission process went very smoothly, as I was guided by my counselors from IDP Guwahati.
- I cleared IELTS with an overall score of 8.0; the minimum requirement would be around 6.5 overall with a min. of 6 in each. Your SOP can make you or break you; mine certainly helped my case. I explained in brief about my gap period, mentioning important details of exams that I had been preparing for and the extracurricular and volunteering experiences I had outside of studies. I had a very prompt response from the university, but the visa took time to arrive. The waiting period was extremely exhausting but it was all worth the wait!
- I applied for the February 2024 intake. I started my process nearly in the month of July 2023, with appearing for IELTS and getting my documents prepared by IDP counsellors. I got my offer letter on the 20th of August. I waited for a bit for other universities to respond, then started the acceptance process somewhere in the month of November as I was waiting for my education loan approval.
- I received my COE (Confirmation of Enrollment) during the 1st week of December and started frantically applying for my Visa. My documents included a PAN card, Passport, Driving License, IELTS TRF, Academic Certificate, Loan Statements, SOP, and Fee Receipt. It was nearly at the start of my semester when I received my Visa on the 20th of February, 2024 and I had left home by the 22nd of February to make it to my first class on the 24th of Feb. So...it's definitely not for the faint-hearted!!
Faculty
10
- One of my deciding factors in joining Flinders University was the presence of Prof. Udoy Saikia, from Assam, India, in this stream. I had the opportunity of learning from him.
- Currently I am a research student under the supervision of Dr Gerti Szili, a senior lecturer and Course coordinator in Sustainable Development. The thing I loved most about my course is the diversity and vastness of knowledge. All of the faculties are super supportive and always ready to extend a helping hand.
Campus Life
10
- Bedford Campus (Main Campus)—12 km from Adelaide's City centre
- Tonsley Campus Near main campus connected by campus shuttle
- City Campus—At the heart of Adelaide, an adjacent building to the Adelaide railway station.
- Northern Territory campuses for health and research
- All the campuses are equipped with a library, recreational facilities, student hubs and food joints. During induction, students can avail themselves of a tour of the entire city and historical locations. Career week, sports events and academic conferences are regular occurrences.
Part Time Jobs
- Not exactly aware of campus part time jobs. Maximum hours of work allowed per week is 24hrs. It takes approximately 3-4 months to secure a part time job. If you are lucky you might get a job in as soon as a weeks time! Minimum wage is at least $24 AUD and make sure to get a TFN (Tax file Number) as soon as you can. You must provide TFN to your employer
- Pay depends on the type of employment. High paying jobs include- reception and admin work, school SSO's, disability and age care workers. Front of house, retail workers and kitchen hand is available for inexperienced workers but mostly the wage is very less. Student should be very careful in choosing part-time employment as they can be really time consuming and will take your focus of studies.
Placement
10
- Career hubs in the university helps to apply for internships in the field of study. Additionally, applying through SEEK and Indeed platforms are useful too.
- People have experience of getting employed within 3-6 months in my field but the location and the terms of employment may vary. It is very important to have good credits in studies and some kind of volunteering work or involvement in society. Referrals from people working in the similar field can be extremely helpful.
Accommodation
Off Campus
10
- I had preselected my accommodation prior to landing in Adelaide in Scape, student accommodation. It was suggested by the IDP counsellors. It was a bit nerve-wracking because of my schedule of flying.
- I booked in 2 weeks prior to landing and I had to pay extra. The room was very small with a bunk bed, shared bathroom and a small kitchen place. Later I discovered that rooms can be availed through facebook groups as well. But beware of scammers! Do not pay until an agreement is made!
Exams
- IELTS is a must. I had to write SOP twice. Once for the Vice Chancellor Scholarship and once during Visa process. My admission process did not require interview but some of my batchmates did go through an interview.
- My documents included a PAN card, Passport, Driving License, IELTS TRF, Academic Certificate, Loan Statements, SOP, and Fee Receipt. Again, it is extremely important to be very careful with SOP, cover all information including gap years and extra activities, and include awards and accolades.
Fees
- The full fee structure of my program is nearly 75K AUD for 2 years, broken down into 4 semesters. I secured a fee reduction of 20% with the Flinders Go Beyond Global Scholarship. Accommodations cost nearly 1000-1500 AUD per month based on preferences with utilities.
- And if you are an okay saver, I think monthly expenses should not exceed 2000 AUD including everything. For transportation, Metro Adelaide has a student discounted charge. A 28 day pass costs around 60 AUD.
Scholarship
- Yes, lots of scholarships are available at Flinders University. I have been awarded the Go Beyond Global scholarship based on my academic merit. I was selected for the Vice Chancellor Scholarship as well, in which 50% of the fee structure is covered by the university.
- A large number of applicants apply for it and you really need to stand out. Australian Awardees is another standard scholarship for international students, which government employees in respective countries can apply for.
