7 lesser-known things you need to know before you study in Australia

Studying abroad in Australia is as good as it gets!

Once you’re settled, you will get to enjoy:

Thriving, modern cities
Unbeatable beaches
Fantastic culture and nightlife
Incredible natural beauty

Of course, there are still some things you’ll need to know and prepare for before you make the leap and head to our shores!

You’ll need to find a place to stay, a job to support yourself, and of course, choose somewhere to study.

As someone coming in from a different country, it’s a lot of new information to take in. While you’ve no doubt done research, there are a lot of small things that you might overlook, or that no website can help you with.

That’s why we’ve prepared this handy list that covers some of the lesser-known things you need to know before you start studying in Australia!

Lesser-known things you need to know before studying in Australia

1) Australia has reciprocal Health agreements with 11 countries

If you’re going to study in Australia, chances are you will be staying here for a long period of time. What happens if you become ill during that time?

As part of your visa application, you’ll need to maintain health cover for the duration of your studies in Australia. If you let your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) lapse, you could risk having your visa revoked.

If you come from certain countries however, you won’t need to do anything extra.

Some countries have reciprocal healthcare arrangements with Australia, where their citizens will be covered under Medicare.

If you’re from one of the 11 countries Australia has agreements with, your healthcare requirements will be handled by our system the same way as any Australian citizen – which is great to know!

2) Australia is huge

Everyone knows that Australia is big. However, a lot of people from overseas don’t quite understand just how big that is!

A lot of overseas students studying in Australia make the mistake of assuming that our land is as tightly packed as their home country, with major cities close together.

Not so – in fact, the opposite is true. Because our landmass is huge and our population is small, everything is spread out with hundreds and even thousands of kilometres between them.

Say you’re studying English in Melbourne and you want to see Sydney – that’s 14 hours on the road (though it’s only a 1-hour plane trip!)

3) You’re never going to be completely alone

One of the best things about studying in Australia? You’re never truly alone.

Australia’s cities are among some of the most diverse in the world, with residents hailing from all over the world. If you miss home, you won’t have to look far to find someone who speaks your language, or a restaurant that offers your favourite food.

Don’t worry about feeling lonely – you’re never too far from the familiar sounds and tastes of home when you study overseas in Australia!

4) Australian institutions don’t offer accommodation

Unlike places like America where all students are expected to live on-campus, the Australian higher education system doesn’t quite work that way.

As a result, many Australian institutions don’t really offer on-site accommodation – they simply don’t need to.

And the ones that do offer on-site accommodation often have high demand.

At Academia, we help students with temporary accommodation thanks to our partnership with OZiHOUSE – you can rest easy knowing that you have a roof above your head while you find something more permanent.

5) We include sales tax in the price tag

Some countries don’t include sales tax in the price tag – we’re looking at you USA, Canada and Japan.

If you come from one of these countries (or any other country that refuses to make things easier for shoppers), you’ll be pleased to know that every price tag or sticker in Australia includes GST (our sales tax) in it already.

And yes, that includes online shopping, services and food ordered at restaurants as well!

The number you see on the sticker is exactly how much you will have to pay, no more, no less.

So when you see a price tag, you don’t need to worry about having to mentally calculate percentages before you reach the checkout.

6) You might need to pass IELTS before studying in Australia

Are you coming from a non-English speaking country? If so, you’ll want to pay close attention!

IELTS (the International English Language Testing System) is an English test used throughout the Commonwealth, including Australia. Many Australian universities use this test when taking applications from international students.

Obviously, it’s going to depend on the university, as well as the course. As a general rule however, most undergrad courses require a minimum score of 6.0.

Need help meeting the IELTS requirements for your dream university in Australia?

Academia’s English school in Melbourne offers English courses for IELTS Preparation that help you achieve the IELTS score you need to be accepted into your course.

We will help you prepare for your IELTS exam and help you get the highest score possible.

And if you need help afterwards, we also over English for Academic Purposes to prepare you for the more advanced English you’ll run into at an Australian university.

7) And finally, we don’t ride kangaroos down here!

That image of Australia that you have from watching old cartoons? It doesn’t reflect how your average Australian lives!

We don’t wrestle with crocodiles as our national sport
90% of our population lives within 100km of the coastline
While there are kangaroos here, we don’t ride them to work
We’re home to many poisonous snakes and spiders, but you probably won’t see them in the suburbs

While there’s guaranteed to be some “culture shock” as you get used to life in Australia, you probably won’t have to deal with most of the crazier ideas people have about Aussie life!

Study in Australia with Academia

These lesser-known facts about studying in Australia are important for any prospective – however, the most important thing you need to know before you study in Australia is what course you want to enrol in!

Academia offers a range of subjects for students who want an education that’s more worldly.

We offer a range of different fully accredited courses that cover a number of high-demand industries:

Best of all, each of these are open to international students as well – it isn’t just English courses!

With campuses in both Melbourne and Brisbane – two of Australia’s liveliest and most dynamic cities – you can get the full Aussie experience, all while getting the skills and training you need to thrive in your career.

What are you waiting for? If you want to study in Australia, get in touch today: