Thinking of going to school in Australia

[Gregintosh]

Hey everyone.

For the last few months I have been mulling over the possibility of going to school in Australia.

I currently reside in the US and got my undergrad degree in business from a local University and I was hoping to do something better for myself for grad school.

Local schools here, if I go to a public University would cost me around $15,000-$20,000 for the entire MBA program (2 years) if I live at home, and probably around $40-$100k if I go somewhere decent and/or live on campus. In Australia I can get a Master of Commerce for around $40,000 with cost of living and tuition included.

So twice the price as staying home , but half the time (these programs seem to be around one year there).

I would most likely need to borrow the full $40,000 for Australia. I have some savings and such but I would probably want to reserve that for unforeseen spending or for entertainment while I'm there.

I was already accepted in to University of Newcastle and University of Western Sydney. I am awaiting responses from Macquarie Univeristy (my top choice) and University of Sydney. I don't think I should have much of a problem since I had an undergrad GPA of 3.7 out of 4.

The main thing I am looking for is experience. I want to learn the material well and get some new ideas and perspectives. I am entrepreneurial so having it look good on my resume is optional, but welcome, as well, as I'd probably need a steady job for a few years to pay off the debt before launching into my own ventures.

The field I want to focus on is Marketing, so if I get an MBA here I'd focus on Marketing, or if I go there I'd get a Master of Commerce in Marketing.

So my questions for all of you (especially those in Australia, but for everyone in general) is what would you think of getting a masters degree in Australia?

Is it worth the $40,000 loan?

What's it like over there, if you've been/live there?

Would you go abroad to get a degree if you were in a similar situation?

All feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[lofight]

Come to Belgium, you can get excellent school, and you don't have to pay that much.. But remember that leaving your friends is very hard and it can take a while before you find new one..

 

[HoldFastHope]

I would really recommend University of Sydney or Macquarie if you can get into them. UWS is... well... it's ok, I guess.

Also depends where you want to live. University of Sydney is right near the CBD, Macquarie is on the North Shore and about 1/2 hour from the city by bus. Closest UWS campuses are about 45+ minutes away from the city (via freeway, assuming no traffic) so it'll be a totally different experience.

BTW

But remember that leaving your friends is very hard and it can take a while before you find new one..

Gregintosh, I'll be your friend

 

[Abstract]

Local schools here, if I go to a public University would cost me around $15,000-$20,000 for the entire MBA program (2 years) if I live at home, and probably around $40-$100k if I go somewhere decent and/or live on campus. In Australia I can get a Master of Commerce for around $40,000 with cost of living and tuition included.

One of my oldest friends just moved to Sydney to do the exact same program. He was deciding on the University, and I told him University of Sydney is good. The other ones on your list aren't as good, and when you return home, nobody will care that you attended Macquarie University because they've never heard of "Macquarie". It's a good university, but people overseas won't know that. They've heard of Sydney, though, and would assume it's a big school. I wouldn't go to Western Sydney because it's not great.

 

[Fuzzy14]

I recommend studying philosophy at the University of Woolloomooloo.


Sorry, couldn't resist it. I'll get my coat.

 

[Owainjones]

Don't do it

Dude. Stay in the states. If you wanna see Australia travel there. Do not live here!
Everything here is ghetto. The grocery stores have no selection at all. You can't even buy honey nut cheerios in this place. Seriously no selection. And you pay an arm and a leg for anything, they bend you over real good. I will try to think of some examples to help illustrate my point. (oh and Im from Canada, so things would be even worse for you).

It is cheaper for me to buy a book at chapters.ca and have it shipped here than it is to buy a book at the local borders.

The country is light years behind in the internet. Try finding a price at an online store. They don't do it. Try borders for example. Or Dymocks. Or Big W (their "equal" to wal-mart). Yo ucan't get a goddamn price, you have to go to the store, and sometimes they won't even have what you're looking for.

I went to buy a jug of oil the other day and was shocked to discover they only sell 10 litre contianers. I don't need 10 litres of oil. And this was in Brisbane, the third largest city in Australia. At Big W. ....Back home I would have selection between 5 different sizes in 8 different brands. here it was choice between 4 brands and one size. I have checked other stores like kmart and the same thing.

I wanted to buy a cribbage board the other day and it took me three weeks to find one. I had to go to a speiciality game store in the city. You would think A department store would sell a board, but no. Kmart had a choice between a ****** deck of cards and a crappy deck of cards.

My battery died in my car. The cheapest place to have someone come and install the battery (im here for a few months and did't see the need to buy a tool kit) was 250 dollars. The cheapest battery was 140, so they wanted over 100dollars to drive 4kms to install the battery. I don't pay that much to see the doctor, someone with 8 years of education. This high school drop out wanted 110 dollars to tighten a few bolts? I ended up buying a toolkit and tightening the bolts myself.

Im assuming you would be renting a place on arrival. Well you'll be lucky to find a place that is furnished. Everything here comes unfurnished, which means, in english, no refridgerator, or dishwasher, or clothes washer, or dryer...nothing. So make sure you add the price of those things to your expenses, and remember you can't find cheap appliances here.

Oil changes for your car. I dont know dude. Its like they dont really do them. You have to have a servicing done. Whish includes spark replacement and other diagnositic checks. I drove a truck for 6 years back home...high school thorugh undergrad, and never had to change a spark plug. These aussies will rip you off.

They run mostly aussie tv shows as well. The quality of their shows are worse than canadian tv. I haven't turn my tube on in two months. You'll miss american tv

Sports. hope you like cricket. It's a slower version of baseball. without the super athletes like a-rod. I tried watching it with an open mind, but fell asleep shortly after. Aussie rules football. Garbage. You know some dude drank a 40 before thinking that one up.

Beer. Awful. Its lighter than american beer. 3.5% is the avg alcohol content. You need to drink an entire case to have a good night - which only gets ruined by frequent visits to the bathroom. If i wanted water, I would ask for water.

School. The actual semester doesn't start until March, so you have some time to make cash, but don't expect to get a job here, unless you plan on picking fruit. Which I heard isn't pleasant. No one wants to hire someone with work limitations, or for that matter Americans. You guys aren't very popular down here, I know because everyone thinks I am an american. It takes a few well placed overexagerrated "eh's" to fix that.

I have more to say. But I think Ive vented enough for today.

Bottomline that Im trying to get across to people thinking of living/schooling here is this.

It is ridiculously expensive for horrible selection. Travelling here would be a blast. Beautiful beaches, nice weather, lots of surf. But living here is completely different. We have a standard of living in North America that is unparrelleled anywhere else. We are, espeically you america, the richest countries on the planet. So understand that a country like australia with only 20 million people, isn't going to have all the same luxuries as us. I made the mistake of thinking Australia was going to be identical to back home, but with warmer weather and more beaches.

Anyways, thought you should year a story that isn't rosy and peachy. The stories that you mostly hear from people backpacking here.

Beautiful to travel, subpar to live.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

Well that's a matter of opinion, which I definitely don't agree with.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Please note this thread is almost a year old. Perhaps the OP has made their mind up already.