Your Comprehensive Guide to Studying in Australia

Australia is rapidly becoming a hot spot for students to pursue their higher education. According to the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, about 20,000 Malaysians choose to study in Australia each year. Being closer to home compared to the United Kingdom, United States and Canada is perhaps a contributing factor to the growth rate. There are plenty of things to enjoy about living in Australia. With eight out of 100 top universities being Australian universities and five out of 30 best student cities in the world being in Australia, it’s no wonder many students choose to further their studies in this beautiful country. 

Things you must do when in Australia

While you’re studying in Australia, be sure to check out some of the most iconic places in Australia. Here are our top picks for the best places to visit in Australia:

1. Bondi Beach

Being an island—the biggest island in the world at that—Australia pretty much originated the whole ‘surfer dude’ culture. There are over 10,000 beaches in Australia, so if you like lying on the sand and hitting the waves, then studying in Australia is definitely for you! Bondi Beach is dubbed one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, famed for its glistening ocean, immaculate white sands, and reliable waves for surfing. It also has a diverse café culture and boutique shops lined up around the beach, making food and shopping convenient.

2. Gold Coast

Gold Coast is Australia’s very own entertainment-beach-theme park hub, attracting more and more tourists and locals alike each year. It is a coastal city that stretches for almost 70 kilometres and is also the sixth largest city in Australia. It is widely popular for not only its surfing beaches but even more so for its theme parks, nightlife and high-rise dominated skyline.

3. Sydney Opera House

For those of you who have a more refined taste, you can should definitely check out the Sydney Opera House. A multi-venue performing arts centre that’s shaped like the sails of a boat, it is considered one of the most famous and distinctive buildings of the 20^th century. You can get a unique experience of concerts, theatre and dance shows of all kinds in the Opera House.

4. Great Barrier Reef

If you’re an ocean lover, you’ll definitely want to see this. The Great Barrier Reef is identified as the largest living thing on Earth and is one of the only things visible from outer space! Sadly, it is reported to be dying due to environmental pressures such as climate change, mass coral bleaching and growing population of parasite species in the water. This can be your chance to see the Great Barrier Reef up close before it’s too late.

5. Australia Zoo (and other nature parks!)

Australia is undoubtedly known for its wildlife and nature parks. Take the late Steve Irwin for example; his enthusiasm and love for wild animals was simply contagious. Australia Zoo has all the animals both native and non-native to the country, such as koalas, kangaroos, wombats and many others. It is currently owned by the widow of Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin and has more than 1,000 animals.

Where to study in Australia

If you’re still deciding on a university in Australia to study in, don’t start panicking just yet! Consider one of the top five universities in Australia, all of which are in the top 100 universities in the world:

1. University of Melbourne

Ranked No. 32 in the World University Rankings by Times Higher Education (THE), University of Melbourne is Australia’s top university. According to the QS World University Rankings 2018, University of Melbourne is ranked 6^th in the world for education, 8^th for law, and 10^th for accounting and finance.

2. Australian National University

Located in Canberra, the capital of Australia, the Australian National University (ANU) is ranked 20^th in the world by QS World University Rankings. ANU can proudly say that they have six Nobel prize-winners among its faculty and alumni.

3. University of Sydney

Founded in 1851, the University of Sydney is Australia’s first and oldest university, famed for having five Australian prime ministers among its alumni. The university is ranked 2^nd in the world for its sports-related subjects, and is also known for its arts and humanities courses.

4. University of Queensland

University of Queensland is located in St Lucia, a suburb in Brisbane with the greenest and leafiest streets. Because of this, it is also one of the more affluent and prosperous areas of the city. It is ranked 1^st in Australia for its chemical engineering and environmental engineering courses, and has a strong research focus in science, medicine and technology.

5. Monash University

You may have heard of Monash University, as it has a branch campus right here in Malaysia! Apart from Malaysia, Monash University also has branch campuses in China, India, Italy and South Africa. Monash University is well-known for its medicine, business and economics as well as its arts and humanities courses.

There are many reasons for you to study in the country down under, from the white sandy beaches to the furry native creatures such as the koala, kangaroo and wallaby. Australia brings in not just a huge rush of students from Malaysia, but also from the rest of the world. As Australia is known as one of the world’s most diverse countries, you know you will get a unique multicultural experience studying there.