Lesson Learnt as an International Student in Melbourne, Australia
Disclaimer — The lessons that I am sharing in this article are from my own experiences and mistakes that I made in the last 2 years and I feel no matter how unique each one’s life is at some point we all tend to align on a similar path.
Just to give you a quick intro, my name is Ayaz a simple boy from “aamchi Mumbai”, and after a quite strenuous cruise, completed my Masters of Data Science degree from RMIT University, Melbourne. Currently, I am working as a Data Scientist at ANZ Bank in Australia.
In this article, I simply aim to share some of the important things from my own experiences and mistakes that will make your life a little easy if you choose to come to Australia. Also, I will try to answers some of the questions that are frequently asked to me on Linkedin by some of the students who are planning to study in Australia.
Firstly, If you want to enrol in any Australian university, it is very important to give IELTS or PTE examinations(English-based tests). Australian universities assess students based on their English examination scores, Undergraduate Marksheet(applicable only if you are planning to pursue a Masters degree), and Work experience(if any).
Learning 1 — About University
- Which Uni to choose for Data Science?
I am only comparing these 2 universities because I have followed the Data Science program of these two universities from semester 1.
I have completed my Masters of Data Science from RMIT University. From my experience, I can say that if you want to learn Data Science from basics(Core courses like Database, Statistics, Programming, etc) and then move toward advanced courses like Machine Learning, Cloud computing, Deep Learning, etc then RMIT is the best place to study. At the same time, RMIT provides a lot of freelancing, volunteering, internships, and job opportunities to students.
Melbourne University is a prestigious university in Australia. One of my good friends was a Data Science student at Melbourne University. From following the Data Science course of Melbourne University, I can say that if your basics are clear in bachelor’s or you have 3–5 years of work experience and want to build advanced knowledge then Melbourne University is the best university to enrol in. Also, Melbourne University is best for students who are interested in research and planning to do a Ph.D.
Learning 2 — Data Science
- What should I learn before joining the Data Science course at RMIT University?
RMIT will teach you everything related to Data Science from scratch, but I will suggest you, learn little web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and anyone backend framework e.g. Python-based backend framework Django or Flask.) before coming to Australia. It will not only help you in your assignments but also in the long run while searching for any job.
Learning 3 — Job opportunities
- How is the job market for data science graduates there in Australia?
As the field of Information Technology and Data Science is increasing very fast, we can say there are many opportunities in Australia 🇦🇺. The main thing here is companies are in search of skilled workers who can deliver value to them. Companies are looking for candidates with multiple skillsets
For example, As a fresher only Data Analytics skills will not land you a job, but Data Analytics along with Cloud computing or web development skills are additional benefits that companies are looking for in a candidate.
- What do you suggest one should do to improve his job chances?
Networking is one of the key things that I have seen is needed not only in Australia but around the globe to find a job. A lot of multinational companies or private communities conduct learning and networking sessions on diverse topics. One should try to attend such kinds of events and meet and network with as many people as they can. One can use Meetup(https://www.meetup.com/) web application or Mobile App to know about the topic, time, and venue of such events that he/she may attend.
Linkedin is also one of the major employment-oriented social networking platforms that one should use. Before coming here to study, try to make an impressive profile on Linkedin. A lot of recruiters use this platform to hunt talent. I myself got 2 internships in Melbourne through Linkedin. So, I highly recommend the use of this platform very smartly.
Learning 4 — Part-time job and Living Expenses
- Part-time work and hours and how much you can earn from it.
One can work 20 hours per week while studying. During Semester break, one can work any number of hours, irrespective of timings. Students can earn an average of up to $400–500/week by working 20 hours per week.
- Living Expense
The monthly expense depends on an individual, but majorly the students spend most of their money on rent, bills, and groceries. So on average, an individual spends $1200-$1500 per month.
- How to find a part-time job
As I said before, networking is one of the ways to find any kind of part-time or full-time job. A person can find a job by applying on different job-hunting websites like Seek.com, Jora.com, etc. Even some students find jobs by physically visiting shops and handing over their resumes to the shop owners or managers. Some students even work as Food delivery partners for companies like UberEats, MenuLog, etc.
I found my first part-time job as a Food Catering Assistant while volunteering in one of the clubs at RMIT university. One of my colleagues who was also volunteering with me in the same club refer me to the organisation for which he was working. Once he referred me, I got a call for an interview and finally, I got selected 🤩.
During your initial days in Australia, it is very difficult to find a part-time job because you don’t know anyone here. So, the best thing to do is some kind of freelancing work and the best place to do is “Airtasker”(https://www.airtasker.com/). Airtasker is a web and mobile application that connects an individual (who is outsourcing the work) with the experts. (My first job at Airtasker was to help an individual with an interview.)
RMIT on Demand( https://www.rmitondemand.com/) is one of the initiatives where RMIT has collaborated with Side-kicker to help students to get freelancing work in their field of study.
Vollie(https://www.vollie.com.au/) is also one of the websites to find a volunteering role in the field of your interests while studying.
Learning 5 — Friends
Friends are one of the major aspects that keeps an individual going. Keep the good company of friends and fellow students. In university, you will also meet students aged more than 40 years old. This is my personal opinion try to make friends with people older than you(I have one friend who is more than 40 years old and he is always available when I want his help.) Also, make friends with people from diverse backgrounds which will not only help you to grow as an individual but also you will learn a lot from them.
At the same time concentrate on studies and connect with like-minded people who work in your domain — I missed one of the major internship opportunities when I was in my first semester because I was too afraid to meet one of the CEO of the organisation. He sent me aptitude test questions and literally said me don’t afraid if you are not able to solve these questions, there may be another opportunity in our organisation for you. But as I was in the first semester, I was so afraid to meet people and unfortunately missed that opportunity.
Learning 6 — Explore yourself
Some of the things you can do are participate in competitions(Hackathons and Datathons), attend conferences based on your field of interest, etc. It will not only help you to increase your skills but also help you in networking with different individuals.
Learning 7 — Keep in Mind
- Before coming to Australia, learn to cook basic stuff.
- There are a lot of organisations in Australia that help international students with free food which was initiated as a covid relief measure. A lot of religious places like churches, Gurdwara, etc. provide free food. During COVID-19, RMIT University has started a food bank where they were helping students with free groceries.
- While traveling in the tram, touch on your Myki(Myki is a refillable ticket) on the devices(myki reader). (Once while going for an exam, tram officers have caught me and my friend for not tapping the Myki, I got a warning letter but they fined $500 to my friend)
- Be aware of the Australian taxation scam call, a lot of students get such kinds of calls. Even, some of the students became victims of such kinds of calls and unfortunately they lost a lot of money.
- Be aware of Rental scams. I with 2 of my friends have lost around $3500 in a rental scam. Don’t trust anyone blindly. (https://www.victorylaw.com.au/news/conveyancing-news/property-rental-scams-alert-victoria/)
- Finally, All days will not be the same. There will be a lot of ups and downs. So never give up and always think before doing anything.
Final Thoughts
Don’t just come for permanent residency if you want to take that path, please contact an immigration agent and they might be able to guide you better, come here to learn new skills, to learn about a new culture, to meet new people, and to make yourself capable enough to survive without depending on anyone, and finally to make your parents proud ♥️.