Hello guys!
Today I will talk about a very important subject: the first steps you will have to take before coming to Australia. This is an essential part of the whole process and if you are really thinking about coming to study here, I am sure this post will be very helpful.
First of all, you have to look for trustworthy travel agencies/agents. You can look for references and reviews on Google, Facebook, or even ask your friends. I personally asked lots of friends who had been here and they gave me many contacts and names of agents. I started to look their reviews and feedbacks, to see if I could trust in them. This is a vital step, because if you do a little research you’ll see lots of scammers who sell “dreams” but are always telling lies and just getting people’s money. So the advise I give you is to REALLY search about the agents or agencies you are talking to.
Many agencies just want revenue, so they get lots of students and don’t give them any personal advise or assistance. They just copy and paste the same information to everybody, many times promising that “a student can find 1000-dollars jobs and pay all bills with 300”. You must be careful to not be deceived here.
Yes, you can make some money! But what many agencies don’t say is that you still have to attend classes, to study, to do assessments, and that STUDENTS CAN’T WORK more than 20 hours per week. I’ve seen many Brazilians arriving in Sydney without any notion and knowledge of how things are here. Imagining they will get nice jobs in 2 days, even if they don’t speak good English. So this is what happens: they come with a low amount of money saved, and in 3 or 4 weeks they are desperate to pay bills and to find jobs! The worst part is that the agencies don’t have any responsibility when they do these things.
OK, you really trust the agent or the agency. What’s next? Search information, look for blogs, pictures, news, join facebook groups, ask your friends about references and about their personal experiences. I know each person has a different life but you can still get some useful information doing that research. Before I came, I searched for hours about weather, wages, rents, groceries, internet, restaurants, culture and etc. I spent a lot of time getting information about some cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and etc. I looked for future possibilities regarding visas, permanent residence and jobs. I read the advantages and disadvantages on others’ point of view, to avoid any “surprise” when coming to Australia.
After I got enough information, I decided for a specific agency which I really trusted, and which really gave me lot of professional assistance. I felt comfortable, so I decided to go ahead with them.
If you have any questions regarding agencies, or any other important information you thing might be useful, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and ask me! I will answer and try to help as much as I can. I know that these decision is huge in many people’s lives. Sometimes you are quitting a job, saving a lot of money, or even putting all your effort and bets in something. You must make the right decision, then.
See you guys!
Studying and living in Australia 