Hello! Today I am going to quick explain how supermarkets are in general here in Australia.

If you are reading this post, there’s a great chance you are either here studying in the country or planning to come to study. In other words, probably you are or will be a student in Australia.

As I said many times here in this blog, students have always less money due to work limitation and to expensive rents and school fees. So you have to save money in many ways, and one way is to buying cheaper things in the supermarket.

Here in Sydney we have many food stores and options to buy products. But the 4 main supermarkets are Coles, Aldi, Woolworths and IGA. I personally think IGA is the most expensive one, and they are normally located in more residential areas, where people don’t really need to use cars to access them. I bought from IGA during some months, but then realized how much cheaper Coles and ALDI are.

In fact, if you really want to save money and to always buy the cheapest option, you could go to all of them checking product by product, price by price, and making a list of what are the cheapest products in which supermarket. Then you proceed to each market, buy them and save some money.

Another nice thing is that every week supermarkets put some specific products in promotion, like dish washing products, laundry products, meat, sauces, bread and etc. Aldi for example has a small catalogue for “week specials” , showing all products in promotion in the stores. Coles and Woolworths do similar things. You just need to check and to do a small research.

One thing that I’ve never seen in Brazil, and I do see here, is the fact that some supermarkets have their own brand for almost all products, and they’re always cheaper. For example if you go to a Coles to buy chocolate, you will find all normal brands like Lindt, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, etc but also Coles chocolate. Ok, being fair, Coles products are always cheaper and have a decent quality. But they are not the same level of other brands. Is up to you to decide and analyze value for money in these cases.

One last interesting fact about supermarkets: here you can checkout by yourself. I know many countries already have this process, but not in Brazil. Unfortunately I know that the places that tried this kind of checkout there lost lots of money due to dishonest people taking products without paying. But here you can just scan the products, put them in the bags, chose the payment method you prefer and go home.

Do you have any questions about supermarkets, prices, where to buy specific products and etc? Just leave a comment and I will be glad to answer!

Thanks, see you guys

Hey everybody!

I am a little absent the last 2 weeks, but I am coming back! I promise! My last days were quite busy. Lots of work and assessments to do.

Now I am already starting the processes of visa extension and options to stay here in Australia. Once I am in a student visa, I have to conclude my course first and then apply for the “graduate visa”. This graduate visa grants me 2 years of full time working hours, which makes everything easier in terms of finding jobs in my area and in companies.

As I’ve said in a previous post here, students are allowed to work 40 hours fortnightly, which makes around 20 hours a week. Companies won’t want to hire people with work limitation, so for us the only way to really find jobs in our study area is to apply for the extension, or the graduate visa.

So if you are planning to come to study in Australia, best thing to do is already check the requirements for getting the graduate visa. If you are studying English or some certificates/VET, probably you are not entitled to this visa. So be careful and plan in advance, always saving money for the visa fees, the immigration agent fees and etc. Always chose wisely the course you want to study. And of course, first things first. Study English before anything, to improve your skills and to be able to really be part of the society in a active way, getting good jobs, understanding your rights and obligations, etc.

If your English is already good, perfect. Next step is to study something that you like and that could give you good a situation in the future.

Good luck!

See you

Hello guys!!

After that though week, I am enjoying a little bit now. I’ve already concluded almost all assignments, and now I am preparing myself for the final exams. Still 2 months until them, but preparation is never too much.

I decided to have a little bit of fun this week, and I came to The Star Casino to watch some basketball and soccer games. The Star is very nice, huge casino with lots of entertainment, many different bars, machines and restaurants. Pretty nice!

Sydney is a very nice place to live, in terms of entertainment and fun. But in my opinion there is a big problem on the city… everything closes very early. You basically can’t do anything after 10pm, unless going to specific places where venues close later. This really pisses me off a lot. In Brazil we use to do things very late, and restaurants close just 1am. Clubs go until 6 or 7 am, and in Sydney you can’t stay in any of these places after 3am. It’s just ridiculous. BUT… the Casino is 24/7, which makes everything much better.

Of course you can adjust yourself and do things earlier, but I really don’t like it. For me this is the downside of living in Sydney… I’ve always been a “night” person.. but it is what it is! For this reason I go to the Casino very often.. they have big screens, showing all sports in the Sports Bar… that’s perfect

The curious thing is that casinos are not permitted in Brazil. A place where everything is allowed and venues close 7am… can you understand?

Hello everybody!! Sorry for the lack of posts in the last days. I was so overwhelmed by all assessments, mid-term exams and work that I couldn’t have time to come here.

Now all my assessments were submitted, I had a quite decent mid-term exam on Corporate Accounting and I still had time to work a little bit. Thank God this week ended!

But all subjects here in Sydney demand not just one assessment, but two or sometimes three… Than I still need to be prepared for the next weeks. I’m almost there, just six more months of Uni.. than I will graduate!

How cool is that? It will be very rewarding!

Hey guys!

Today I am studying for a subject called Corporate Accounting. I have a midterm test tomorrow, and this subject is quite difficult, to be honest. I will spend the whole day reviewing tutorial questions, lectures and quizzes.

Normally the university website (which we call My VU Collaborate) has all detailed information about tests and exams, so we can use it to study for them. The exams are generally pretty fair, but also difficult. So nothing better than study and spend some time reading the subject.

I still need to finish two more assessments for Sunday, but they are almost all concluded, with just some things to be added. And then after that almost half of my semester will be gone! Time really flies.

If you are interested in studying a bachelor or masters here in Australia, I strongly suggest you to search a lot about the institutions and all the courses they give, the units, the structure, the length and etc. It’s better to look in advance rather than having surprises when arriving in Australia!

See ya!

Hello my friends!!

Today I will explain a little bit about the decision process of coming to study here in Australia.

I decided to live abroad in 2014, after my business closed due to a fire in the shopping center. My first stop was Canada, where I studied Academic English to prepare myself for a university. I really enjoyed Vancouver but we were not allowed to work there, so I think that my experience wasn’t quite complete over there. Also, the weather did not make me happy, specially after 30 straight days of rain and the sunset at 3.30pm.

After Canada, I decided to study a Bachelor of Business in Barcelona. I had already visited the city, and I always loved Europe and their lifestyle. The weather as not that bad, and the winter as cold but without many rainy days. The only problem there was the lack of work. Student visa in Europe works same was as here in Australia. We can work 20 hours per week, and this made my life very difficult in terms of finding a job. Also, the salary was not great, specially when rents in Barcelona are ridiculously high.

So I started to think… “I need a place with good weather, good universities and also good opportunities of employment”.. I had many friends who came to Australia and worked here, loved all experiences and said that they learned and grew a lot in their professional lives. After some research on google and pages or blogs focused on study abroad, I realized that Australia was a very good option for me.

Weather is very similar to Brazil, specially here in Sydney. Good and hot summer, with sunny days and lovely beaches. Winter is a little bit cold, but I actually love it. What I don’t like is rainy days, and in two years here in Sydney I haven’t seen many of them to be honest. It rains like Brazil, like a normal tropical city.

Universities are very good and well-known worldwide, with excellent reputation and respect. The possibility to find jobs not only in hospitality but also in my career after my graduation is also something very interesting and attractive.

And the city is very safe, everything works, nobody is screaming and complaining in an endless traffic… we have good salaries, so we can live a decent life even working just 20 hours per week. In the end, life is very fair here. You work but you are able to live, to buy things, to enjoy and have fun. Unfortunately in Brazil things are not quite fair at all.

So, what about you? What do you expect from Sydney? What would be your priorities when choosing a place to live abroad? If you have any questions or comments, just leave them here in this post! I will be glad to answer.

Thanks a lot! See you tomorrow

Hey!!!

Starting this huge week by posting some facts about the daily routine and life in Sydney.

1. Here we have the OPAL card to use public transport. You need to recharge it via app or on physical stores like 7-eleven
2. For some people this might not be different, but you drive in the right hand side! Like England, for example.
3. Australia has a time-zone of 30-minute difference. Yes, really. Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) is 30 minutes earlier than Sydney, for example.
4. There are more kangaroos than humans in the country. And we can actually buy kangaroo meat in supermarkets.
5. You can’t buy alcoholic drinks in supermarkets. The government does it to make it more difficult for people to buy alcohol unsupervised. You will have to go to a liquor store.
6. Australia’s capital is not Sydney! I know, you might be shocked but the capital is Canberra.

Which one was the most interesting? Would you like to see similar posts about interesting facts and curiosities?

See you!

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about another very important topic: rent options and prices in Sydney! I’ve been asked about this matter many times throughout my time in Australia… from friends, to people who are just planning to live here, or even my parents who are just curious about how things work in this country… everybody seems to be interested about rents!

We all know that here in Australia the minimum wage is very high compared to any other in the world. So I urge you to not be shocked about these prices I am going to say right now: the rent in Sydney can be minimum 100 dollars per week, and up to maybe 500 dollars per week. I know this is a lot of money, but let me explain first…

I see many Brazilians, for example, sharing a room with 2 or 3 other people, while living far from the city center. So of course they pay lower prices, like 100 to 120 per week. It’s the “price” you pay (or don’t pay, in this case) to lose some comfort and privacy. But everybody has a different plan or goal, so I won’t be here judging people’s choices.

If you want to live closer to the city center, closer to your school, your work… or if you just prefer to live close to beach, than you will pay more. And of course, if you prefer to have your own room, or your own apartment, then the price increases more and more. There is no limit on the rent prices, but I said 500 before because I really doubt students can afford something higher than that.

In my last post I said students are allowed to work just 20 hours per week, and the medium salary in hospitality jobs is around 20-23 per hour. If you count the costs of eating, having internet plan, public transport and etc, you understand why I said 500 is the maximum affordable. And I really believe 99% of students here pay no more than 300 per week, otherwise they can’t live. You must remember that almost nobody has money to pay for all the studies in advance, so let’s not forget school payments as well.

In my case, I share an apartment with my wife, and we pay 450 dollars per week, which is basically 225 per person per week, with bills included (phone, internet, tv plan, gas, water).

So as you can see there are many variables on rent prices. You need to understand what you might have to lose or give up, before choosing what’s best for your current situation.

Hey! Today I am going to answer one of the most common questions I receive everyday from friends, or even on Facebook groups. “Is it easy to find a job in Australia?”

There’s one big addition everybody should make to this question.. “Is it easy to find a job in Australia… AS A STUDENT?” . Yes, this makes a big difference and I am going to explain why.

When we come to study English, Bachelor, VET (Vocational Education and Training) or other courses for example, the Immigration Department grants us a “student visa”. This visa has limitations on the amount of hours you can work per week, because the government believes that if you came to study, you have to focus on your studies and develop your academic resume rather than work many hours a week. This student visa allows students to work 40 hours fortnightly, or 20 hours per week if you want to divide.

Yes, you still can work unlimited hours, but only when you are on study breaks or holidays. Then in this time you’re allowed to work without limitation of hours.

So yes, you can work in Australia, but is also much more difficult to find a job in a company as a student, because of course the big companies want to hire people that can work a regular schedule, like 40 hours per week. Even if you can work this amount on holidays, the companies want employees working this amount the whole year, of course.

Then, at least in my opinion, the best industry to work as a student is in hospitality. When I say hospitality, I am talking about being waiter, bartender, host, or working in functions, big events, shows, weddings, stores and etc. Many people may overlook or show disdain about these jobs, but in fact they are very good as well. You can make your own schedule, you get to know many people, cultures, friends, and also you learn a lot! Even if you are not planning to work in hospitality in your career, still worths a lot to get experience and to learn many things. And by the way, you can make very good money as well, specially when working in a nice restaurant with nice tips!

Another place I see many students working is in constructions, as labour. I personally can’t do it, specially because this job demands a lot physically, and you have to wake up normally around 4am everyday. That’s not for me. But you always have this option…

So, yes, it is easy to work in Australia. If you want to work in your area, in a big company and etc, then you should search more about other visa options. I am pretty sure the government has options for people with experience, good English and formation.

Good luck!

Hey!

Yesterday was Anzac Day here in Australia, which means no classes and no work.

By the way, Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorating all Australian and New Zealanders who died in wars, peacekeeping operations and conflicts in general. It is always on April 25th.

In the morning i spent some time in Bondi Beach, where many people usually go on sunny days, weekends, holidays etc. If you are planning to visit or live in Australia, soon you will be familiarized to this place, I’m pretty sure.

Tourism here in Sydney is very good, and the industry is always heated with many different options of tours, places, restaurants, beaches and etc. What a good place to live! You have access to world-class level of studies, good public transport, beautiful sightseeing, many options for food lovers and a safe city.

After the beach I had a quick lunch and came back home to conclude my E-Portfolio, which I explained a little bit more on the last post. Now I still need to conclude one Marketing Plan assessment for next week as well, and study for my first midseason test in Corporate Accounting.

Also I would like to know what kind of posts you are interested in. What do you want me to talk about? Do you have any questions about Australia, my university, my life or anything related to this Blog?

If you have, just leave a comment! I’ll gladly answer