LukeM

Even what you posted first would be fine scottishstacey. It's better than the PC I have at work... Which, by the way, I work for a global IT company... hmmm and for us to be using 11+ year old tech for day to day work in a business like this is embarrassing. If you go for either the chrome book or the hp one you posted first, you won't have any problems doing what you need. (From someone who gets paid to ask "have you tried turning it off and on again?")

Agree with Anya. It's not really taught here. I think it's great the uk are starting to pick it up. I wish I knew about stuff. I have barely any clue what interest rages and variable rates and all the fees, repayments etc are and I'm nearly 22 I don't know where people learn it without (in a lot of cases) learning the hard way and I don't want to learn the hard way!

It should also be considered that the increases don't directly affect anyone who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. I believe the majority of changes (in terms of any increase) don't kick in until 2016.

Normally, I can't say no to a good deal. However Rent a Bomb... the deal is too good to be true. We hired a car from Rent a Bomb on the Gold Coast once (nr Surfers Paradise). Horrible experience. We drove about 1km and took the car back, it was that bad. I opened the car door to get out when we got back to the place and the door handle fell off! That really took me by surprise. They call those cars 'bombs' for a reason. They're really old (mostly), cheap, nasty and 'ready to blow'! Avoid at all costs.

Check out Groupon - they sometimes have good deals. I recently got a $40 entry for 2 people at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which included 2x $5 food vouchers, and 2x $5 gift shop vouchers (which are valid when you spend $20 in one go...) for free. So yeah, $40 for us to go in and $20 of savings once inside - can't complain. Never know what you will find on Groupon!!

I think you mean *the best* dferri2000 If I could have dinner there every day for the rest of my life I would die happy. There's also the sanctuary. It's great. For food anyway! And uh I would like to live there That's all I got. Currumbin is great.

A brief Google search found this, but it was from 2010 so the rules might have changed: http://www.studyconnect.com/forums/showthread.php?p=65427

I don't see it as "sad" at all. I left. I got on with life over here. My friends all dispersed to universities and got on with theirs. I keep contact with one or two and family. They all know I've no intention of returning and they're fine with that too! Life is what you make of it. I chose to make it in Australia and to not mingle with "fellow poms" upon arrival so as to not be suckered into that school of comparing life and trying to establish where the grass is truly greener. I don't want to live thinking that I made the wrong choice so I just came over and got on with it. It wasn't my choice to go back for those 3 weeks and I don't want to go into why I did but all it did was just reaffirm that I'm living my life and they're living theirs and everyone's happy, so why does it matter? :skeptical: At at the end of the day if everyone's happy then that's all that matters! And that's just the situation for me. I totally understand people want to go back and visit and that's cool - each to their own! And I also get that sadly for many they have to leave for a variety of reasons and that's always a risk you take moving to another nation. All the same, I wish anyone who's holidaying or who's returning home permanently all the very best!

I went back once for 3 weeks. That was 2 years ago. Hated every second of it from the moment I left my house the morning of the flight to the moment I got back on the plane in London. I didn't want to go for any length of time in the first place (long story) and hated every second and I felt that it was just a huge waste of time and money for all concerned. It was cold. I got really sick (which resulted in me having surgery 4 months later!) and I would never go back again - other than for the fact that my partner is hoping one day I will take her to London, but that won't be a "trip home" for me, it'll be a holiday so she can say she's been to London and that's all it'll be. Everyone is different... Some wanna go back, some don't. Some are content to go for a holiday, come back, feel no different afterwards and their heart's in the same place. It really is totally 100% subjective and that's just how I felt/feel.

CSP means you're just paying the domestic fees (what an Australian citizen would pay later) up-front rather than what an international student would pay. You won't get HECS without being a Citizen. HECS is deferring payment until you earn over a certain amount per year and then you repay the fees through tax.

Citizenship test 1st week of November. Emailed DIAC to apply for urgent ceremony in the first week of January, they scheduled me for one in the first week of March. So it was a while. 4 months from taking the test to having the ceremony. They won't ask you to apply, you have to apply. The information about how to apply, including forms, are on the Internet and freely available - Google it and make sure you send it to the Ceremonies section of the State that you are living in and make sure that you submit any relevant documentation with it at the time.

If my understanding is correct, deregulation would affect students who enrol from 2016 onwards only and that it hasn't passed in the senate yet so there's still a chance it won't happen. I am holding out hope (for others' sake) that the degregulation doesn't pass in the senate!

That's what I like to hear Tina2 - hopefully means there will be some good graduate positions available in the area for when I graduate at the end of 2016!!!

No worries - I agree, definitely a lot more choice! I didn't really get a choice. It was just that when we applied for our visas, that it worked out that they were granted just before I started year 13/second year of A Levels. So we just decided to activate the visa (2 week trip) and then return to the UK so I could finish my A Levels and my brother could finish GCSEs and then just move as soon as those were over. We had certificates posted over for my A Levels for my Uni application. If I had failed and not got a good enough rank, I'm not sure what I would have done (like if I had failed, I don't know if I would have gone and done a part year 11/all of 12 or if I would have gone to TAFE) but it turns out I didn't need to do either so it was all good. My brother went back to school even though he had finished his GCSEs and did part of year 11 + all of 12.

From my view of the situation it sounds like you want to come to Aus Which is great. But I can see you're obviously worried about the age gap too. Age is merely a number. You might be a little more mature than your classmates but it doesn't mean to say you can't find a good community of friends in school just because some are a little younger/older than you. You mentioned a few different Universities too. You're doing your research - but you mentioned Hervey Bay. That's pretty far away distance-wise from those that you have mentioned. I do understand your apprehension of starting Uni early. I had an 8 month gap between finishing A levels and starting Uni in Qld. I was errr 18 then! But you'll learn a lot about yourself by going to Uni how ever old you are and you certainly won't be alone if you go to Uni younger, because that's just how the system works here! GCSEs aren't counted for anything, as you've heard. Which is why, as I see it, from your posts, it sounds like you want to come here and you could be in a position to do so. If you really think you're not ready for Uni, you don't have to go straight away! See I remember how it was in the UK (when I did it!) - you had to go through GCSEs and then you had to pass them with C or above in Maths/English/Science(s), and then you had to go straight on to them in September after GCSEs. You couldn't come back to A Levels later and they were the best (and for many, the only) way in to University. Meanwhile in Australia... you can go to high school and do year 11 and 12. Get your OP or rank. If it's not the OP or rank you desire, there's ways of doing further study elsewhere in an area of interest to you (at TAFE - do a Diploma, or a Tertiary Prep Program) that allows you to improve on your rank for entry. Lots of people finish school, go do something else or go do TAFE and go to Uni when they're a bit older and have decided what they want to do. I think it sounds like your concerns about age gaps and such could take you on to this path and you may be happier this way. It may be of interest to you to know that recent research and figures published state clearly that Queensland has the highest drop-out rate of students in Universities. Why? Because, as you were saying, it just seems too young. I think (not 100% sure) the other states start Uni a bit older than us Queenslanders. Hope that helps reassure you a little bit, and, good luck with your decision.

Honestly - I would do A Levels. The only time that I would say do year 11 + 12 in Aus is if you were: 1) in a position where you had to move with your whole family in a short space of time and you didn't have anyone to stay with/you were totally torn over not being able to move to Aus. 2) uncertain about going through the school system in Aus. If you're academically bright enough to adapt and you have no intentions of going back to the UK/you don't want to go to Uni over there, then you should be fine - as long as you're OK with finishing school a little younger and going to Uni a little younger. If you want to keep your options open completely - do the A Levels. The IB is also a great option and someone else mentioned it here previously. I did A Levels. I wouldn't have wanted to go to school, and I would've also been a bit old! Ha. But you're at an OK age. But I would say finish your GCSEs and see how you feel would be my advice. Good luck.

Interesting - do you know where in TM the College is located, in relation to say going from Brisbane down the coast to TM, how far up is it? Is it actually within the mountain(s) or is it down the bottom and the suburbs that kinda line the way on the way up there? Just curious. Obviously I could look it up but it's easier to get perspective from someone going "oh it's kinda in between x and y near the z!"

You could do part of Year 11 and all of Year 12 and still get a decent entry score (depending on how bright and capable a student you are). If you decided that you didn't want to finish your A Levels and came here to Australia and decided that you wanted to go to Uni, you also have the option of doing a Tertiary Prep course or going to TAFE and then Uni later on. Personal opinion: the Australian systems offer you more pathways to University than the UK, if that is what you want. In fact, there may just be too many. And they can all vary somewhat by State/Territory!

Nostrify is a word, apparently! Not one I've heard before, but it is! To nostrificate; to grant recognition to a degree from a foreign university; To adopt, accept, or include as part of one's own culture I'm guessing in the context of this thread, it'd be "to grant recognition to a degree from a foreign university" In many cases that I've heard of regarding legal practitioners wanting to practice in the legal or judicial system of Australia, an Australian qualification seems to be preferable. It is likely that you will have to re-train. I think you may be disappointed regarding the abundance of hairdressing jobs for your husband, and I think you will also probably be disappointed that you will need to look into retraining in the Australian legal system at University and that may be a painful process including applying for credit for prior learning, providing evidence and documentation, payment of international student fees etc. Not to be a negative nancy but if I've understood the OP's post correctly then I feel that this unfortunately may be the situation.

I have never heard of anyone doing volunteer teaching - and I think even if you managed to find something like that, it is extremely unlikely that you would be able to do it without a prior qualification. Have you considered tutoring as a possible part time or temporary job or something to do on your own time? Doing a graduate diploma part time would be at least two years (or more). Depending on your visa conditions, this may not be viable.

Google is your friend. As you've already got an undergraduate qualification, check these out: https://education.adelaide.edu.au/study/postgraduate-study/ Obviously check the other Universities too (UniSA etc) If your degree isn't recognised in Australia then, regardless, you need an undergraduate degree before you can do one of those courses. Although it is unlikely, if you do end up needing to get another degree, you may well get credit for your previous studies. An alternative route is to do a Bachelor of Education of some sort as either a standalone or a dual degree. But I don't think you'll find many schools teach business or economics. If you can, explore the possibility of getting in to Maths as your teaching area as there's probably better job prospects for you there. Same with Physics, if that interests you, but you'd probably need a whole new degree for Physics.

Hey all Thought I might join in this thread I have a bit of a different perspective, you see. I've been quiet(er) around these boards of late. I've been in Qld for 4 years this year. I came here when I was 18 with my family as a PR and started Uni after ~9 months of being here. I'm doing a Bachelor of Arts/Education (Secondary) combined, so maybe I can share insights as to what it's like to train as a teacher in Australia at a different level, hopefully it might help some realize some of the differences and realities of the education system here (at least in Qld - it's different in each state!) If people have questions, do feel free to ask. I'm only just starting second year this year. I took an IT degree first. I know a lot of people doing Graduate Diploma of Education as well. It's going to be interesting as I wasn't schooled in Aus (to any level!) - did my GCSEs and A Levels in the UK, came here, 9 month break, dive in to University (Bachelor of Information Technology), hated it, changed to BA/BEd. Good move. So if people have insights of teaching here in Aus already as well I'd be interested to read more

Best of luck with the visa. If your daughters can get A Levels before you come out, you're in a much better position. GCSEs and AS level don't stand up for anything here. They either need the A levels, or to do year 11/12 or TAFE here to stand the best chance. If you need to know anything do feel free to post or PM to me

Hi Yes this was with my parents on a PR visa. To be honest it wasn't an issue for me as I wanted to move. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do when I got here, but I knew I wanted to move so I guess that probably made it easier. I had 8 months break between finishing A levels and starting at University. You just need the A Level certificates to be able to apply - the tertiary admissions centres don't accept "Statement of Results" as official, as they're not final results. Entry requirements will be different for every University and each State/Territory, but, the cost will be the same unless you choose a private University e.g. Bond University. It can be confusing at times, but if you know what you want to do (i.e. which course and which state you'll be living in) then aside from the obvious up-front cost, it won't be too hard to work out.

It will depend on where you live... If you want something with calls in it as you said in another post, you could get a smartphone that has a mobile WiFi hotspot feature (the iPhone from 4 onwards can do it, as can most Android-powered smartphones). Buy one out-right (used or new) and get a pre-paid SIM for it with a decent amount of data, or get one on a plan. Telstra will be the most expensive option but have the best coverage and fastest data speeds (pretty much everywhere - they're the only network allowed to place a mast on a hill in Australia!) Lots of other networks use the Optus network (such as Virgin, Boost, Amaysim etc) and they all have fairly competitive plans - but it's a much larger network and in some areas coverage isn't so great and uptake on 4G, compared to Telstra, has been slow(er). Could always get a few friends to tell you what theirs is like where you live to help make an informed decision.