18 year old girl from Serbia is planning to move to Australia. Help :)

[Ana]

Well guys, I don't know should I write here since I am not from UK, I am from Serbia. I have an Australian citizenship.

I have never been to Australia before. I want to study there, and I am so scared. I don't know if I can make that especially because of the language and a different system of education. I play volleyball, though I am not a professional. Any people who are not from UK or any english speaking country want to move to Australia? Currently, the period of 104 weeks waiting for a social help is worrying me. I don't know wheteher that applies to me. Any help welcome

[dewi]

Hi ana,

 

 

I know it might seem scary to move to a different environment.

 

I went to australia when I was 16 with no family at all. Turn out to be just fine. Expect to get homesick, but after a while it will be fun instead,

 

Hope you will have a wonderful experience ahead.

 

Regs

[fish.01]

Well guys, I don't know should I write here since I am not from UK, I am from Serbia. I have an Australian citizenship.

I have never been to Australia before. I want to study there, and I am so scared. I don't know if I can make that especially because of the language and a different system of education. I play volleyball, though I am not a professional. Any people who are not from UK or any english speaking country want to move to Australia? Currently, the period of 104 weeks waiting for a social help is worrying me. I don't know wheteher that applies to me. Any help welcome

 

"The Newly Arrived Resident’s Waiting Period may not affect you if you are:

 

 

- an Australian citizen, or"

From: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/newly-arrived-residents-waiting-period

[Ana]

Thank you dewi what's your experience?

fish.01 I have read that a long time ago. Just that "may not affect".. Doesn't that mean that it can affect me in some cases? I am sorry, I am not good at this.

[VERYSTORMY]

There are a number of people from non English speaking countries on the forum and a huge amount of people from them that move to Australia.

[Petals]

If you are coming with not much money and going to rely on any sort of student payment then you will need extra money from family. My daughter got disability and went to uni and we had to top up her money all the time, pay for car, her books all that stuff as social payments in Aus are nothing like social payments in Europe. The New Start Allowance for unemployed is not an allowance I would want to try and live on. Also as a student you are only allowed to work so many hours a week I think its 20 so you really need to look into the money side of things. If you do not qualify for a Hecs placement then you will also be required to pay for your course. Not every Australian gets a Hecs place at uni and a lot have to take a bank loan and pay for their courses up front. This is the only way they can get a place in university.

[MARYROSE02]

Well guys, I don't know should I write here since I am not from UK, I am from Serbia. I have an Australian citizenship.

I have never been to Australia before. I want to study there, and I am so scared. I don't know if I can make that especially because of the language and a different system of education. I play volleyball, though I am not a professional. Any people who are not from UK or any english speaking country want to move to Australia? Currently, the period of 104 weeks waiting for a social help is worrying me. I don't know wheteher that applies to me. Any help welcome

 

I'm just about to go and pick up my Serbian friend Alex (who is from Belgrade) in Randwick, and she will be angry because I'm late (operating on 'Dave Time!) and I will ask her for some tips for you. Where are you from in Serbia?

[Ana]

If you are coming with not much money and going to rely on any sort of student payment then you will need extra money from family. My daughter got disability and went to uni and we had to top up her money all the time, pay for car, her books all that stuff as social payments in Aus are nothing like social payments in Europe. The New Start Allowance for unemployed is not an allowance I would want to try and live on. Also as a student you are only allowed to work so many hours a week I think its 20 so you really need to look into the money side of things. If you do not qualify for a Hecs placement then you will also be required to pay for your course. Not every Australian gets a Hecs place at uni and a lot have to take a bank loan and pay for their courses up front. This is the only way they can get a place in university.

 

Of course my family will give me money, maybe even send me monthly. Also, I don't plan to enrol to the university this year. I will probably go there in September and find a full-time job and save up money until March I think. So I hope that will be enough. And since I am a citizen I thought that I can work as many hours as I want, even when I am a student? I didn't know that maybe I won't get HECs help. How is that possible??

[Ana]

VERYSTORMY, I really didn't know about that. I registered here because I have read some very good information.

Hey MARYROSE02, I live near Belgrade, I need only 45 minutes to get there by bus. I would appreciate it, try to ask her some useful stuff

[VERYSTORMY]

Yes you may qualify for HECS. I would speak to the university you are thinking of going to for assistance. Yes, you can work as much as you want

[Petals]

Of course my family will give me money, maybe even send me monthly. Also, I don't plan to enrol to the university this year. I will probably go there in September and find a full-time job and save up money until March I think. So I hope that will be enough. And since I am a citizen I thought that I can work as many hours as I want, even when I am a student? I didn't know that maybe I won't get HECs help. How is that possible??

 

There are only so many Hecs places and once these are filled there may be fee paying places left in the course you want to go into. There is no guarantee that a Hecs place will be offered to you or anyone. It will really depend on your marks and the marks of every other person that wants to get into the course at the university. Once you have an undergrad degree its much easier to get into another course at a university.

 

My daughter as I said wanted a particular course and they were not offering Hecs Places for that course. So she either did it and paid up front or found another course at another university where she could get a Hecs place. They have first round offers and then if there are places left then second round offers.

 

For medicine at University of Melbourne for example people now have to have an undergrad degree before being accepted into medicine.

 

The fees for course are not the same and the fees charged by universities are not the same. There is a book that comes out in about August each year which will give an idea of what is what with courses.

 

So it will depend on demand, marks, etc. Some course require people to have personal interviews.

 

Usually if you are receiving any type of social assistance to help through uni you are restricted on how many hours a week you can work and also you have to report to centrelink all the time what hours you have worked so that they can adjust the amount they pay you by reduction.

[Ana]

Okay, I get. I thought that those rang lists referes only to universities. Like, if I my grades are not good enough they won't accept me. I didn't know that HECs help is also limited. I have pretty good marks here in Serbia but our educational systems are different. That is what worries me the most, and I would really like to see if someone have experience with that. I don't know if I have to do any tests that Australian have. Swinburne University told me that they will accept my offer with a grading scheme, copies of my certificates (grades) and an IELTS test. I really hope that will be enough. And thank you for your help,it means so much to me!