Of applications

I have already spent a lot for the Australia study trip! And preparing for it is no mean feat! Luckily I have a friend who is into her 2nd semester at Perth and I can consult her about stuff, especially the number of shoes to bring! I think I shall take photos of all my shoes and bags before going so I can look at them while I'm in Queensland. I'll miss my babies!

Have to apply for the universities I am interested in and some of them require you to pay application fees. Like University of Queensland (A$50) and Queensland University of Technology (A$55). Ultimately I was accepted by both universities but my heart is really set on the former.

Pretty UQ

Then before applying, I went to 2 Australian Universities fairs, at Orchard Hotel and at Suntec. The one at Orchard Hotel only had a few universities and I went to make enquiries about Royal Melbourne University of Technology (RMIT). It requires you to have an academic reference for enrolment into its communication course! And I managed to find a very nice ex-lecturer/tutor who agreed to help me with the letter (although I did not need one eventually because I never apply!). The latter was heavily advertized in newspapers and on television (maybe heavily is a matter of perception because I had been looking out for such fairs). It was one with a lot of universities and I was told that application on the spot would be free (but I did not verify that). So if you are thinking of saving some money, you should bring your certificates with you. Save where you can! Replies from the universities may take about 2-4 weeks or longer.

Other than the fairs, you can find some education agencies that can help you with your information search. I received my help from IDP. It can assist you in most of the documents (Student Visa, universities applications, flights etc) you require for your trip. And it also notified me of the events that may be of interest to me, such as pre-departure seminars (Very useful! A starter for getting used to Australian slang at least.) and visiting professors from various universities.

Applications do not stop at the universities only. You may need to find your own accommodation (for certain universities/courses, especially for postgraduates). This is where you thank the Internet because all the accommocation available on campus can be viewed online (at least for UQ). There's a problem with applying for hostels though. Usually they require you to submit your payment before you are given an opportunity to check out the facilities. So all you have are a bunch of professionally taken photographs of the lodging in question. How much the reality deviates from the pics is a matter of luck. Most of these applications have to be through snail mail, so it's a good idea to search well in advanced.

I very heng sia! I got the last room available at the hostel of my choice. So that's the end of the search for me. It was all very exciting! I emailed the person in charge for the details on application procedure. Then I went to bed. But my sixth sense was very good. I couldn't sleep and felt that I should check my email at 9AM (SG time). Very amazing because I seldom rise before 12PM during holidays. So I dragged myself out of bed and saw the reply email which informed me that only one room was available and the first person to complete the application will get the room. Super sian!!! I need to submit not one but TWO references!!! Luckily, my ex-lecturer/tutor was online and I sought his help (which he agreed to without a moment hestitation! Thank you sir!). 15 minutes later, I had my electronic references and the completed application form which I promptly emailed to the lady in charge with an explanation that I will snail mail the documents to her as soon as possible. So here we go:

The S$1.30 postage fee for mailing the 3 pieces of papers and an envelope

It costs over S$20 to mail the same thing by courier (2-4 working days)! Wah lao! It's so light lor. I decided to go by normal mail (7-11 working days) and hope that the lady will accept my application through email. Wise choice, because I received an email from her stating that my email application was sufficient and the last room was mine. Wahahahahahahaha!!! I'm going to stay in this pretty hostel!

No lao kok kok places for me!

Then I had to pay A$5020 (including A$600 bond and electricity, gas, internet access, telephone service, some periodic cleaning and annual carpet cleaning) for 1 semester's stay till 31st Dec. And to accept the offer from UQ, the payment of A$8871 (A$8400 for one semester's fees + A$471 for 18 month Health Cover) has to be made.

And need to book air tickets! But I think it has gone down considerably. SQ flight to Brisbane costs S$890 for 2-way. Paid the S$150 security deposit already but they haven't called me to confirm the flight details yet. Hmmm...

Hope that's the end of the high costs man.

***

Item	Costs
UQ Application	A$50
QUT Application	A$55
Postage for accommodation application	S$1.30
Accommodation + bond	A$5020
Semester's fees + Health Cover	A$8871
Flight security deposit	S$150
Total	A$13,996 + S$151.30