Unforgetful memory in the University of Sydney

By Shiwei XIAO (International Accounting 102)

In my last year in JUFE, I was like many other students who were standing at the crossroad of their life. At that time, the biggest issue for me was choosing a university I like to get my master degree. Having failed to score 700 in GMAT, I had to give up my American dream and Sydney University was definitely my second option. My own reason can come down to the following :first of all, I wanted to spend at least 2 years abroad because I thought 1 year is too short for me to explore a new country and a new culture. Secondly, I wanted to stay abroad after graduation seeing that Australia offers international students two years working visa when we finished our degree. Now two years passed, I think I just made a right decision.

Sydney University,established in the downtown Sydney in 1850, is Australia's first university and is also regarded as one of the leading universities all over the world. I was so lucky to get the campus accommodation’s offer that I can live on campus. Unlike my other classmates who lived in the suburbs, I could reach everywhere on campus on my own foot instead of driving from suburbs, which helped me to save a lot of time. Another reason I chose to live on-campus was I can make friends with many international students as well as local students instead of only making Chinese friends. For students who want to study in Sydney University, my suggestion is you can directly go to student accommodation office and ask the staff for help, rather than apply for on-campus accommodation online .

To be honest, the majority of postgraduate students in Sydney University are international students,among which most are from China. But I was still astonished by the number of Chinese students in Sydney University. Almost 90% accounting students are Chinese, and most of them chose to study in Australia because of immigration intent. So if you want to enroll into a school that is not deluged with Chinese people, Sydney University may not be a good choice for you.

Talking about study life in Sydney, I must say it was very tense actually, although you only have 4 lectures a week. You must be careful if you decided to study in Australia, because the failing rate in University of Australia was really high. Approximately 1 out of 4 students majoring in accounting failed in Sydney University. The reason for such high failing rate in accounting lies in accounting is the only major in business school that is available for immigration.

Postgraduate students’ life is not only about studying, but travelling and working part-time. I tried several part-time jobs during 2 years, and I really found that work part-time was a must-try thing. One of my part-time jobs was working for a hotel as a morning buffet attendant. For this job, I need to get up very early in the morning to prepare the morning buffet. The pay was above average level: around 23$ per hour and I got double pay during weekends. I usually worked 2 days a week and the money I earned can cover most part of my living expense. The most interesting thing about my part time job was that I can work with people from all over the world as Australia is an immigration country. I enjoyed talking with people from different backgrounds and I also learned how to make proper coffee. Some of my friends also worked as sales in airport or luxury stores. In Sydney, you can easily get a casual job if you really want one.

After two years study, many of my friends want to stay in Australia. Australia government offers a 2 years working visa to international students who spend 2 years studying in Australia. Moreover, students who major in accounting can apply for permanent residence after graduation, which enables them to stay in Australia forever and to apply for Australia citizenship as long as they want. Therefore, if you want to immigrate to Australia, do apply for the accounting major. To immigrate to Australia is easier than to Canada and America, and that’s why so many students chose Australia to study. The basic requirement of immigration is obtain the degree in accounting over 25 years old and getting 7 for every single part of IELTS (But now you probably need get 8 for every single part of IELTS). You will have more choice after you got permanent citizenship in Australia, you can go back to China or stay in Australia to work. Many people long for immigrating to Australia also because the lifestyle here is relaxing and not as competitive as China. If you get a job, you can easily feed yourself and your children. Also, Australia’s Medicare system is one of the best in the world. Once you got your PR, you can go to doctor for free. If you want to stay abroad after graduation, my suggestion is you keep on trying because you never know what you can make until you try it, then just try it.

I didn’t regret making my choice to come to Australia two years ago, and now I am falling love with the country and I decide to spend next several years in Sydney living and working.