A few of weeks ago, one of my good friends from India visited Sydney. She had gotten admissions in both Australian and US universities, and wanted to get a feel for Australia before deciding which country to choose for her postgraduate studies.

She had been to US before, but it was her first time in Australia.

Like an obedient good friend, it was my duty to show her around Sydney. Be an unpaid tour guide to her! You owe me, Prats!

We spent a few days exploring Sydney, as well as the University of Sydney where she had gotten admission in the Master of Global Supply Chain.

 

Last week, she finalized her decision to choose the University of Sydney over the US universities. I asked her to share with my readers what made her tip in favour of Australia.

Lo and Behold! She sent me a thoroughly filled table with her comparison for Australia Vs USA, together with a few lines on what she felt after visiting both US and Australia.

I think it’s best that you all get to see her analysis directly in the form she sent me.

 

Enter Prathiba:

 

It seems like that for both culture and lifestyle, Australia works for your benefit. You aren’t fighting against the place and people to make your life.

Australia gives to you what people in the US seem to work a hundred times harder for. It seems like people in the US are running with a purpose, but in a bubble and as a herd.

Because of all this, there seems to be no downside and only upside in choosing Australia. The opportunity seems great, lifestyle seems better, so just from a factual standpoint, I don’t see how choosing Australia isn’t the best thing to do.

Here are all the reasons I’ve chosen Australia for:

Australia	USA
PR soon after graduation + Citizenship in 4/5 years	Risky Green Card, likely takes 10+ years
Healthy part-time jobs and internship culture to earn while studying	Not possible to earn as high as in Australia from part-time jobs
No work visa issues after graduation	Tough work visa situation even after graduation
Less competitive market = Greater access to top jobs	Very competitive to get top jobs
End work by 5-6 pm	End work by 7-8-9 pm
2 months off per year	2/3 weeks off per year
Less distance from India	More distance for India
Positive work culture and lifestyle	Very demanding work culture and lifestyle
Most livable cities in the world (Melbourne #1, Sydney #10)	None in the top 10

—

When I looked at her analysis, I was amazed at how she simply broke it down to the mere facts. I am sure several of these reasons are true for you as well.

If you are choosing between Australia and any other country for study or job, this type of analysis can very well be your starting point.

At AustraliaYours, my job is to inspire you and also to provide you smart tools to not only move to this wonderful country, but also make a great life here. Here are some of the resources I have prepared for you:

• How To Apply For Your Australian PR Without Hiring Any Migration Agent
• How To Build Your Network To Get Multiple Job Offers
• How To Get PhD or MPhil Offer in Australia
• How To Score 7+ or 8+ In IELTS Using The Smart Hacks

 

P.S. If you’ve an Engineering degree, I’ve detailed Step-by-Step process in easy words that I did to apply and get my Australian PR in this Free Ultimate Guide

This is a guest post by Aerij Tallat, who came to Australia around 3 years ago as a Master’s student. She is now working at one of the big 4 telcos in Australia. An avid traveller, reader and a foodie, she can be reached through her Instagram. 

---

We’ve all been there where we start to question everything we’ve been through to get where we are. We also question, at times, if this is all worth it. I for one used to have this thought at least once a month!

I was always one of those girls who never fantasized about getting married at 23, and have a kid at 24. Not that there is anything wrong with this ideology, but it just wasn’t me.

I always believed there was more to life.

However, never in my wildest dream I thought that one day I would be sitting in Sydney, with a Master’s Degree in Construction Project Management, writing an article about how to get through your first few years here.

I think my odd thinking got me here.

The universe gave me the motivation I needed to get here, and I pursued it. However, like many things in life, the main reason I thought I was coming to Australia for didn’t really work out well. Looking back, it all makes sense why it didn’t.

And I’m sure your expectations from Australia might have been different as well when you first moved here. You might have faced a challenge or two that you weren’t prepared for. Or, more importantly, you might still be in that phase of figuring out how to manoeuvre your boat?

 

Here are 3 mindsets that kept me going through some of the hardest times of my life after coming to Australia:

 

1) Be Your Own Cheerleader

I am an introvert, which is why I find it challenging to make friends out of people; I struggle making the first contact. At times, I have even struggled to figure out whom to put in my emergency contact number, as I literally couldn’t think of anyone that close.

In times like these, it is important to realise and accept that you are your own cheerleader.

Learn to acknowledge how far you’ve come when there is no one to remind you of that.

For me, I always used my sales bonuses to reward myself. I would buy something to wear, or go on a small trip, or maybe just go for a nice dinner because I wanted to acknowledge the hard work that my mind and body were doing.

When you start treating yourself the way you want people to treat you, wonders happen. You start to make friends who acknowledge your successes as much as you do. And you are celebrated everywhere you go, because you start exhibiting pride of the little successes you’ve achieved.

 

2) Learn To Suck Up The Universe’s Plan

We all have a plan right? But then something happens and it knocks out our cute little plan out of the park!

Learn to be ok with it. Suck it up.

I know it’s easier said than done but honestly, what else can you do? Even if you whine and complain all your life, the time won’t go back, right?

What I do in such times is evaluate my efforts, and if I genuinely conclude that I gave it all, then I get at peace with myself.

I tell myself that all that energy will pay off some better way.

And if I come to a realisation that I could have done better, I tell myself to try harder the next time.

Once I got fired on the spot from a security job, because I was leaning on the wall, as I was really sick and couldn’t find a replacement to do my shift. Isn’t it brutal? After crying my eyes out on my way back home, I managed to be at peace.

It pushed me harder to look for another job. And a week later, I landed a job that paid 50% more than that security job.

Here’s another example. We all love to make the best out of summer breaks. But I told my manager that I am fully available to work and would really appreciate some extra shifts. She told me to ask other store managers of the same brand about the availability of shifts. And so I did.

But as soon as I started to get more shifts, my original manager fired me saying that she doesn’t like me working at other stores. She cancelled all my shifts at her store and even had other managers cancel my shifts too. (B****!)

My takeaway from this? She will be in this job forever, while I will add this bitter experience to my story some day. A story that would be worth telling.

Switching jobs for the past two years made me realise that I never got comfortable in any of those jobs. Instead, the job hunt kept me on my toes, and unlike many people who stay stuck in odd jobs, I managed to get out of this odd-jobs cycle, with a great offer, even before I graduated.

 

3) Prepare For The Future

When you start your first few years abroad as a stepping stone, the mishaps will happen. Don’t let them shake your boat. Keep your eye on the prize. Remind yourself more often what you’re here for.

One technique I use is to physically do things that will indicate that I am ready for it. For instance, I bought a dress for the job interview 3 months before I even applied for my first job. And when I gave the interview, I bought another one that I was going to wear to go in to sign the contract.

Everyone has a different definition of preparation. Some people want to master the conversation skills and the speaking style, while others want to master the topic of the interview. For me, it is always about my first impression.

I dress well because it gives me confidence in myself.

This is my way of preparation. So whatever you think is your kind of preparation, do it, before the opportunity presents itself.

In a year worth of work in retail, I managed to load my wardrobe with formal clothes I was going to wear on my dream job. By doing this, I showed myself (and the universe) that I am serious about my goal. I am investing in it and I am ready for it as soon as it comes. I was eventually able to score a great job at a big 4 telco, 2 weeks before my final semester results came out.

 

 

It’s ok for everything to be chaos at times. It teaches you what is important and who is important. Complaining will never get you anywhere.

If you give it all you have, it will come back in a better way. Always remind yourself to be thankful for the opportunity of living in this wonderful country. How many are at much worse in life, stuck in a job, country, relationship, or a situation, that they definitely cannot get out of? We’re in a country where hard work pays off monumentally.

If you’re devoted, you will be able to fast track your life. Failures are momentary, success is eternal.

Be humble for what you have, and share and cherish what you’ve learned along the way. Remember, there is more to life.

– Aerij Talat

 

P.S. For guest posts on AustraliaYours, email me at hassan@australiayours.com

---

 

If you’ve an Engineering degree, I’ve detailed Step-by-Step process in easy words that I did to apply and get my Australian PR (without hiring any Migration agent) in this Free Ultimate Guide

I’m all for working-your-ass-off to achieve your goals. Especially when you are in your twenties and thirties.

It’s true that I moved to Australia because there are better work opportunities, better culture, people, and most of all, a thriving growing first-world country.

It’s also true that I work (or at least try to work) 16-hours a day, and I don’t take weekends off either.

But when you are living in Australia, you’ve got to steal some days every now and then to experience this wonderland.

And one such day was yesterday. It was a Saturday and a bright summer day.

A bunch of us decided to head over to St. Kilda’s Beach, Melbourne.

Pretty much all the major cities in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane) are port cities. Meaning they have miles of absolutely gorgeous coastline, and some of the best beaches in the world.

And the best part is that these beaches are right within the city, easily accessible by buses or trams.

You’ve probably heard about Aussie culture of beaches. If not, it will take just a single glance to see it.

Once you enter the area, you truly feel part of the community. There are people from all different cultures – Asians, South Asians, Australians, Arabs, Europeans, Africans – sunbathing, playing volleyball, swimming, taking selfies, cycling, and running around.

 

Of course, we also didn’t leave any opportunity to turn the camera on and pose 😉

—

In all the busy schedules that all of us have built around us, we kind of forget the value of taking breaks and letting go.

There will always be laundry to do or meal to cook. And there will always be work deadlines to meet.

Yesterday, in some sense, reminded me that one of the reasons I moved to Australia in the first place was to explore and experience the best there is in the world.

I could have spent Saturday in front of my Macbook as well, like I do on most Saturdays. Or I could have made some memories to cherish.

—

Through AustraliaYours, I like to share my daily life with you in order to inspire you to work hard towards your goals of moving to Australia, and becoming an Australian PR.

I also create tools, such as Ultimate CDR Writing Kit, and Ultimate Guide To Australian PR that help you save thousands of dollars and make the PR process easier for you.

You can Download Ultimate Guide FREE here:

This is a guest post by Ali A. Noorani, who recently had to rush his mother to a hospital emergency in Australia.

---

It was a Saturday morning, 6:00am, when my mom suddenly started feeling pain. She hesitantly woke me up.

There was no time to think. I jumped out of my bed in my trousers and a T-shirt, and rushed her to the closest General Physician. We were advised to immediately head over to hospital for tests and check-up.

It turned out that she was suffering from acute pancreatitis. Luckily, ultrasound results didn’t show any gall stones, so the surgery which could have taken over 2 weeks and $40,000 was avoided.

Instead, she underwent treatment for 5 days, and the total medical bill accumulated to about $12,000.

This incident sent chills down my spine.

I cannot even comprehend how struggling this time could be for someone who is still in the phase of settling down in Australia, such as students or people still looking for jobs. These costs can literally throw them off the ground and result in anxiety attacks.

Even I was caught off guard. I had no idea how to navigate through medical emergencies in Australia. Through this experience, I’ve learnt several invaluable lessons (the hard way, I must add).

Although, I would not want in a million years that anyone has to go through a similar situation, but its life and shit happens.

I would like to share some tips that might be useful for you in the time of need.

 

I’ll start by targeting some common misconceptions I’ve heard in these 5 days.

Misconception # 1: Public Hospitals Are Cheaper

They are not.

Private and Public hospitals are both ludicrously expensive in Australia. The only difference is that a private hospital will ask you to pay up front with no instalment plans, whereas public hospitals will treat you first and then bill will be sent to your home that can be paid back in instalments.

In my case, I first went to the emergency department of Knoxx Private Hospital. Once they diagnosed the ailment, they asked me to pay $7200 for 3 days upfront before they can admit my mom in the hospital.

Misconception # 2: Hospitals Intentionally Extend the Duration of Patient’s Stay To Charge More

I heard this from many people.

But after speaking to many doctors who have been practising in Australia, I’ve found that there is no truth behind it. Instead, doctors and hospitals have their targets, and one of them is patient’s discharge rate.

Moreover, public hospitals are always struggling for not having enough beds. Keeping a patient longer than necessary is the last thing they want.

So getting relieved from this cynical thought surely helps in lowering stress and redirecting mental energies in the right path.

 

7 Tips That Might Help You In Case of Hospital Emergency

 

1) GET AN INSURANCE

It’s the most important one. We as a community are not wired to get one.

Do understand that most of the insurances will not cover inpatient (hospital admissions & surgeries) in the first 2 months. This was also the case with my mom as she arrived here 25 days ago before this incident.

There is just one insurance, BUPA, which does not have this criteria of 2 months. I recommend this insurance.

You may also need to educate yourself on the difference between travel insurance that you get along with your ticket booking, and private insurances, such as BUPA and MEDIBANK that you get once you land here. They are different.

Travel insurances are more expensive, but cover you for these kinds of unforeseen tragedies.

 

2) DITCH THE QUEUE OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

People who’ve been to emergency department of public hospitals would know that the average waiting time is 3-4 hours, unless you are having a heart attack or you’re severely bleeding, or you’ve fainted.

If you hold a private insurance, you can ditch the queue and visit a private hospital.

You may have to initially pay doctor fees ($300–400), but you’ll be treated right away. Your pain will be relieved and your ailment will be diagnosed.

You can later claim this amount from insurance.

In case hospital admission is required, you can then get the patient transferred directly to a ward of public hospital (it’s called direct admission). Hospital will arrange it for you. It can save you the agony of seeing the patient in pain for hours on end.

3) DRESS WELL

It’s ironic and counter-intuitive. On my first day, I rushed to hospitals with my mom while I was in my trousers and T-shrit. I looked shabby and I struggled to get the right information.

We, human beings, are conditioned to respond to others based on their outer appearances. It happens unconsciously.

Next day, I dressed well, and I experienced an enormous change in everyone’s behaviour towards me.

Nurses and doctors listened to me and answered my queries. They explained intricate details, which they previously must have thought that I was incapable to understand.

 

4) KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

A quick search on google will tell you what your rights are. Both as a patient and as a carer.

Just knowing them will put you in much more suitable position. Instead of begging for few things, you will just ask for them.

Your tone will change from “Please let me know, it’s a request” to “I want to know, it’s my right”.

It will make a big difference on the outcome.

 

5) PLEASANTRIES WORK BIG TIME

Working in a hospital as a nurse or a doctor is one of the most thankless jobs out there.

People throw tantrums at them. They shout and curse them. 95% of the hospital staff is subjected to verbal abuse of some sort.

In such a fast-paced environment, where everyone is struggling for their attention, I’ve seen one psychological hack work really well.

Say something which is pleasant, and more importantly, which makes them stand out from the rest of the staff.

Something like, “You’ve been the most kind nurse we’ve seen so far”.

It creates a sense of competition in their minds. It gives them a benchmark and an identity to look up to, and they’ll make every effort to either meet or exceed this benchmark when they’re dealing with you.

 

6) ALWAYS CHECK YOUR BILLS

Stats show that 4 in 5 medical bills are incorrect. Did you know that?

Just because we don’t understand these obscure medical bills, we don’t bother checking them, and occasionally end up paying more.

So if there’s anything on the bill that does not make sense, just pick up the phone and call their accounts office to ask for an explanation.

Don’t let them get away with the technical jargon. Instead, ask them to explain it in a layman’s language.

Data shows that merely asking for an explanation reduces your bill by 15-20%. So it’s worth a shot.

 

7) KEEP CALM

Easier said than done. I’ve been in this situation and I can vouch for that.

Stress releases a hormone called cortisol, which can reduce your IQ by 50% in just 7 minutes. It means you’ll make one bad decision after another.

It’s the worst thing that can happen during such times.

Stressing out is normal in such instances, but you can break this pattern by breathing heavily from abdomen, getting in more oxygen, or maybe even walking a short distance. These activities lower cortisol levels down and let you think more clearly.

 

At the end, I would like to thank everyone and specially to the people who reached out to me in private and offered help.

As a token of gratitude, I am open to anyone who is looking for help or advice.

I work as a corporate trainer in personal development and skill development industry in Melbourne. My work enables me to visit several companies and meet executives. I can be reached through my Facebook Page in case you need any advice regarding this experience, or want to get connected to the right executives in the right company for job prospects.

---

P.S. In this FREE Ultimate Guide, I’ve detailed Step-by-Step process in easy words that I did to apply and get my Australian PR. 

Once every 6 weeks, I travel to one of the ASEAN countries to conduct a workshop on Smart Nation. Late July, I was in Cambodia for a week. And last month, I spent 10 days in Vietnam.

Since US dollars are readily accepted in both these countries just like their own local currencies, I found myself doing a lot of currency exchange between AUD to USD before flying off, and back from USD to AUD upon returning.

I have exchanged money on airports, in banks, and from local retailers in Melbourne.

Since exchange rate is always different on different days, I’ve never really had an apple-to-apple comparison to find out which place has the best exchange rate.

Earlier this month, I decided to do an experiment.

I pocketed USD1000 and walked around the city hopping in and out of places to find out which place has the best exchange rate.

The worst I got for USD1000 were AUD1209

The best I got for USD1000 were AUD1310

That was AUD101 more.

Before reading ahead, understand that my suggestion is based on my personal experiment. Also, I didn’t care if the retailer was charging $10 flat fee or 1% commission. All that mattered to me (and to you as well) is how much of it is getting in the pocket.

 

The Worst – CommBank

Banks are conveniently located everywhere so it’s tempting to get it exchanged from a bank, especially if it’s in the neighbourhood. Not worth it.

For USD1000, CommBank was giving only AUD1209.

 

The Average – Street facing retail shops in city

I visited 4 different retail outlets on Elizabeth Street and Swanson Street. Even those small shops that are the size of old telephone booths.

For USD1000, I was getting between AUD1230-1270.

 

The Best – United Currency Exchange located on Flinders Lane

It’s not easily visible because it’s not on the main street. The main board outside is of Greenhouse backpacker hostel.

When I entered, there was a decent queue outside the window of currency exchange.

That queue made me realise two things:

1) It’s more famous than all the other currency exchanges on the main street that had absolutely no queue when I visited.

2) People standing in the queue were mainly Asians. And we all know that Asians have got a knack for finding better deals than Europeans 😉

For USD1000, I got AUD1310.

Here’s the location on map.

 

In case you are wondering, this is not a sponsored article and United Currency Exchange isn’t paying me anything to recommend them.

On second thought, if I get 5000 visitors on this article, I should go and ask them for affiliate fees 😛 Ok, not serious!

Hope this was helpful.

If you have tips to share that can benefit readers of this blog, do comment below.

For guest posting on blog, reach out to me at hassan@australiayours.com

 

P.S. If you haven’t already, don’t forget to download FREE Ultimate Guide to Australian PR that I used to save myself $2000+ agent fees.

When you move to a new city, all your friends and well-wishers ask you how are you finding it. Same has been happening with me for the past few weeks since I’ve moved to Melbourne.

My original answer has been ‘I don’t know much yet’. But I realised this is not the answer the person asking me is looking for. So here is a different answer:

6 Uncommon Observations For 6 Weeks In Melbourne

1. Most people in Australia don’t look Australians

For every 10 people you will see on a street, bus or train, at least 6 will be non-Australians (Chinese, Indians, Africans, Middle-eastern, etc)

2. Contrary to popular belief that Australians are racist, they are the most helpful and friendly people

In addition to general ‘Good Day Mate’ greetings around the street, they will even go out of their way, sometimes at a loss of their work, to help you.

For example, Vodafone salesman from whom I bought my contract phone gave me directions to a different shop across the street to buy back cover and screen guard for iPhone 7 even though his own Vodafone outlet sells these accessories, but at a higher price.

Another example is when a bus driver left his steering wheel and stepped outside the bus to help me figure out the way to airport when he saw that I’m wearing a backpack and reading directions at a bus stop. He asked me if I’m looking to get to airport. I replied, ‘yes’. He asked me to hop on (without fare) so he can drop me at another stop from where I’ll get the bus to airport.

3. The city of Melbourne is a perfect example of ‘keeping people first’ mindset

For example, you will find that filtered water taps and clean washrooms are built all across the city for public to use when roaming around.

Libraries are present in every region with 200mpbs+ free WiFi and hundreds of desks to just sit and work.

And table tennis tables and chess boards are put in public places. Bring your rackets, balls or chess pieces and just play.

4. It is impossible to figure out who is a natural blonde in Australia and who has dyed her hair golden

7 out of 10 women have some form of golden hair. Only 1 of them is a natural blonde.

5. Melbourne is both ridiculously expensive and delightfully cheap at the same time

When cooking at home, your entire day’s meals will cost $10 max, while eating outside you can’t get a decent meal from McDonald’s at less than $11. Any local restaurant and we are talking about $15-20 per meal.

Public transport each day’s journey will cost you $8 even if you are going 2 stations away, while you can buy a car for about $1000 bucks.

And house? $600-700 per month rent will get you a better lifestyle than $1500-2000 in cities like Singapore or London. Here I pay 2/3rd of what I was paying in Singapore and I live in a room in a landed property house where my private terrace is bigger than my apartment in Singapore.

6. People are not working but living life in Melbourne

From graffiti artists breaking laws by cutting bar wires just to paint streets and walls with beautiful art, to social dance classes from every region on the planet full of happy people, to street performers, tattooed chicks and dudes, to runners running on tracks with river flowing by their side, there is too much happiness in the city.

Everyday you breathe air, you feel fresh…. and expressive.

For Live Q&A regarding CDR, IELTS, Jobs, and staying up to date with new awesome blog posts: Follow AustraliaYours on Facebook

CALL TO ACTION

In this FREE Ultimate Guide, I’ve detailed Step-by-Step process in easy words that I did to apply and get my Australian PR. 

[optin-cat id=”202″]