[foodnom]

i would love to study politics for a year in Australia. I've looked into it and know which universities in England do the courses that I want (Exeter preferably) which include the year abroad but the only problem is funding.
i'm predicted A*AB ( and a C at AS) but i'm not sure if this is good enough for a scholarship.
How else can i fund this and has anyone else done a year abroad?

Thanks in advance

[swiss7]

Hi foodnom,
I'm not sure about scholarships or unis, but just a note that if you are funding yourself you might find Australia to be very expensive at present. The strong dollar, weak pound, and high cost of living in Aus make it very difficult for UK based people at present. Good luck though, whether you travel for study or just take a trip abroad, its great to broaden your horizons.

[aussieberliner]

Also, if you are an international student, course costs are sky high at the moment, particularly at the University of Melbourne, Monash and University of Sydney. The australian government uses this to fund the education of local students.

[Degrees Ahead]

Hi there,

If you're going through an exchange programme (a link that Exeter has with the Australian University) then you won't have to pay international fees... I'd check that out if I were you.

You'd have to pay airfare and accommodation etc. but you can choose to go privately which is less expensive and can work part-time. The minimum wage is $15 at the moment, which is quite good!

It is totally possible to go and I think that if you go through an exchange it's not as expensive as you might think!

Hope this information helps - good luck!

Amy

[aussieberliner]

Despite high AU dollar, minimum wage here is excellent, and in Melbourne, i would argue that it's quite affordable. (i feel at liberty to say this, as i'm a student in melbourne myself).
As for the University of Melbourne, it's an excellent instituion for studying politics. I'm studying international relations there at the moment and we have world class professors teaching us. Not only this, but because of their academic power, they're able to get us incredible guest lecturers such as Gareth Evans (who was one of the writers of 'Responsibility to Protect')...among others.
This said, it is true that australian universities charge more to international students in order to subsidise the education of local students. At the same time, education is one of Australia's biggest exports, along with mining &such.
I'm only speaking from personal experience, but I'm yet to meet one student at unimelb who doesn't enjoy the classes and LOVE the student life. Melbourne is an amazing city to live in too , although the public transport system needs a LOT of work....