Yes, it’s true, Tasmania is definitely not the most popular part of Australia for international students. But read on, because I’m going to outline why the island state at the bottom of Australia is a hidden gem, with a lot to offer for anyone travelling to Australia – whether you’re an international student or just visiting for a holiday.
My journey to studying in Tasmania started when I was awarded a fully-funded scholarship in Tasmania for a Ph.D. degree. I will explain what I did to apply for the degree and my Australian student visa, along with what I have experienced so far in my journey as an international student living in Australia.
Let’s get started.
Studying abroad in Australia
When I was about to finish my master’s degree in computational sciences and engineering from one of the well-established universities in my home country (Pakistan), I began considering applying for my Ph.D.
One thing was certain – I wanted to do my Ph.D. abroad and in a country which had a lot to offer.
After extensive research, I set my eyes on Australia, a country well-known for its beauty, beaches, and importantly for me, high-quality universities.
I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great if I could get a Ph.D. in a country like Australia and also travel? Yep, what a great plan!
It was a plan that was fulfilled… But not without complications.
The visa
No one in my family or circle of friends had ever applied for an Australian visa or been through the process of becoming an international student, so I had a lot to learn and a lot of questions.
I decided to apply for a funded Ph.D. project in Australia, preferably in a ‘regional’ area.
In Australia, ‘regional’ refers to most areas (cities or towns) outside of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Universities in regional areas generally have more openings. The Australian Government is also very supportive of international students and other visa holders moving to these areas to support the local economies and many regional areas also have labor shortages, so it can be easier to find work compared to larger cities.
After deciding what I was aiming for, I made a list of all the things that I needed to do before I could apply for an Australian student visa.
Here’s the list:
- Collect every official document that was related to my life and education through the years because they will come in handy while applying for admission and visa purposes
- Get an English translation of any natively printed official documents because the universities and the immigration require English translated documents.
- Work on perfecting my resume which will be needed in applying for supervision, admission, and visa
- Scan them, get them notarized and store them with understandable titles for ease of understanding
- Give an English Proficiency Test, like IELTS or Pearson Test of English (PTE), which is required by a few universities when applying for admission and is a necessity when applying for a visa
- Make a list of all the Australian universities that take Ph.D. students and then make a list of all the professors that are recruiting or have advertised Ph.D. projects
- Email professors for a Ph.D. supervision because for a Ph.D., you need to contact the potential supervisors with your CV and a cover letter to show your interest and skills for a project
- Apply for admission after getting a Ph.D. supervisor because you need approval from your supervisor first
- Wait for the Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE) letter which is a requirement for applying for an Australian student visa
- Get Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) which is another requirement for applying for a student visa
Here’s the catch – the whole process including the pointers mentioned above and applying for and getting the visa took me about a year!
I’m not going to lie, it was a hard process. At times I was very uncertain about my prospects for success because the Australian Government is known to be quite strict when it comes to granting visa, especially in the research sector.
But the good news came. After around 4 months of waiting, I got admission to the University of Tasmania in Hobart (the capital city of Tasmania).
I arrived in Hobart in April. And the feeling when landed in the morning was like I was living a dream! Of course, I had even more questions about living in Australia, but I was very fortunate to find people here who helped me navigate the Australian way of living.
One of the benefits of being in a regional area like Tasmania is the people are very friendly and helpful – outside of the hustle and bustle of big cities people simply have more time to help!
Living and studying in Tasmania: The Island State of Australia
Tasmania is an island state of the island country.
One of the most interesting facts about Tasmania is it claimed to have the cleanest air quality in the whole world! I also think it could have some of the friendliest people in the world – they are all very nice and welcoming.
Hobart is the largest city in Tasmania and where the main campus of the University of Tasmania is located.
The city has a huge mountain (Mount Wellington) in the middle, and a river (The River Derwent) parts the city.
Hobart has all the shops, bars, and cafes you could ask for, however, its population is only around 200,000 which is quite small compared to other Australian cities.
The one thing you must be prepared for when living anywhere in Tasmania is that it is COLD! Even in the summer, the temperatures do not go very high and it rains frequently.
In the winter it snows on Mount Wellington. The temperatures may also go below zero in the night. Coming from a warmer-than-average city in my home country, the weather was the biggest change for me.
Tasmanians have embraced this weather. You often seem people on morning runs and doing cold plunges in the river, even on the coldest days. It may be strange to see, but for them it is their way of life.
Unlike the bigger Australian cities like Melbourne and Sydney, Hobart is a little underdeveloped and getting around is limited to buses and personal or hired cars. But the great thing is, it is not crowded.
The one thing Tasmania does offer is nature – great hikes, waterfalls, national parks, wildlife, trails, and much more.
And when it’s warm enough the state also has some amazing beaches. Aussie Talk’s guide to the best beaches in Australia features a full list of the best beaches across Tasmania.
Wineglass Bay on Tasmania’s east coast is one of the must-see beaches. It is an incredible spot, around 2.5 hours drive from Hobart.
For me, Tasmania is a great place to live and travel. It is breathtaking most of the time, and a little scary with insane winds at times but a complete package nonetheless.
It is also a great place to study. The University of Tasmania has great facilities, the campus in Hobart is beautiful, the staff are great, and the academic standards are very high.
Across Hobart and on campus, you also get to meet a lot of interesting people with different backgrounds. You never know who you might forge life-lasting friendships with in this unique part of the world.
So, in conclusion, studying in Tasmania is something you should certainly consider if thinking about moving to Australia for your studies. It is a great place to live, and has some of the most helpful and welcoming people in Australia.
You should also check out what Tasmania has to offer if you’re travelling or backpacking across Australia – particularly if you’re a nature lover!
I hope this was an educational and informative article for you to read. Good luck!
(Feature image: An aerial view of the University of Tasmania’s Hobart Campus. You can see Mount Wellington in the background. Image: University of Tasmania)
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