Part Time Job

During their study in Australia, students also work as a part timer. Probably, finding a part time job is not hard for local students. But for international students, especially if it is their first time to study in Australia, looking for a part time job may be quite difficult and time consuming. Based on my experience, it depends on the area students want to work. Most of the part time jobs available are waitress/es, kitchenhand, cashier, cleaner, and housekeeper. In this article, I will not explain how to find a part time job. Indeed, I will highlight some issue that international students must consider when they are looking for part time job so that they can study and work without problem.

In the new regulation, international students will have a working visa attached in their passport directly. They do not have to apply for a working visa when they arrive in Australia. One thing that must be remembered by international students is the working visa only allows students to work twenty hours a week during the semester. But, they can work more that during the holiday. What usually happens is as international students attempt to get money to cover their living cost, they break the rules. Their assumption is that since there are plenty of international students in Australia, the chance to get caught are little. However, we can not rely on this assumption since it is wrong. We must obey the rules especially, we are not in our home country.

Another thing to be considered is find a part time job which is safe. What I mean by safe is student must ensure that the company or business owner also obey the regulation of running business in Australia. I found that some students who are working in the restaurants receive cash on hand. This cash on hand implies that the owner does not report his/her employees’ tax to the taxation office. Thus, it can be said that the employees work as illegal employees. To avoid any problem that can come up because of working in such company, it is suggested to find a credible company to work for even if it is only a part time job.

Good luck in searching the part time job! But do not forget, study comes first!

Students in Distress

Here is an article about one of international student problems when they feel isolated during their study in Australia. I found the article in the Factiva website. The article was published in The Newcastle Herald on 8 March 2008 which is written by Matthew Kelly.

Isolation 'leads to drugs'

SOME international students are turning to alcohol and drugs as a result of social isolation and disillusionment with their study experience.

Others, who are paying between $20,000 and $50,000 a year to study in Australia, are quitting within the first year because of difficulties fitting in.

Several international students at the University of Newcastle raised their concerns about their experiences with The Herald this week.

Second-year Kenyan student Brian Iseme, 23, said he found it difficult to settle into his studies when he arrived.

"I expected more [help] when I came here," Mr Iseme said.

Moroccan student Jawad Chafil, 24, said many international students were under the impression that Newcastle was a global city.

"They should be doing a lot more in the area of extra-curricular activities for international students, things like recreation activities and shopping," said Mr Chafil, who admitted he used to smoke marijuana to deal with the the isolation.

"That's what I thought before I arrived but it's very different."

Other students had turned to stronger drugs with disastrous consequences, he said.

A university spokeswoman said overall feedback from its 3500 international students indicated most were positive about their experience at the university.

"However, at times, they have raised concerns about their reception from the broader Newcastle community," she said.

Newcastle University Students Association president Beth Maloney said the university needed to invest more resources to help international students.

"If international students are contented and performing well it's only going to benefit the university," Ms Maloney said.

The university spokeswoman said it was continually improving and expanding the services available to international students.

The university regularly promoted counselling and other services.

"Importantly, the university recognises that, in some cultures, asking for help is a sign of failure and stress, particularly international students," she said.

"An important message for all students is that asking for help at this university is not a sign of failure."

Pressure on PhDs to Meet Grade

The article below may be beneficial for those who want to study at PhD degree. I found it from : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,22324208-12332,00.html
This article is written by Bernard Lane


STUDENTS may have to defend their PhD theses orally and examiner panels could be audited for quality under reforms being considered by elite universities.

The ideas floated by Group of Eight executive director Mike Gallagher come amid claims that the once respected qualification lacks relevance, suffers from dubious quality and gives candidates false hope of employment.

These claims have dominated a lively debate on the HES website after Curtin University of Technology academic Richard Nile declared the PhD "a dinosaur from a previous age of elite education" in an HES online article.

Mr Gallagher told the HES that the PhD had undergone so much change it was high time for a fundamental review.

"There are a lot of PhDs going into universities that don't have much of a performance record in research, and that's a worry," he said.

"I don't know what level of confidence there is in the community any more."

The Go8, not expecting much help on standards from politicians or the Australian Universities Quality Agency, was carrying out its own fact-finding survey.

Yesterday, federal Education, Science and Training Minister Julie Bishop said it was the responsibility of universities to work with industry to give graduates the skills they needed and to "focus on the quality of their programs, including their PhD programs, to ensure the sector is able to compete internationally for students and academics".

"It is up to individuals to decide whether a particular qualification has relevance for their career prospects, whether in the private sector or academia," she said.

AUQA executive director David Woodhouse said: "Just like the Go8, we are concerned about standards."

Although AUQA looked at processes for enrolling, supervising and examining research students, the agency had not yet carried out "a sample check" on the standing of overseas examiners.

This might be done during a 2008 second-cycle audit. But as yet no institution had suggested the relevant audit theme of research training, despite the advent of the research quality framework.

Mr Gallagher said it was possible the Go8 would audit examiners to make sure they represented centres of strength in the fields examined. This would underpin quality and include an element of public accountability.

"If your PhD examiner panels
are made up of people from second-rank institutions in that field (under examination), then that will be known," he said.

"There's (also) a lot of discussion of panels reverting to the viva voce, (which would mean) you have to demonstrate that you can actually defend your propositions."

As part of a broad review of the PhD, the Australian National University was looking at a logistically manageable viva, according to pro vice-chancellor Mandy Thomas.

Professor Thomas said it would not be feasible to fly in all the international examiners. (ANU had about 500 PhD completions a year.)

A few months before they submit, candidates might defend their work before a panel of supervisors and experts in the field. But if this practice were adopted it would be as an "internal quality measure" and not part of the examination.

Nigel Palmer, president of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, said: "Students are always going to be cautious about anything that looks like a viva.

"Particularly towards the end of their candidature, PhDs are close to exhaustion. It's a very daunting proposition to come out and give a stunning presentation. Also, (a viva) disadvantages international students."

Mr Palmer said a key issue was the unrealistically tight time frame for PhDs imposed by the federal research training scheme and scholarships.

"The pressure of shorter completion times has had an impact on quality," he said. "The message from supervisors is: forget this being your life work, forget this being an original contribution to the field, it's just got to be good enough to get you across the line and ... in time."

Mr Gallagher also criticised the research training scheme: "The Government's timing of 3 1/2 years is at least one year tooshort."

Professor Thomas said it was possible completion times might get longer as the university put more emphasis on skills.

"We're boosting professional training within the PhDs; that is useful for people who will become academics as well as for those who will leave the university and join industry or government," she said.

This training might involve dissemination of research results, commercialisation, journal editing or conference organisation.

Within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Australia had very short completion times; the longer PhDs of the US were thought to be one reason for a decline in domestic candidates. It was possible that the duration of PhDs in Australia and the US would converge.

Mr Gallagher said Australia's leading universities were struggling to find domestic PhDs in essential fields such as mathematics. He was not a critic of trends such as the professional, work-focused PhD; it was a matter of striking a balance between depth and breadth and re-establishing the relevance of the qualification.

"You hear reports where people say: 'I didn't disclose in my job application that I have a PhD.' In the labour market it's seen as a nerdy thing to have," he said.

Even if the thesis were given less weight by examiners to make room for more coursework, the essential nature of the PhD had to be preserved.

"I think the capacity to undertake original research and to demonstrate that you are in command of your field, that you can critically evaluate the literature, that you can construct a hypothesis and defend it, the discipline of it, in the old academic sense, is fundamental," Mr Gallagher said.

Tips to Find an Accommodation

The critical thing that can take a lot of energy for international students in their first time of arrival to study in Australia is to find place to live. I have five tips to make finding accommodation become easier which are explained as follows:

1. Apply to University Halls
This can be a choice for those who are single or married without children because most university hall only provides room for singles or couples. In the case of those who are married with children, they do not have any other option except finding outside university accommodation.

2. Search Accommodation Website
Based on my experience, allhomes website (www.allhomes.com.au) is very helpful in giving details information about accommodations that are available in specific areas or suburbs.

3. Takeover Other Students’ Accomodation
Students who are going to finish their study usually offer their accommodation for the prospective students. This can be found through university advertisement or student’s organisation mailing list. Be active to find students who will graduate to takeover their accommodation! However, new international students who do not need a preparation stage to enter the university usually come close to the date of the first semester. If it is the case, finding the accommodation will be tougher because most of the available accommodation already rented by new students that come earlier.

4. Ask to the University Accommodation Services
Each university usually has an accommodation service which is very helpful in assisting student who have problem in finding the accommodation. Do not hesitate to come to this place and ask them any kind information regarding accommodation, especially when you are new to the environment.

5. Go to the Agent
This is usually rare to be done. But, if you still find problem to find accommodation, this tip is worth to try. However, search information about the agent, first. It is because some agents do not treat students well.

Hopefully these tips can help you to find the nice accommodation to support your study success!

Slipping through the safety net

Here is another article I found from theAge website. The article tells about a case which then explain about problems usually faced by international students. By reading this article, it is hoped that those who are going to study in Australia can make a good preparation prior their departure to Australia. The article can be found in : http://www.theage.com.au/news/Education-News/Slipping-through-the-safety-net/2005/05/21/1116533578743.html#

It was January when they found Zhang Hong Jie in her apartment in the Canberra suburb of Belconnen. Neighbours had complained of a smell.

The 24-year-old Chinese student was dead, murdered - as police investigators alleged - by her Chinese boyfriend, Zhang Long.

The alleged murder itself was shocking enough, but it was the facts surrounding the discovery of the University of Canberra student's body that were also deeply disturbing.

Police believe Ms Zhang, also known as Steffi, was murdered in June last year - her body remaining undiscovered for seven months.

Murders happen. But it is the staggering delay in the discovery of Ms Zhang's body that has raised serious questions about the duty of care universities have to international students.

More than 200,000 international students study in Australia, becoming the financial saviours of our universities, their fees keeping them afloat.

The tragic case of Ms Zhang has started an overdue debate, not only in Canberra but around the nation, about the level of support and care universities are providing international students.

Certainly, universities are aware of their pastoral care responsibilities for students, particularly those transplanted from other cultures. The question is whether the support services are working as an adequate safety net for the inevitable problems such as isolation and social adjustment.

Discovering just what went wrong at the University of Canberra has proved difficult. The university has refused to discuss Ms Zhang's case in anything but the broadest of terms.

"On the surface it looks like one thing," says Jandy Godfrey, the university's development and international executive director. "But the actual facts of the case make more sense. But we're not at liberty to talk about the facts of the case."

Ms Godfrey argues this is because of privacy laws preventing the university discussing individual students, the privacy of Ms Zhang's family, and the fact that the case is in the hands of the police.

She confirms that the university had recently "opened its books" to the federal Department of Education, Science and Technology, which is charged with ensuring institutions enrolling international students meet certain standards, including support services for the students.

According to Ms Godfrey, the department recently wrote acknowledging "the throroughness of our policies and procedures".

The department confirmed it had made a "compliance visit" to the university in February, one of 94 conducted this financial year. Asked if it had any concerns with the duty of care provided by the university to Ms Zhang, the department replied it did not comment on individual cases.

What is publicly known is that the Shanghai-born Ms Zhang arrived in Australia in 2000, first studying at the Canberra Institute of Technology, and moving to the University of Canberra in 2003.

A statement by her family last month talked of her as a "kind girl", who "always did her best to care for everyone around her, and those who needed help, and she never cared about her own interests".

The critical question is why Ms Zhang's absence from her studies was not noticed by the university. Students are treated as the young adults that they are, and rolls are not marked. But there were other signs that Ms Zhang had simply vanished from the university.

"You can't stop murders, of course," says Di Adams, the head of the university's branch of the National Tertiary Education Union. "(But) the fact that a student slipped between the cracks, that no one noticed, that she hadn't re-enrolled for the next semester, that she hadn't been putting in her assignments and things like that ..."

The university staff were "all pretty devastated", Ms Adams says. "It's a very small university and one where we'd always seen ourselves as a very caring and student-oriented university. So this shatters the self-image."

The university has been doing "a lot behind the scenes" on procedures, says Ms Adams, who thinks that in a break from usual practice, the university may start marking rolls.

She understands that already, some people have been asked to do it informally. One report has suggested that the federal department has asked the university to keep a roll in a particular subject.

University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis says he was horrified by the unnecessary tragedy of Ms Zhang. Could it happen at Melbourne with its 7000 international students? Professor Davis would like to think the university's tracking systems and students' support would pick up not hearing from a student.

"I'd like to tell you it couldn't happen but I can't guarantee it," he says.

The Canberra case has left universities closely examining the vast student support services they provide.

"What happened was the extreme end," Professor Davis explains. "You can't just explain it away but it's an extreme case not the general case."

Universities are similar to schools in the responsibility they feel for students, he says.
"Students are not just customers coming through the door. They're part of us in that sense of loco parentis (in place of the parents) even though we're a very big organisation," he says.

Professor Davis says universities go to great lengths to provide a complete educational experience for international students. Like many other institutions.

The University of Melbourne runs country induction programs and conversational language courses before students leave for Australia, as well as providing academic, accommodation and welfare services.

"We're all very conscious that reputation is the only thing we're trading on, and if Australia gets a reputation about being cavalier about taking people's money and not providing service, it's self-defeating," Professor Davis says.

Aditya Tater, from the National Liaison Committee for International Students, rates the support services provided in Australia at a six or seven out of 10. He points out that it isn't simply good teaching and the degree the students want - they come to Australia for the overall education "experience" and personal development. "People don't just come here to pass," he says.

As the international student market softens, Mr Tater suggests that one of the reasons is that students don't feel they are getting adequate support for the money they're paying - that they are not getting value for money.

Student Cheung Hei, who has studied at both Monash and RMIT, says universities take the approach that students are able to take care of themselves. The standard of teaching is good, but he laments the level of support available.

"Sometimes really there's no help, there's no one we can talk to if we have a problem," says Mr Cheung, from Hong Kong.

The economics student puts it in market terms. "We're buying a product. We're paying the money for services and support. We're getting product, but we're not getting enough support."
Director of student services at Victoria University, Stephen Weller, says international students have become a vital and vulnerable source of revenue for universities, but income isn't the only reason universities want to attract overseas students.

International students also "internationalise" the domestic curriculum, expose local students to international issues and add to their education experience, he says.

Mr Weller says the notion that all international students have large amounts of money is no truer than it is for domestic students. "The typical international student isn't from Hong Kong doing business, there are students from across the spectrum," he says.

One of the most pressing issues for international student welfare, Professor Davis says, is the impact of the new Federal Government legislation making student union fees voluntary. He says the majority of the fees go to support services, such as overseas student organisations, that are under threat from the new laws.

"It's an odd thing to have such a big (international student) export market and then decide to cut off one of its major selling points, which is the quality of the experience," he says.

"Even if for ideological reasons, you feel student unions should be voluntary, a reasonable proposition, the notion that in order to get to that you would be prepared to take out as collateral all the other services that have been offered using the amenities fees is a big leap."

Last month, Melbourne University student newspaper Farrago published its international edition. One article, "The unspoken divide: new racism", starkly describes the lack of integration between international and local students.

"Black heads and yellow faces dominate the union tables while brown or blond heads and white faces rule the lawns," it states.

"Sights of international students sticking together and international students (overwhelmingly Asians) huddling by themselves is commonplace, be it in lectures, social clubs and even tutorials."

It's a separation that arts/law student Kelvin Tran sees daily. There's no real mixing or interaction between the two groups, the 21-year-old local student observes. And it's a separation that extends from the university lawns to the separate law students and international law students society.

Mr Tran, who attended Maryland High school in Reservoir, is less sure about why. He wonders if some international students see their experience in Australia as a transaction - somewhere to come for a degree and then return home. But he also understands the safety of staying within a familiar and supportive culture in a new and foreign country.

"Even though they came here to experience a new culture, when international students come here it's natural to stick together," he says.

His take on the attitudes of local students is also based on comfort zones. Local students don't see the need to go out of their way in making international students welcome.

Last year, at several Australian campuses, the issue of racism wasn't as subtle as segregation on the university lawns. A right-wing group began an ugly campaign against international students, who were subject to racial vilification, which included an attack on an African student at the University of Newcastle. The international students committee knows of at least two students at Newcastle who decided to abandon their studies and return home.

Back in China, Ms Zhang's boyfriend has given himself up to police in Shanghai. There is no extradition arrangement between the two countries, and Chinese officials are conducting their own investigations. Australia will assist only if Chinese authorities give an undertaking he will not face the death penalty should he be convicted.

Her family says it believes justice will be done and the boyfriend will be severely punished. "We hope that with the concerted effort from all, similar tragedies will not happen again."

Shane Green is Education editor of The Age. David Rood is The Age's Higher Education reporter.

Traps for international students
Problem gambling and mistreatment in the private rental market are two developing welfare issues for international students in Australia.

In recent years, the number of international students coming forth with gambling problems at the city office of Gamblers Help has started to ring alarm bells.

The numbers aren't huge but the manager of the service's city office, Tim McCorriston, says problem gambling among international students is a significant issue.

International students meet many of the criteria of high-risk groups. Problem gambling is often associated with times of transition and isolation, Mr McCorriston says, when gambling can be a form of escape and dealing with emotional pressure.

"International students have moved to another country and culture, away from normal support mechanisms and often close to CBD gambling establishments," he says. "They are often dealing with financial responsibility for the first time and have high expectations on them to perform well."

Most of the students seen by the Gamblers Help office have Asian backgrounds, but Mr McCorriston baulks at the notion of branding people from Asian cultures as being more prone to gambling problems. He explains the prominence of Asian students as a simple reflection that the majority of international students have Asian backgrounds.

"Gambling is more of an issue of the culture that international students are going to, rather than where they've come from," he says. "Our culture is as much a gambling culture as anywhere in the world."

Gamblers Help now has a high presence at university orientation week and works closely with student welfare officers.

A research and policy officer with the Tenants Union of Victoria, David Imber, regards many international students in the private rental market as being in the category of vulnerable and disadvantaged.

International students who decide to enter the rental market face problems such as wrongful eviction, being charged illegal fees, harassment and discrimination, he says.

Their knowledge of their rights is very low, and often the information they receive from consumer affairs and universities about housing is poor.

"People who are from non-English-speaking backgrounds, who are not aware of the cultural practices of renting, are at significant risk of discrimination," he says. "Students are more likely to occupy housing in the lower end of the market, where a lack of housing provides a greater opportunity for property managers to make assessments based on the types of students they would like to have in their property."

Plagiarism

Plagiarism may become the issue that international students need to be cautious when they are studying in Australia, especially those who come from a different education environment. In my previous education experiences, the issue of plagiarism does not taken seriously. Therefore, I know less about this issue. I become more aware about plagiarism issue and how to handle this issue as I am studying at ANU.

For international students who do not know about this issue, they may become shocked if they do not try to find how to cope with this issue. This happens to me at the first time during my first semester. However, I know how to avoid this issue, as I learn how to write essays, quote others’ opinion and make citations in the assignments.

Based on my experiences, the difficult thing is to express others’ idea in our own words and readers can understand our words, especially international students may still struggle to cope with language barriers. One strategy that can assist international student to avoid plagiarism issue is by practicing a lot through assignments given by lecturers. As in the assignment students ought to present their ideas supported by credible sources, students can exercise to rephrase others’ opinion and use correct citations and references. Practice makes perfect!

New Visa Arrangements for Foreign Students

Here is an article about new regulation for international student visa. The article is available on April 25, 2008, from : http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23596724-662,00.html

FOREIGNERS studying in Australia will automatically be allowed to work part-time under new visa arrangements.

From tomorrow, all student visas will be granted with work rights attached, removing the need for people to make an additional application.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans said all international students would be allowed to work up to 20 hours a week while their course is in session.

"It means that international students can apply for part-time jobs in Australia as soon as their courses start,'' Senator Evans said.

"It will reduce red tape for students wanting to work in Australia and allow more efficient use of department resources.

"Making it easier for international students to work while they study will also assist industries currently suffering serious labour shortages.''

New streamlined processes for people applying for student visas from India, Indonesia and Thailand have also been introduced. The immigration department has granted 228,592 student visas to people from 191 countries in the year to June 2007.