The capital city of Queensland, Brisbane is the third largest city after Melbourne and Sydney with a population over 2.2 million and it is the most culturally diversified city that attracts thousands of tourists and students from across the world every year. Being the New World City of Australia, Brisbane is culturally diverse and plays a crucial role as major business hubs of the nation. It is one of the fastest growing states of Australia in terms of economics and education. Over 100,000 university students live in Brisbane and study at many different institutions, including the three largest universities situated in the city.
Know more About the City Brisbane, Queensland:
Brisbane has the most affordable costs of living compared to any capital city in Australia. The tuition fees are particularly low compared to the quality of education it buys, thereby making it the ideal destination for international students looking for affordable and quality education. It is the safe and friendly city with easy to navigate public transportation system and the sunny days and sub tropical climatic conditions draw the attention of international and interstate students every year.
Brisbane is the home to Australia’s biggest city Orientation Day, Brisbane Welcomes International Student Festivals that offer the international and interstate students to explore everything that city has to offer, including a meeting with the Lord Major and enjoying music and food. It is followed by the chance to participate in the regular Lord Mayor’s International Students Friendship Ceremony.
Accommodation and Housing
Students in Brisbane usually reside close to their university campuses which are not too far from the inner suburbs and where the teaching facilities can be accessed with ease. The biggest concentration of interstate and international students in Brisbane is in and around the suburb of St. Lucia, which comprises the main campus of the University of Queensland.
Brisbane is the home to some of the renowned educational institutions that offer high-quality learning environments to cater every student. However, to satisfy the accommodation needs of these students coming to Brisbane for studies, UniLodge in Brisbane offers secure, safe and friendly student housing. Each of the apartments is designed to meet the academic and social needs of the students and it can accommodation around 870 students.
Urbanest is another housing facility that offers student accommodation in Brisbane and it is close to all major transport links and social centers. However, students can opt for on-campus accommodation during their academic years or they can rent out premium rooms, apartment and facilities for accommodation and the cost would vary depending upon the type of accommodation and facilities included.
Food and Grocery Shopping
Brisbane is the home to some of the amazing and stupendous grocery and food delivery services that provide the students with an amazing range of locally grown and ethically sourced healthy foods to purchase. These stores cater for those hard to find foods and groceries at affordable rates. The cost of weekly grocery and food shopping would cost a student around $30 to $35, depending upon the grocery and foods purchased. There is no tension of towing the purchased grocery and foods as this online service provider delivery the purchased items at your accommodation facilities and apartments.
There are many local grocery stores and supermarkets located in close proximity to the university campus from where students can do their grocery and food shopping. There are also bars and joints located within the city center of Brisbane where students can relax and enjoy their meals with a bunch of friends.
Entertainment
Brisbane is the city that has something for everyone, the art and culture, live music and festivals are in plenty with the city that can entertain anyone of any age group. The events and music concerts are not confined with the heart of the city, as the regions and precincts play their part in staging entertainment round the year. The inspiring theatre productions and exclusive blockbuster exhibitions sit alongside independent and emerging performers from across the country, street art and intimate gallery, outdoor cinema and performance spaces, there are many things to entertain you while you are in Brisbane.
Students passionate about music, comedy, live dance and theatre can head towards Brisbane Powerhouse and QPAC. This is Queensland Museum and QAGOMA where entry is free to permanent exhibitions. To explore the local live music gigs, DJs you must head towards the West End and Fortitude Valley, while the international acts are performed at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre or Suncorp Stadium. The music festivals in Brisbane are rocking every season where students can entertain themselves to the fullest. River Stage is the fabulous outdoor arena located in the Southern Tip of the Downtown Brisbane Peninsula which is another way to entertain in Brisbane.
Travel and Transportation
In Brisbane, students will find a sufficient amount of public transport facilities that link throughout the inner Brisbane which is relatively compact and pedestrian friendly. The popular option to get around the city is a bike which students can rent for a day or two to roam around the city exploring the things and marketplaces. Brisbane is a hilly city, but there are dedicated cycle lanes available along the flat regions either side of Brisbane River.
The local residents usually travel by their personal cars to explore the major attractions within a few hour drive from the city including the numerous beaches and Australian Zoo.
To cover long distances, students may use the speedy network of electric trains in Brisbane that cover the broadest reaches of Greater Brisbane and also offer direct access to the outer suburbs and city. The city also has comprehensive bus services that run throughout the city connecting the inner and outer suburbs to the major shopping centers, CBD, ferry terminals and railway stations. The CityFerry and CityCat services glide along with river Brisbane that is the most enjoyable way to get around the city.
Cost of Living
By choosing to live in Australia’s most popular tourist hotspot, Brisbane, students are likely to deal with a high cost of living. However, with careful planning and execution, they can easily cope up with the expenses. The cost of living hugely depends on the lifestyle that students lead throughout the academic years in Brisbane. Studying at the universities of Brisbane means more costs than just the tuition fees, the cost of study materials, books, transportation, parking, accommodation are all common expenses which can’t be overlooked. Although Brisbane is the affordable city to live in, but you still need to plan and budget vigilantly to ensure that you have sufficient money to study and cover the living expenses.
During the first few weeks, students are likely to spend around $1,700 to $2,000 to get the set up which include the temporary accommodation. Electricity, gas and phone connection fees, basic furniture, food and transportation. The weekly cost of living in Brisbane is estimated around $400 for students without family expenses. However, if you bring your family along with you to stay in Brisbane while you study, then the cost of living would increase depending upon the lifestyle you and your family leads.
Job Opportunities
The academic excellence and quality of learning in Brisbane is globally acclaimed. A graduate from the universities of Brisbane is considered future ready that has all the skills and knowledge that are demanded by the reputed employers out there. After graduating from the universities of Brisbane, students are likely to grab the best employment opportunities, not only in Brisbane but also at the organizations of repute across the world. The students graduating from the universities of Brisbane can also get placed prior to their graduation through campus placements.
Most of the educational institutions and universities in Brisbane organize campus placements every year for all graduate students. Students can participate and appear for the interview in the campus placements organized by the respective universities to grab the job opportunities that suit their interest and skills.
Part Time Work
Robust economic growth in Brisbane has made the city one of the world’s fastest growing capacity cities with real part time job opportunities for all students studying in the universities of Brisbane. Students planning to work while studying in Brisbane need to understand the rights and responsibilities to make sure that they comply with their respective visa requirements. The visa must allow the students to work and study in Brisbane. Most of the visa allows the students to work for 40 hours a week during their semester and unlimited working hours during the vacation breaks.
Whether you want to gain postgraduate experience or need a part-time work to support your education and living in Brisbane, there are several ways to find the suitable causal jobs in Brisbane during your academic years. Recruitment websites and online career websites can offer you with updated work listings regularly and students can search jobs by an industry that attracts their interest. There are also recruitment firms that help the students to find suitable short-term and casual works in Brisbane during their academic years.
Activities
Students studying in Brisbane will have no dearth of activities and opportunity to explore and travel outside the city. Brisbane is the abode to three world’s largest sand islands and sub-tropical hinterland rainforests, the Sunshine Coasts and the Gold Coats. Both these places are merely two hours drive away from city center of Brisbane.
There are also other activities to do in Brisbane. Students with all manner of interests will find different activities to enjoy in Brisbane. The Southbend Parklands is family-friendly parkland with riverside cycling and strolling paths, inner city beach, gardens and a wide range of shopping and dining facilities. Students can also enjoy the River Cruises that allow them to explore the city from the river. To enjoy the panoramic views of the city, students can head towards Mt. Coot-tha Lookout. At Riverlife Adventure Centre students can kayak or stand up paddle board down the Brisbane River or enjoy rock climbing the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. They can also hire a bike or rollerblades.
Fortitude Valley is another attraction of the city where dedicated entertainment precinct is available where live music plays are performed by some of the renowned bands and performers. To taste the local favourite brew you can head towards XXXX Brewery where visitors can enjoy a free tour of Ale House and taste their favourite local brews.
Indian Communities
Indian studying in Brisbane will never find themselves away from their hometown as the Indian Community in Brisbane offers required support to all Indian studying and staying in Brisbane. InterNations comprise of Indian Expats in Brisbane that help Indian in Brisbane and support them will all required information about the city. The Indian Community in Brisbane is very lively and welcoming and they organise all the major Indian festivals around the years. The Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland Inc. is the umbrella body that comprises of 33 Indian organizations that represent people from Indian origin and Asia that are living in Queensland and Brisbane. The organization was formed to represent the Indian Communities at all levels of government and private institutions.
Pubs
Come experience a piece of Brisbane’s history with a cold beer or pint at the old-fashioned Aussie Pubs or enjoy the modern side of the city with the world class ranges of pubs and bars sprawling across the city. Pubs and bars dating back from1800 century to modern and contemporary pubs, Brisbane has no dearth of entertainment hubs and pubs where students can enjoy their nightlife to the fullest with their favourite drinks and pints.
Some of the popular historic pubs in Brisbane include Brunswick Hotel, The Normanby, Breakfast Creek Hotel and Regatta Hotel. The other popular pubs across the city include Fitz + Potts, Embassy Craft Beer Bar, Alen’s Espresso, London Fields, Pig N Whistle West End and Alexander’s Bar and Restaurant.
