February 4, 2003

Adventures down under

A reality check is a must before you set off to fulfil that dream
of studying in Australia

Story by BRUCE AVASADANOND
Have you ever wanted to go and study in ‘the land down under’, to see koala bears and kangaroos in the Australian outback? You are not alone. Australia is currently ranked the number one destination for Thai students wishing to improve their English both for secondary and tertiary education.

It may be Australia’s proximity to Thailand, its temperate climate or the relative ease of obtaining necessary visas, but whatever the attractions, students need to do some research before they embark on an Australian scholastic adventure!

You need to know how to select the best school, what it will cost to live and study there, whether you can work or not. And if you choose to live with a host family, how will you fit in?

Where to start

As the number of Thais who wish to study abroad has increased, numerous education consulting firms have opened in the Kingdom. The purpose of these businesses is to provide information to students who have never been abroad, or have no idea of how to realise their dreams.

Not all these businesses are the same. They operate on commission from their partner educational establishments in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, the five most popular destinations for Thai students. Some consulting firms charge a processing fee, while others provide their services free-of-charge. Consultants help clients select schools, send applications, advise students what to expect of their selected city and the cost of living. They will also assist with visas and other documents that the student may need.

Students should shop around and compare many different consulting agencies to see which one they feel most comfortable dealing with. There are many businesses of this type throughout the capital city; so, it is not difficult to locate one nearby. Students should be wary of firms that attempt to push you to go to a particular school, by overly advertising the features of the establishment. More than likely, the consultant will receive a large commission for each student they are able to recruit. Educational establishments nowadays are also very business oriented and many simply think of students as easy money.

Students go to consultants for advice and suggestions. The primary role of a consulting agency is to provide a range of useful information and assist students with their study abroad plans. Numerous choices should be provided, from which students can freely choose the school that best suits their preferences. Consultants can be seen as a ‘match-makers’, connecting students with the most appropriate institute for their study abroad.

Professional InterEducation (ProInterEd) in Siam Discovery Centre, is a professional place providing information and advice on studying abroad. Sulaksana Kanchana, the managing director of the institute, is a very helpful, straight-forward and friendly person with over ten years experience in the field. Her office is one of the newest entries into the educational consultancy business. Sulaksana’s office does not charge clients any fees whatsoever, and even the courier costs are free!

Sulaksana says that students may legally work up to twenty hours a week while they are studying in Australia, however, not all students will be able to easily find a job there. The pay that students receive will not be sufficient to cover living and tuition costs. She adds, "if students rely on part-time work in order to finance their stay, they may be prone to unintentionally do illegal work, as they are pressured to make ends meet."

Sulaksana comments on the need for ethics in the business. For example, there can never be a 100 percent guarantee that students will successfully secure a visa to go and study abroad. Any firm making such a promise may just be after money. The offices can only advise students based on documents provided by the student: school grades, qualifications, work experience, financial statement and English language proficiency. Firms rely on their experience in the field.

"Too many Thais ..."

Vimpattra Mengchauy

Ms Vimpattra Mengchauy, a first-year student at the International College, Rangsit University, recalls her experience in Australia. "I went to study English in Sydney for ten months at the Sydney Institute of Business Technology."

She had very positive experiences there, but would like to warn others "don’t go to places with too many Thais. I had no native speakers as friends and had only Thai, Chinese and Japanese friends."

Many students would like to go to a place without many Thais, so that they would have more opportunities to speak English. The problem with many large cities, especially during Thai school breaks, is that there is an influx of Thais. For example, in October it is inevitable to run into Thais in Melbourne or Sydney.

It is possible to go to a place without any Thais, such as Kansas in the United States. However, that raises other problems such as the lack of Asian cuisine and Thai-speaking friends who can help when there is an emergency.

Vimpattra sought assistance and advice from the IDP Agency on Silom. "The people there were very friendly and helpful. They told me to take the IELTS exam and helped me find a match without pressuring me to go to any particular place."

Vimpattra would recommend Australia to everyone. "It was a very worthwhile experience. The teachers are different from Thai teachers and I got to learn slang and how to write essays."

Homestays: What to expect

Many students are shocked when they find out the way they are treated by their host family: leaving them to do their own laundry, giving them a limited amount of food and not allowing them to watch TV while they eat.

Many parents and students themselves expect that staying with a foreign family will be exactly like staying at home with their own families. Students think that Australian families will have similar eating habits, similar demeanour and ways of life. That may not be the case.

Sulaksana Kanchana

Another problem some students have encountered is that they were initially told that their homestay family would not have any male children, only to find upon their arrival that there are three sons. Some Thai families do not feel comfortable having their daughters stay in a house with male children. Sulaksana recommends "get everything in writing!" This may eliminate or at least lessen misunderstanding and possible problems later.

ProInterEd tries to do away with any illusions students and parents might have. Sulaksana attempts to clearly convey the living conditions and anything else related to living and studying abroad. She has lived and studied for numerous years in Australia and the United States. As a result, she advises students based on her personal experiences abroad. She does not want students to be surprised or shocked and she does this by portraying in an honest manner what the students must prepare themselves to encounter. For example, she will tell students that "Caucasian families will not take care of you the way Thai families will."

Some words of Advice

ProInterEd utilises an initial screening process in order to match students with the most appropriate school or programme.

For example, different students will have a variety of personal needs and requirements, such as the city, costs and living conditions. Some schools and universities have a minimum grade point average, TOEFL or IELTS requirement.

Another important factor is the student’s financial status and their ability to pay tuition fees. Some schools require that students pre-pay their entire tuition fee, while others will accept instalments. This screening process allows ProInterEd to narrow the options. Choosing a school can be a mind-boggling experience, as the list of possibles can total over one hundred institutions.

Sulaksana warns students to be cautious of advertised work and study abroad programmes or any promotional institutes that guarantee to find jobs for those who enrol in study programmes.

She explains from her experience that many students who have been involved in programmes related to work may face complications later on. Some foreign countries are wary to re-issue visas to students who have been on a work and study programme. They deem them to have already established contacts and have means of earning revenue in that country. Greater possibility that a student will immigrate or reside illegally in the country prompt embassies to deny frequent requests for future visas made by such students.

Students should try to learn as much English as possible before going to further their studies in an English speaking country.

Possessing a strong foundation in English will greatly help students quickly develop their skills once they are abroad. For this reason many consultants and professors advise students to first take some English language and academic preparation courses in Thailand to prepare for tertiary studies or other long-term programmes.

Such intensive academic programmes are widely available in Bangkok, at schools such as International College, Rangsit University (Icenglish@yahoo.com/ 02-997-2200 ext 3323); Shinawatra University (www.shin.ac.th) and Mahidol University (www.mu.ac.th).

Students are strongly advised to select programmes offered by universities rather than language schools, which often times do not have qualified nor experienced instructors.

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Students with dreams of student life and a cap and gown from a foreign university deserve the best advice and need to investigate thoroughly before making a choice of where to study.

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