That's a great idea. Different exposure and experiences. Hopefully it doesn't waste more time in doing additional units.  . Hmm... but somehow.. I am not sure will that affect my exemptions for all fundamental papers for ACCA qualification. Hahaha, another problem comes along xD.

Thanks to everyone especially Shooters, december88 and zeke'stah, got my visa!! Would have liked to hook up with everyone but it seems we're all in different parts of Australia! Here's wishing everyone all the very best in your studies and undertakings Down Under. A new chapter for all of us.

Wow..you're going across the continent! Just visiting Perth, I am guessing..

What do you guys think of Brisbane. Wonder how long does it take for the city to recover from such disastrous nature phenomena. Do you think student accommodations are going to get interrupted?

to be honest u can just walk in and scout urself, security isnt tight at all. In fact if u dress up, and act natural i think they wouldnt even ask u to scan ur membership card and its small enough for u to see around from the entrance itself.

I am glad you got your visa on time.
Now enjoy your time at home before going abroad.
True regarding the security, just before exam week a friend of a friend was stabbed multiple times with a knives in the gym in one of the uni's college and was hospitalized for 3 weeks.
He survived and to put cheery on the cake, he didn't have to do his exams and got all HDs in his course because his coursework's marks were near-perfect.
Nonetheless it is a traumatic experience from my point of view, lucky bloke he survived.
Anyway never workout in the gym alone, always practice the buddy system.

That was a college's gym in North Adelaide, not university campus gym.
I forgot to mention he was stabbed because it was a robbery and he resists and he was the only one in the gym.

Paul, I live near that gym. Damn. I gotta be careful now cuz no more friend living with me cuz he finished his degree already. Sigh.

It's gonna be a tight rental market in Queensland this year. With massive projects on going especially coal seam gas@ Curtis Island, I think 2 major projects already received FID with another 2 major projects slated to received FID this year ones customers are secured. One project that recently received FID had a AUD 2 billion cushion budgeted into the FID cost due to skill shortages and other factors.
Pretty sure suburbs that are close around CBD will take some time to rebuild.
Anyway my mate who is doing his vac work there told me Brisbane rental is expensive and he's paying around $250 per-week for a 3 bed room in the CBD.
Lucky he didn't bring his Ducati there from Adelaide and lucky he didn't lived in the suburb.
It's a college gym only for college students, not sure what college tho.
Just make sure you have a buddy in the gym especially if you're doing weight training.
Are you still living in uni accommodation or private rental?
Anyway nothing to be afraid off, just know you risk, I usually cycle back home to uni late (9-12 am) due to research commitments, always a pleasure seeing all the drunkies because I have to pass through Rundle Mall/Street cycling back home.
This year is my final year.
Gym is in North Adelaide, probably one of the best suburbs and also safe IMO. It is near the city and also heaps of shop, cafes and restaurant and pubs too.

Can anybody who went back home to Malaysia last year or this year confirm that a student ID card was not sufficient for an extra 5 or 10 kg for outbound flight from Australia?
I really need to know this before I contact MAS next week.

Uni Adelaide.
He's paying AUD250 for his own room since he is sharing the apartment and it is fully furnished, but total is AUD750 per-week.
That is expensive from his point of view, at least he's earning decent coins to be able to afford that.

I am still in Adelaide now, doing vacation work/internship.

Regarding the extra weight allowance, if you have Grad card then you will get your extra 10 kg.
International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is semi-useless since MAS only accept them for the extra weight allowance during certain period of the year albeit it was a reasonable period from Oct to late Dec. 
What a joke. See the facebook link  for the T&C.

https://www.facebook.com/MHStudents?v=app_4949752878

okay, this may have been asked before, but if I bring my own BB phone, I will go for BYO plan right? I am just looking at the optus site, and am just confused by their many packages, inclusions, exclusions. Am just going to be using the BB as normal phone, sms, bbm, fb and emails. Please advise, thank you so very much in advance, as I don't quite understand why there's an option to choose another bb plan on top of 200 mb data/unlimited bb email (value cap 29 plan).

wouldn't this just eat up the battery? i will get a separate mobile broadband thingy i think.

can we bring our own quilt and pillow as hand luggage there? and what must we declare?

Thanks in advance 

hehe, i'm a girl..i'm heading to perth 
how bout you?
yea, i'm nt sure if i have to declare my medicine stuffs
wow, 2 pillows, hand carry?

haha, it's ok

oowwwh, okayx..cause i'm going to bring those flu, stomachache medicine
wow, 45 kg!! what is GRADS?  which airlines are you using?

and thanks again for your reply!! 

hello, Ver! I'm going to study in Tuart College
where are you studying?

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Added on January 17, 2011, 8:06 pm

Hello, haya.I did read it before and thanks for the information. I just want more opinions, and please don't say that about Malaysians.

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Added on January 17, 2011, 8:07 pm

Thanks again for your help! 

My impressions with Urbannest Brisbane is as follows. I cannot say its the same in any other states/cities. Your mileage may vary.

Its not too bad to be honest. You do get your own toilet, which while as big as a closet, is always welcome staying in shared accommodation. The rooms are decently sized for a one bed room, through you wouldn't be doing much entertaining in your room.

Most people BYO their own kitchen cutlery, through the basics are provided by default. You're supposed to keep to a cleaning roster for the common areas; please do so.

Internet is provided by way of a ethernet port in your room. Its not too bad (Brisbane's upstream is provided by AAPT, now part of iinet. Damn mergers), 500MB/month, so you wouldn't be downloading series after series, but generally suitable for communication. You can top up more data if you so wish: last time I checked it was $10 for 1GB.

Has airconditioning, useful for winter. The Brisbane one has a ping pong table and a social area. Oh, and newspapers (The Australian) is provided as part of your rent everyday. Just pick it up from the front counter.

I found the windows a little glaring through.

Overall its a very good place, especially in Brisbane being near almost everything. Its not something you'd stay in for the next 3 years of your study, nor can I call it cheap, but I wish I had this luxury for the first 6 months after I arrived.

There is no option to have you own line in Urbanest Brisbane. Most of the residential colleges I have seen in Brisbane are also the same. You either put up with what you have, or alternatively try 3G internet connectivity, through I don't think the latter is much cheaper.

You're lucky, being one the first tenants to move into Urbanest Adelaide. Through as I said, you probably wouldn't want to spend too much time there. The common trend is to move out after 6 months once you're more familiar with the place.

It is illegal in most jurisdictions, including Malaysia, to download copyrighted content from a source that does not have distribution rights and that you do not have a license (yes, even music and movies) for.

The fact that you are not caught does not make it legal.

Hey guys,

I have a serious question.

I'm interested in studying medicine (MBBS) in Australia.

The fees for international students and local students are different - 56k AUD for international students and 9k AUD for local students (in Monash Australia).

I was born in Australia, and I have the rights to get an Australian passport. From my research, this means I AM a local student so I get to pay just 9k AUD per year, which is roughly RM27k per year.

Local universities cost much more to study medicine. Thus, I have a serious advantage to study in Australia with lower than half the price to study in Malaysia.

But here's the catch, if I apply for an Australian passport and become an Australian citizen, I lose my Malaysian citizenship. I love Malaysia.

So if you are in my shoes, and you have 100% chance to enter Australia's medschools, would you get an Australian passport, forfeit Malaysian citizenship and study in Australia?

Thanks!