I don't profess to be an expert in this area, but I'm willing to volunteer in providing information/guides on the following:
Sydney, NSW
Renting in Sydney
Living in Sydney (all the essentials like getting around, shopping for essentials, banking, telecommunication, internet connection, etc.)
Working in Sydney

University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Engineering @ UNSW
Australian School of Business @ UNSW
Medicine @ UNSW
UNSW Foundation Year

We'll need some other volunteers from Sydney University, Macquarie, UTS and some regional institutions like UWS and Wollongong.

Off the top of my head, I think the following active LYNs here could contribute towards this (if I miss out anyone, just let me know):
blaxez, pangping1510, jae, nyprinz83

---

Added on January 30, 2008, 10:50 pmHow about both city AND state? Saves the confusion.


This post has been edited by chris_c28: Jan 30 2008, 10:50 PM

That's not the way to see it. The rankings fluctuate from year to year because of various factors, the main thing being the number of research papers published, amount of research funding gained, etc. UNSW is still a heavyweight in Engineering education here and still attracts some of the best talents in this area. It has an excellent reputation in the industry.

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Jan 31 2008, 11:05 AM

The daunting task....
I usually use a piece of paper or a spreadsheet program to draw up the time columns and then use http://www.timetable.unsw.edu.au to view the times for subjects and mark them accordingly.
Alternatively open two tabs, one with the blank timetable and another with the enrolment tab and then try to fit in the times.
Whatever you do, do not ever use Auto Timetable. The computer-generated random allocation system will give you really poor scheduling.

It's not, considering you get a postgraduate degree out of it. An equivalent undergraduate + Masters course will cost approximately the same.

Here's what I managed to put together today. I'm still working on it, so if there's any more information you'd like to know, PM me.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken to ensure the information provided is accurate, I cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. This should be strictly taken as an unofficial reference, not an absolute guide.

Living in Sydney

Transportation
Sydney has a relatively efficient and modern public transportation system. Major suburbs are accessible by trains or buses. Several options are:
State Transit Buses - http://www.sta.nsw.gov.au/
CityRail Network - http://www.cityrail.com.au/
Trams/Monorail (City area only, expensive and recommended for tourists only) - http://www.metromonorail.com.au/
Ferries - http://www.sydneyferries.info/
Taxis - taxis are expensive, but very convenient. Taxis are metered with controlled pricing (http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/taxi/fares.html).

To check schedules for integrated bus, trains and ferries services, we usually use: http://www.131500.info/realtime/default.asp

Getting a bus/train ticket is the easiest way to travel. Options and prices:
TravelTens - 10 trips prepaid card
http://www.sydneybuses.info/tickets/travelten.php

TravelPass - prepaid card for unlimited travel for a weekly or seasonally (quarterly, monthly)
http://www.sydneybuses.info/tickets/travelpass.php

A TravelPass is worth it if you take more than 12 rides a week on a bus or need to use both a bus and train to travel frequently.

Renting in Sydney
Sydney has a crazy property market. As this is generally a buyers' market, there is a constant shortage in rental property. However, you can still find accommodation if you look before the peak periods of January/February and June/July. September/October are the best time to rent, but hey, nobody likes to move in the midst of a university session.
The major real estate agents operate in all major suburbs, namely L.J. Hooker, Raine & Horne, Laing & Simmons, etc. Online web sites include www.realestate.com.au.
For those intending to be a tenant, signing a lease is a must. A lease puts you on a contract with the landlord (or the agents acting on behalf of their client), usually over 6 or 12 months, for security. It ensures that there will be no disputes arising from the rental agreement, document the responsibilities of the landlord and tenants and provides tenants the security of a fixed rent over specified period and protection against unfair eviction, etc. A 4 week bond is usually taken to ensure that tenants take appropriate care of the premises. If premises are left in good condition, the bond will be refunded when the tenant moves out.

Average Rental Rates in Eastern suburbs:
$400-$500 for a new 2-bedroom unit/apartment and $300-$400 for an older unit.
$500+ for 3-bedroom units

Shared accommodation is common and this can be found on university notice boards, housing offices and classified ads. Shared accommodation simply means someone takes up a lease and then shares the unit with other people, so they split the rent and utilities among themselves.

Banking in Sydney
Students are encouraged to get a bank account as soon as you reach Australia. In the first 6 weeks of arrival, you can use your passport for identification. Beyond that, you will need to meet the 100 points ID test.

Australia has 4 major banks and many smaller ones:
Commonwealth Bank of Australia - the biggest retail bank, has most number of ATMs, popular with students
National Australia Bank
ANZ Bank - offers debit card facilities
Westpac

All major banks offer student accounts, with no charges for withdrawals or transfers. However, you must update your details with them every semester of study to enjoy the benefits.

Commonwealth Bank offers an option for students to open an account and transfer funds prior to moving to Australia.
http://www.commbank.com.au/movingtoaustralia/

Telecommunication
Mobile phones are widely used in Australia. Major cities like Sydney are served by advanced 3G mobile services from the major providers like Hutchinson's Three, Singtel Optus, Telstra and Vodafone.
You can either sign on a plan or go prepaid. Optus offers an attractive prepaid service that is popular with students. Three is by far the cheapest if most of your friends are on the same network, but you are forced to use a 3G-enabled mobile and sign onto a contract and use their locked phones to enjoy those benefits.

Internet Connection
The most common form of broadband internet is ADSL via landline connection. If you're renting, check that the unit has a landline connection that has been set up. Establishing a new connection costs more than A$100 and has to be done by Telstra.
To find the best ISP deals, check www.whirlpool.net.au. The biggest telecommunication companies are generally the least affordable, but you may benefit from bundled plans (phone + internet) and better customer service.
Broadband internet plans are capped in Australia, so take the download quota into consideration when selecting plans.

UNSW Students
UNSW has 3 main campuses - Kensington, COFA (College of Fine Arts) and ADFA (Australian Defense Forces Adacemy in Canberra). Chances are you'll be in Kensington, so this guide will assume this to be the case. Sydney is made up of the Central Business District (CBD) and its surrounding suburbs. Kensington is one of these suburbs in Sydney and is only 20 minutes from the CBD.

Where to Live and Getting There
External Accomodation
Most UNSW international students choose to live in the suburbs surrounding the university. These include Kensington, Kingsford and Randwick. Further away, there is Maroubra, Pagewood and Coogee. All suburbs are within walking distance, but those living beyond the first 3 should take the bus to university.

There are dedicated Express buses serving UNSW and Central station every 5-10 minutes daily during session. All suburbs are served by major bus services leading to the CBD (about 20-30 minutes in normal traffic).

Randwick and Kingsford are considered very popular and convenient suburbs. There is a Coles supermarket in Randwick, many places to eat, convenience stores, banks, shops, close to the Prince of Wales hospital, and within walking distance to Coogee beach, so you never have to leave the suburb if you don't want to. Randwick is closest to the upper campus of the uni.
Kingsford is populated by international students. It has a small supermarket, banks, many places to eat and also some Asian convenience stores. Kingsford is closer to the lower campus of the uni.

Residential Colleges
UNSW has 8 residential colleges on campus. These are:
New College (more academic, modern and expensive. Strict bans on alcohol.)
The Kensington Colleges which includes Philip Baxter, Basser & Goldstein (cheap, university-owned and operated, small rooms)
Shalom College (religious, run and supported by the Shalom Jewish Institute. Orthodox Jewish laws apply, so food is kosher, the Sabbath is observed and other Jewish customs are practiced)
Warrane College (religious, all-males, run and supported by the Catholic Church's Opus Dei)
Creston College (religious, all-females, also run by Opus Dei)
International House (cheapest, very popular with Malaysian/Singaporean students)
The religious colleges are still quite diverse and do take in international students regardless of faith or background.

You have to apply as early as possible as the colleges fill up very quickly. Some colleges require an interview and references provided in the application process, so be prepared for that. Short term accomodation is available at backpacker hotels and small motels around the university for the first few weeks, but these are not viable forms of accomodation beyond 4 weeks.

Students are encouraged to be in Sydney as early as January to search and battle it out for rental property.

University Website
http://www.unsw.edu.au

UNSW Housing Website
http://www.housing.unsw.edu.au/

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 3 2008, 12:21 AM

Errr, you don't really have a choice. 4-5 subjects a semester isn't difficult. It is the normal thing to do, hence recommended by the uni. The new visa rules doesn't allow you to extend your period of study beyond that recommended by the university except for certain exemptions on a case-by-case basis. E.g. in UNSW, a normal course of study is 48UOC per year. If you don't meet this requirement in a given year, you will have to overload in the following semesters, do summer courses, or risk falling behind.

I think Waterloo is alright, but Glebe and Redfern are notorious areas because they are mainly filled with Government housing. However, those places are undergoing development with new high end properties being constructed.

Australia doesn't have a national ID card scheme, so a driving licence or passport are used widely as proof of identification. You do not have to carry your passport all the time. No one will ask for them (it's an invasion of privacy to do so) unless you're going to a bar/club or buying alcohol/cigarettes/firearms.

Yes. It's called the RTA Proof of Age card.

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 5 2008, 12:03 PM

No major differences. July intake is usually for those in the 2nd or late round applications (less competition for mid-year entry). Not all programs (degrees) have mid-year entry, so you need to check if the one you're applying to does. Some core courses (subjects) may not be offered in the 2nd session, so your subjects may get shuffled slightly from those in the session 1 intake.

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 7 2008, 10:35 PM

I have to carry 2 passports all the time.

As long as you have a TFN, you can do it. Minimum investment is usually between $1000 and $5000, but you can start trading online for only $20 brokerage fee through discount brokers like CommSec and ETrade.
I'm looking at Colonial First State and Macquarie's fund products. However, the stock market is pretty volatile right now, so I'm really not ready to put that much into it (on a good run, you'd probably get around 12% p.a. return). If you're risk averse, high interest saving accounts are probably the most stable product right now. Interest rates are set to rise further, so it's definitely good. The only problem is rents will rise in conjunction with the rise in interest rates.
The general rule is the higher the risk, the higher the returns.

You can buy cooking pans anywhere, from cheap ones at discount stores to mid range KMart/Target variety to higher end ones from department stores like Myer/David Jones. Have you been to Supacenta at Kensington? They sell all kinds of homewares and furniture if you don't want to venture to Ikea Homebush. It's just 10 minutes from uni via the 302/303 bus.

You're not exempt from taxes. You are considered an Australian resident for taxation purposes. In Australia, only your money is welcomed, everything else is secondary.

Yes, it's in Moore Park. Ikea has moved to Homebush.

If your assessable income is below $6k per FBT year, you don't pay tax and is eligible for a full refund if tax has been withheld from your income.
If you do not have a TFN, the banks are required to withhold up to 45% of your interest earned as tax. Same if you're working without a TFN.

You really have to be here early to get a place. There is a severe shortage right now, so it is very difficult to get a place, even more so when you are a student, without income and no previous rental history. You'll be competing against others who have better records. I'd say let the market cool and search again in April/May. Rents will go up slightly as the interest rates are rising again (yes AGAIN), but when there is less competition, it is generally easier to get a place.

Why do rents increase with interest rates? That's because many investment properties being leased are purchased through a mortgage and as mortgage costs rise, so do the need to pass on these increases to the tenants. However, rents can only increase as much as the market value. Once the increase go above market value, landlords will find it difficult to rent it out and they wouldn't risk listing for too long as it incurs a significant cost to them.

A few years ago, the rental market is so bad that landlords are offering discounts, and free gifts to get tenants to sign a lease. Now, it's the opposite. It's just a poor deal right now.

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 20 2008, 08:09 PM

There are still a lot of Malaysians (although there are more in Melbourne), they just don't troll LYN (probably too busy studying to do so ). You can't take the numbers here as an absolute representation of the actual numbers at university.

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 24 2008, 05:02 PM

Sigh, all you Asian kids are spoiling the fun.

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 25 2008, 03:04 PM

Welcome...

Watch the ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ZLr9ePuj8

Then watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=411ueiat2sY

As much as you may loathe limeuu's points, he is actually correct. Transport concession is a very sensitive issue because the boundaries don't stop there. When you allow transport concession to international students, should you then also open up other forms of concessions such as student allowance, CSP, etc. The reason being the argument for international student concession is based upon non-dsicrimatory policies, but you could apply the same towards the other forms of concessions, can't you?

Anyway, in Sydney, a blue TravelTen costs $14 and a brown one $24, the 2 most commonly used denominations. Those are valid for 10 trips (how often do you need to use it? you don't have time to go out everyday). Surely, that can't be TOO expensive (you'll earn it back in less than 2 hours flipping burgers)? The bus services are good and efficient (not as good as it can be like in Singapore or HK), but way better than what you get in Malaysia. If you're on a scholarship, you get transport allowance, and if you're not, you must have factored in this cost as part of your expenditure.

This post has been edited by chris_c28: Feb 27 2008, 06:31 AM

Whoops, missed that bit.