Australia was my only choice when I wanted to study abroad. I searched for the best universities in Australia and found Monash was one of the groups eight universities in Australia. The course pattern best suited my interest and I applied there.
Course Curriculum
My course curriculum is highly updated to the current trends of biotechnology and the workshops are really useful. Students were able to take either the research pathway or industrial pathway during the second year if they get to score above 70% from the core units. Due to covid19 lockdown in Australia, they were not able to provide us with labs, which was a major drawback. And there were too many lectures and time-consuming assignments which made me difficult to follow along within the set time. Other than that, I enjoyed the course.
Exams
IELTS band 7, Just an English proficiency exam was enough and no other exam was required by the university.
Placement
Post-study career placement totally depends on the individual's competency and the university guides students and develops our basic interpersonal skills to get a job. A lot of students apply for Ph.D. after a master's and it depends upon past research experiences and academic credentials to get a Ph.D. with a stipend. There are so many biotechnology firms in Australia, and almost everyone who plans to do jobs, gets one. Also, some hospitals that have R&D also provide jobs to biotechnology graduates.
Internship
I'm yet to do an industrial placement.
Events
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were not able to work on campus for most of our units. But one unit required us to visit the university for some workshops and it was really a nice experience to interact with fellow students and professors in person than virtually through zoom. The campus infrastructure was mindblowing with highly sophisticated classrooms. There were three libraries within the campus that had a good wifi connection and study lounges for students. There were around 4 to 5 restaurants and 3 to 4 cafeterias in the campus center. Also, a hair salon, a hospital, a pharmacy, a convenience store, and a bank are located in the campus center which made us easy to get basic amenities. I didn't get to explore the sports facility but there was a big swimming pool and free swimming classes for students.
Fees
Around 40 lakhs INR was the basic fee for the course but the university will provide scholarships every now and then based on our academic credentials.
Scholarship
I got a student grant of around 5000 AUD for my first semester.
Faculty
The faculty was very friendly in their approach and accessible whenever I needed them. There were 2 faculties for a unit and one tutor was assigned to two students. The tutor guided us for each and every assignment amidst his busy schedule. I was inspired by his enthusiasm for teaching us.
Hostel
I stayed in a villa-type house which was rented by five of us. Each took separate rooms and shared the kitchen. Individually we paid 700 AUD per month as rent and we used to share all the utility bills including wifi, water, gas, and electricity. The average rental would cost anywhere from 300 AUD to 1200 AUD per month. The bills would cost about 100 AUD per month.
