Five benefits of study in a regional area

If you’re thinking about moving to Australia to study, you can probably imagine yourself studying in an iconic capital city like Sydney or Melbourne. You may not realize that regional Australia is another option — an option taken by many international students. There are a number of higher education providers located in regional and country Australia, which give you the opportunity to explore ‘the real Australia’ outside the big capital cities. There are some great reasons why you should think about studying in regional Australia: regional institutions offer a great relaxing lifestyle, a more personalized university experience, beautiful natural scenery, and additional opportunities for migration.

Lifestyle:

• Regional cities provide a relaxing lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Imagine being able to go for a swim at the beach or a bushwalk in your spare time between classes. Many regional cities are very cosmopolitan as well, with similar leisure pursuits to what you would find in the capital cities. Regional cities have the same facilities and entertainment that you will find in the big cities (think health care, cinemas, sporting venues, restaurants, cafés, bars and shopping), so you can be sure to find everything you need. One of the main differences is that these regional cities are more relaxed, and you will feel as if you are part of a community rather than just one person in a big city: you will get to know ‘country hospitality’ first hand.

Specialty course offerings:

• Regional areas provide opportunities for secondary school, university, TAFE, and English language study. Campuses in regional cities offer a wide range of disciplines, many of which are tailored to the strengths of the local area. You might find that campus in Adelaide’s Barossa Valley offers a specialty winemaking degree, a campus in Far North Queensland that features a range of tropical studies or that campus on the New South Wales coast specializes in marine biology. There are also a number of medical and dental schools in regional areas, training students to (hopefully) take up jobs in these regions.

A community feel:

• You will find that regional university campuses are smaller, which usually means that there is a real community feel and that it is easier to meet and get to know people. Most other students will be living in the same area as well, so it will be easy to catch up with friends after class. At a regional campus, it is a lot harder to get lost in the crowd and it is likely that you will feel very welcomed, meaning that you can expect to settle into your new study and living environment in no time

Discover the ‘real Australia’:

• Australia is famous around the world for the beauty of its natural environment. From tropical rainforests and snow-covered mountains to white sandy beaches, rolling hills, red deserts, and the iconic ‘bush’, Australia really does have it all. Regional campuses are the best places to really explore Australia’s natural environment out of the city. You will have a chance to get to know the country and take up the amazing lifestyle opportunities that it offers.

Additional opportunities for migration:

• If you are thinking about applying for permanent residency in Australia once your studies are over, living and studying in a regional area will give you a distinct advantage. Study in a regional area will grant you five extra points in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s points test for skilled migration visa applications.
• Certain cities in Australia have been given the status of being regional. These areas are generally bit away from the main cities of Australia but in themselves they are developed and advanced cities. Cities such as Adelaide, Tasmania, Ballart, Townsville, Rockhampton, Darwin and many other well known cities fall in this category.
• Regional cities of Australia have all the facilities that are available in larger cities but have had less population growth. The universities situated in regional areas are amongst the Top Best Australian Universities. Many large companies are situated in these cities.
• Some regional universities have been in existence for half a century or more, attract many studentsfrom metropolitan areas and overseas and have deserved international reputations for innovative approaches to teaching and research.

Source: Here