Organise an Australia Homestay Yourself, Or Ask an Agency?
http://www.educationbuzz.net/articles/2937/1/Organise-an-Australia-Homestay-Yourself-Or-Ask-an-Agency/Page1.html
Adam Claydon-Platt
Jobs in Japan aren't just limited to teaching - do something you enjoy doing, and share your hobbies with people from another culture! Make the most of your time in Japan working in resort jobs.
http://www.boobooski.com/index.html By Adam Claydon-Platt
Published on 07/21/2009
If you're thinking of coming to study / homestay in Australia, there are 3 main ways to organize your trip. You can organize everything yourself, pay a company to do it for you, or a little of both. So which is the best way to do it?
If you're thinking of coming to study / homestay in Australia, there are 3 main ways to organize your trip. You can organize everything yourself, pay a company to do it for you, or a little of both. So which is the best way to do it? This article details the pros and cons of each - we hope you find the information informative!
Most people choose to use an agency to help them organize their homestay / school etc. They've organized thousands of people before you, so they take the hassle out of it for you. However, you have to pay a premium for their services. Expect to pay around $500 for their initial service fee (which includes help getting your visa / flights / insurance etc), plus they also take a small commission from your English school tuition, and from your accommodation too.
The other issue with big companies is they only send you to the "popular places". The place they will send you to will have lots of other students of your nationality... so, you'll find it's easy to make friends with them, end up speaking your own native language every day, and not make Australian friends, or learn much English at all!
On the other hand, if you decide to make your own arrangements, you not only save money, but also teach yourself an important life lesson - independence. Organising things on your own can be an exciting challenge! You'll be able to find small schools, or local families, in places you've never even heard of (like Maroochydore for example, an amazing place, but not many foreigners know about it at all)! Organising things yourself may be more risky, because if you have any problem, you'll have to handle it yourself. But it's also the best way to experience the "true" Australian culture, and live like a local.
Admittedly, visas can be a pain to organize by yourself, and help enrolling in a school or opening a bank account is useful. But for getting your flights / insurance, or finding a good school or homestay family - these are cheaper and more fun to do by yourself!
If you do decide to organize things yourself, for flights / insurance, visit your local travel agent, or search the internet. The internet also has a wealth of information about English schools, and reviews from people who have been to them. Stay away from the big schools in the major tourist areas if you want to avoid other international students of the same nationality as you (that way, your English will improve a lot faster).
You can also find many great homestay families online (try a google search). This may take a while, but you'll be able to read valuable information about the areas you're considering, save yourself cash, and learn to be independent too!
If you don't want to pay an agency to organise your trip to Australia, but can't be bothered organising everything yourself, try asking local families in the area you're going to - they'll probably offer similar services as the big co.'s, but much cheaper, and with more personal service. They'll also be flexible about what they can provide, so if you like, you'll be able to organize half the trip yourself, and ask them to help with the other half. This way, you save cash, gain your independence, but also keep the hassle to a minimum, so you have more time to enjoy the whole Aussie experience!
Most people choose to use an agency to help them organize their homestay / school etc. They've organized thousands of people before you, so they take the hassle out of it for you. However, you have to pay a premium for their services. Expect to pay around $500 for their initial service fee (which includes help getting your visa / flights / insurance etc), plus they also take a small commission from your English school tuition, and from your accommodation too.
The other issue with big companies is they only send you to the "popular places". The place they will send you to will have lots of other students of your nationality... so, you'll find it's easy to make friends with them, end up speaking your own native language every day, and not make Australian friends, or learn much English at all!
On the other hand, if you decide to make your own arrangements, you not only save money, but also teach yourself an important life lesson - independence. Organising things on your own can be an exciting challenge! You'll be able to find small schools, or local families, in places you've never even heard of (like Maroochydore for example, an amazing place, but not many foreigners know about it at all)! Organising things yourself may be more risky, because if you have any problem, you'll have to handle it yourself. But it's also the best way to experience the "true" Australian culture, and live like a local.
Admittedly, visas can be a pain to organize by yourself, and help enrolling in a school or opening a bank account is useful. But for getting your flights / insurance, or finding a good school or homestay family - these are cheaper and more fun to do by yourself!
If you do decide to organize things yourself, for flights / insurance, visit your local travel agent, or search the internet. The internet also has a wealth of information about English schools, and reviews from people who have been to them. Stay away from the big schools in the major tourist areas if you want to avoid other international students of the same nationality as you (that way, your English will improve a lot faster).
You can also find many great homestay families online (try a google search). This may take a while, but you'll be able to read valuable information about the areas you're considering, save yourself cash, and learn to be independent too!
If you don't want to pay an agency to organise your trip to Australia, but can't be bothered organising everything yourself, try asking local families in the area you're going to - they'll probably offer similar services as the big co.'s, but much cheaper, and with more personal service. They'll also be flexible about what they can provide, so if you like, you'll be able to organize half the trip yourself, and ask them to help with the other half. This way, you save cash, gain your independence, but also keep the hassle to a minimum, so you have more time to enjoy the whole Aussie experience!