Practical Advice

It is very common nowadays that European universities that offer different international Masters degree programs, ask applicants to send a number of important documents like C.V, transcript of records, Bachelors degree diploma, language certificate, etc. but one of the key documents required that might make the difference and assure you a place in your desired Masters program is the motivation letter.

The motivation letter (or cover letter) is probably the most personalized document of your application considering that you actually get the chance to write a presentation about yourself accompanying your CV. By requiring a motivation letter, the Master’s recruiting committee offers you the chance to prove yourself in a short document shaped like a letter in which you are supposed to give some relevant and interesting insights about yourself, prove that you are the right and most motivated person to be chosen for participating in the program.

Writing such a letter can prove to be sometimes tricky and challenging for some applicants who often find themselves wondering how the letter should look like, what it should contain and how to convince coordinators that they are the right ones to be chosen for the program.

The internet is packed with different websites that offer tips and tricks on such letters. By simply typing motivation letter on any of the consecrated search engines you will find a vast number of examples of different motivation letters with structural and content details.

 This article will focus on a few key points drawn from personal experiences that proved effective in my case and will hopefully be useful in helping you write a good cover letter:

Do your homework

Before starting on your motivation letter it is best you find out as much as possible about the university that is offering the Masters programme and about the program itself. Usually, the universities’ website is pretty clear and informative about their requirements, expectations and about what qualifications and qualities they hope their candidates have. Knowing a little bit about their requirements, about their main projects, activities personal philosophy and interests will help you get an idea of what your letter should contain. Relating to the main activities and interests of the university will definitely help start positive cooperation.

Ideas and main points

Start with writing down some of the main ideas, important points you would like to approach in your letter and later build around them, enrich their content; an example would be :

 Make your goal clear; provide a short preview of the rest of the letter.

 Why do you think that the university and the Master’s program are interesting and suitable for you?

 Focus on some of your strongest qualifications, past experiences (international experiences are always relevant) and qualities; organize the middle paragraphs in terms of the qualifications most relevant for the program, you can also refer to your CV for more details.

 Conclude by restating your interest and show appreciation for the chance to prove yourself in the letter (in some cases you can ask for a personal interview).

Personal & Original

Give your readers some insight into you as an individual. Remember this is a very personal document in which you are expected to prove that you are different from the rest of the applicants and that your qualities, skills, and qualifications make you suitable for participating in the program. Although it might be sometimes helpful to have other examples, do not copy other letters you have seen and try to be original, it will help a lot! Also, avoid bragging too much about yourself. You are not expected to present yourself as a superhero but rather be objective and realistic.

First impression

Whether it is the way your letter looks, the way it is organized and structured in paragraphs, the font size, the length of the letter or even the first paragraph, the first impression always counts!

Be professional and consistent

Present your letter in a professional format, style, and grammar. Have it checked for spelling mistakes and be consistent (e.g. use the same font, the same abbreviations throughout the letter, etc.)

Other opinions and advice

It is always a good idea to ask your friends, a teacher or someone who has already done such an application for advice. Usually, you can get in touch with students who are already doing the Masters programme you are applying for and they can give good advice not only on what to include in your motivation letter. However, as already stated before remember to be original and avoid copying other letters!

All these presented key points can prove effective and help you write successful motivation letters but in the end, your personal touch and knowledge is what matters and makes the difference. A good motivation letter will always be successful if the applicant is really interested and willing to get the desired place in the Master’s program of his/her choice. What you really need is to trust in yourself and try it and if you are not successful the first time keep on trying because you will for sure make it.

Good luck with your applications!

A pre-departure guide for Bangladeshi students going to Study Abroad

Are you planning to study Abroad?

See the Axiom pre-departure briefing to set you on the road to success!

Before you begin your Abroad studies, there is a lot to think about and prepare – but help is at hand.

Before you leave for the Abroad

Maintain regular communication with your International Cooperator Axiom

 Your camp placement

 Your visa documentation

 Your insurance

 Your flight information

 Any changes in your health between the time of application and departure to Abroad.

Contact your Campus:

 Send them a copy of your signed placement letter.

 Send a personal letter.

 Send any additional information the camp may request.

Prepare for Traveling:

 Make two photocopies of all your documents. Pack them in two separate bags, just in case one gets lost.

 Buy U.S. dollar traveler’s checks or an international pre-paid debit card.

 If you have a bank card, make sure it works in Abroad. You should check with your bank before you leave home to find out about any international fees or service charges that might apply if you use your card in Abroad.

 Pack according to the list contained in this book or the list provided by your camp.

 Say goodbye to your friends and family and tell them to stay in touch.

 Practice speaking English every day!

Sample Packing List

 Passport with Visa

 Placement Paper

 International Driver’s License

 Pair of Boots

 $250 for travel

 Photocopies of All Documents

 Medications, including your doctor’s letter indicating the type of medicine

 2 Pairs of Shorts

 1-2 Pairs of Jeans

 Pair of Athletic Pants

 7 Pairs of Underwear

 Light Jacket

 2 Sweatshirts

 2 Swimsuits

 Nice Outfit for Social Events

 6 T-Shirts

 Pair of Sneakers

 Shower Shoes/Flip-Flops

 7 Pairs of Socks

 Pajamas

 Raincoat

 Sleeping Bag (optional)

 Toiletries (soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.)

 Travel Book

 Alarm Clock

 Towel

 Hat

 Sunglasses

 Flashlight (Torch)

 Money Pouch

 Batteries for Electronic Devices

A foundation programme is an inspired study course designed to fill the gap between your current level of qualification and knowledge and the level needed to be admitted to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at an international university. Foundation degrees, also known as preparation courses or pathways programmes, complement any knowledge or qualification that you might still be lacking after finishing high school.

• Who can enroll in a foundation programme?

Foundation programmes can be generic, designed to prepare the student for starting a degree in a certain field, for example, foundation programmes in business, in computer science or in humanities and arts. They can also be tailored for a specific type of degree course (specific disciplines).

Foundation programmes don’t usually award students an academic degree upon completion but guarantee a certain level of qualification that allows them to follow a higher education degree such as a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme.

• Foundation course duration, format and start dates

Preparation courses are usually divided into three semesters, or phases, each with its own number of modules. Modules are split into minor (more generic) subjects and major ones, more specialized towards the student’s future career.

Intensive 6-months pathway programmes are available for students who want to complete their studies faster. Faster foundation study tracks start in January and end in August of the same year. However, many international foundation programmes have flexible start dates.

• Foundation degree assessment

The evaluation system is very similar to any other study programme and includes exams, presentations, projects, assignments, etc. The foundation programme can be based in the country of study or can also be taught in the student’s local country by an institution that has an agreement with the specific university. An assessment uses a number of academic credit points, assigned differently for coursework or exams.

When should I study a foundation programme?

A foundation programme is very useful when you have decided to study for a degree in an international university but don’t have the required qualification to be admitted. The right foundation programme focuses on your particular interests, providing the best chance to become qualified for admission.

What are the advantages of studying a foundation programme?

1. Increased chances of admission

Complete a foundation programme to be fully qualified to start an undergraduate or graduate degree in a university you like. Most students that follow a foundation programme get into great universities abroad.

2. Better language proficiency

Advance your English speaking skills to meet university admission requirements. Foundation programmes for internationals always include language courses, to help you communicate during your studies and in daily life.

3. Direct access to great universities

Discover the university you plan on attending your Bachelor’s or Master’s studies and decide if it’s the right place for you. Learn more about requirements, practices and the country’s culture. Talk to teaching staff and to students at the university to get a unique insight into your possible future.

4. Relevant qualification for your future studies

A foundation programme will provide you with the specific set of skills and knowledge necessary for university admission. This targeted preparation will make studying infinitely easier and will provide you with a unique advantage over other international students.

5. Reduced culture shock

By spending already one year in the country where you wish to study, it’ll be much easier to move to a foreign country. This will make the beginning of your studies a lot smoother and comfortable. It also provides you with knowledge about all the paperwork and formal procedures you’ll need to go through to study and live abroad.

6. Getting into the right mindset

Maybe you don’t have any problem meeting entry requirements for a Bachelor or Master abroad. This doesn’t mean a foundation degree would be of no use to you. Many international students choose to take a pre-Bachelor or pre-Master in order to prepare mentally for their first year of studies abroad and have only good things to say about it. It’s much easier to get going if you already know what to expect, know your location and some of your colleagues.

How much does it cost and how do I finance a foundation programme?

The tuition fee for an international pathway programme per year is usually lower than the tuition fee for a degree course. The fees range between 2.500 to 25.000 EUR/year depending on the institution that provides the preparation course, the level of study (general versus targeted), the city, the country and many other factors. Scholarships are available for this level of education as well. Check help-to-get-scholarship for more information about that and a collection of scholarships for studying worldwide.

As the testimonies of the students who completed a Foundation Programme show, the cost of this level of education is, in fact, an investment. Ensure a remarkable higher admission probability and above-the-average performance during your higher degree studies. Not being prepared enough can lead to delays in the completion of your Bachelor or Master, resulting in higher overall costs.

• What qualifications do I need to be accepted into a foundation programme?

Entry requirements of most foundation programmes are usually not difficult to meet. You’ll generally need:

• Successful completion of SSC / O-leve and HSC / A Level or 12 years of basic education anywhere in the world
• Basic language proficiency depending on the requirements in the country
• Certain subjects in your high school syllabus relevant to the foundation programme

Read more about entry requirements for foundation degrees. Interested to find the right foundation course for you? Check out Browse top Foundation Programmes worldwide.

Australian Government Abolish the 457 Visa

The Temporary Skill Shortage visa (TSS) (subclass 482) has officially replaced the temporary skilled visa program (subclass 457). The Government’s decision to replace the 457 visas is to assist businesses in addressing genuine skills shortages and to protect Australian workers and give them the first preference for potential employment. Results Migration takes us through what all of these changes mean for new applicants.

This replacement brings many new eligibility requirements and complexities for applicants, including added work experience requirements, higher English language skills and the visa itself is far more costly than the 457.

Three streams available

The first list is the “Short Term Skilled Occupations List” (STOL) and will replace the Consolidated Skilled Occupations List (CSOL). The second is the “Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List” (MLTSSL), which will replace the Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

Short-term stream

The first list is the “Short Term Skilled Occupations List” (STOL) and will replace the Consolidated Skilled Occupations List (CSOL). This list has been designed for employers to fill skill gaps temporarily

• Valid for two years
• Can be renewed once for two more years
• No pathway to permanent residency
• Occupation list will be reassessed every six months
• Applicant needs to show genuine intention to stay temporarily in Australia
• Similar English proficiency to 457 visa

Short-term stream fees

• Primary Applicant – $1,150 or app. BDT 70,000
• Dependent over 18 – $1,150or app. BDT 70,000
• Dependent under 18 – $290or app. BDT 17,750

Here calculate 1 AUS Dollar approximately BDT 61

Medium-term stream

The second list is the “Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List” (MLTSSL), which will replace the Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

• Similar to the 457 visa
• Valid for four years
• Possibility for permanent residency after 3 years
• Occupations are considered critical to the economy
• Possible caveats on occupations
• Higher English proficiency expectations

 Medium-term stream fees

• Primary Applicant – $2,400or app. BDT 1 ,46,750
• Dependent over – $2,400or app. BDT 1 ,46,750
• Dependent under 18 – $600or app. BDT 36,500

 Labor agreement stream

• Only to be used in exceptional circumstances
• Must need that cannot be met by the Australian labor market
• Can only be used if no other visas are available
• No formal English requirements needed

 Do I need work experience?

Yes. The Australian Government has now decided that applicants will need at least two years of work experience in the relevant occupation and field of expertise. This is a complete change from the 457 visas, where one could just have the relevant qualification. This is one of the bigger changes and may make it difficult to be eligible for the TSS visa.

 What if I was on a 457 before 2017?

Don’t worry; the old 457 rules will still apply to you! The Government has introduced ‘grandfathering’ provisions which mean that if you already held a 457 visa you will retain access to the pathway to permanent residency. The work experience requirement will also stay the same, as will the age and language requirements.

 What if I want to change jobs?

The TSS condition 8607 means that if you wish to change occupations, you must obtain a new nomination from a sponsoring employer and apply for a new visa. This is obviously significantly different to the 457 where you could just show you have the skills required for the new occupation.

Differences between the two main streams:

Changes for Sponsors

A Training Levy will be introduced for the TSS visa. This means sponsors will not need to prove the training of Australians in the business to become an approved sponsor. A TSS sponsorship will be valid for five years.

Changes to Nomination Requirements

The TSS visa is only available for full-time positions. The TSS also specifically requires the sponsors to pay the nomination fees.

Industries affected

A significant amount of occupations have been cut from both lists, leaving the short-term stream with 268 occupations and the medium-term stream with a small amount of 167 occupations. Such substantial cuts suggest that nearly all industries will be affected by this change. Many affected industries are actively working to have ‘critical jobs’ reinstated. Additionally, many occupations will find a variety of caveats that may be difficult to meet.

What does this really mean?

The 457 visa was very popular and successful; however with Australia continuously changing it was in need of an upgrade. The new TSS visa, while more challenging for applicants to acquire, will actually benefit businesses as it will be easier to meet the necessary training requirements. Whether the TSS is successful in addressing Australia’s skill shortages will be assessed in next few years, but for now, we will just have to see how it unfolds.

Your odds of getting money to study, volunteer, or intern abroad might be far higher than you expect.

But first, would you have guessed there are some major study abroad providers who had only 15 applicants for 12 scholarships? Or that the providers are disappointed because year after year they have to select lower quality winners just because there are too few applicants?

While many scholarships ARE very competitive, it turns out there are plenty of others that may be easier to win than you think. Your odds of getting money to study, volunteer, or intern abroad might be far higher than you expect: you just have to identify the opportunities.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in setting up a financial plan for going overseas is not even applying for study abroad scholarships.

Here are 10 tips for study abroad scholarship applications that can help make your international dreams a reality.

Be Prepared to Work Hard for Study Abroad Scholarships

Working on study abroad scholarships. Trying to get a scholarship, whether for full-time study or for study abroad, is hard work. You’ll probably need to apply to half a dozen opportunities for everyone you hope to win. It’ll take time, so set up a schedule where every Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday night you sit for 3 hours and work on applications (or something to that effect).

If you need motivation, just look at your bank account and then at pictures of Tokyo or Brazil. Study abroad scholarships might be the only way.

 Make a List of Everything You Qualify For

Start with your home university, then move on to external providers. Meet with folks at the career center or study abroad office. Find out what’s available, who’s eligible, what the requirements are, and when the deadline is. Make a spreadsheet in Google Drive.

Then move on to the bowels of Google. Search “study abroad + undergraduate + scholarship + country/language/major” and add those to the list. You’re going to wind up applying to as many as possible.

 Try some of these:

• General Scholarship Search Engines
• Institute of International Education Scholarships
• Go Overseas’s study abroad scholarships
• UniPlaces scholarship for study abroad housing.
• 60+ more study abroad scholarship

Understand the Organization’s Goals and Values

Before starting an application, you have to understand your audience. Look at what the organization actually does their mission statement or values page, and understand what seems important to them and how they talk about themselves. Then identify those keywords and values, and make sure you work those into your application.

Understand How They Evaluate Candidates

Who are they really looking for? Look at past winners or the detailed FAQ that’s probably on their website. Re-read the parts where they describe how candidates will be evaluated. Keep coming back to this and checking yourself and your application against each and every one of those criteria.

Essay Tip: Avoid Generic Statements at all Costs

You have a unique story by virtue of being alive. So don’t say things like, “I want to explore new cultures” or “I’ve always been interested in Japanese.” Tell the story about the refugee family that moved down the block, or how you love Hindi cinema or befriended the Korean exchange student in middle school. Make your interests come alive through concise stories and personal experience.Talk to your professors or other possible references early, get the verbal okay that they’ll support you. Re-read your essay when it’s done. If anyone else in the whole world could stand up, read that essay, and claim it as their own, then you need to re-write it with elements that speak to who you and only you are.

Include a Plan for Giving Back

Even if the scholarship doesn’t require it, volunteer your ideas for how you’ll bring your experience back home to help others. Will you make short videos about famous landmarks in Asia and share them with the primary school teachers? Will you have a blog? Do a photography exhibition?

Make sure it’s something you can follow through on, but an orientation to using your time overseas for the benefit of more than just yourself is always appreciated.

Do This to Get Great Recommendations

Talk to your professors or other possible references early, get the verbal okay that they’ll support you, and then hand-deliver them a package that includes one page of (SHORT!) bullet-pointed information about the scholarship, a second page of (SHORT!) bullet-pointed information about you and specific examples of why you qualify, and your resume.

This makes it easy for references to write you a good letter of recommendation, should the scholarship require it.

Double Check Eligibility and Application Requirements

Before submitting anything, double check that you meet all the eligibility and that you have all of the application requirements satisfactorily completed. Many students wind up being disqualified because they’ve simply forgotten something.

Also, go back to the essays. If the prompt asked you to talk about your leadership experience and community involvement have you done all three?

Print it Out and Read Everything Out Loud

It’s hard to proofread things on a screen. Once you’ve finished your essays and have an updated resume, print it all out and read every word out loud — even your resume. Read through your application line-by-line, and correct grammar and typos in red pen.

Edit the digital version, and repeat the process until there are no errors. A few typos could stand between you and several thousand dollars, so don’t be that guy.

Apply Early

Even if there’s no preference indicated for early applicants, remember that all applications are being reviewed by humans — humans who most likely have other jobs and responsibilities besides selecting scholarship winners. Once the deadline is reached, those evaluators will be inundated with applications and may start skimming through applications.

You have the best shot of winning when someone reads your story, relates to it, and finds it an appealing fit for their organization’s money. If your application is in a stack of ten because you applied early, it is perhaps more likely to get a thorough read-through.

It All Adds Up

Remember, every little bit helps. Even if a scholarship award is only $1,500, that’s your round-trip international airfare right there! It all adds up. Not to mention, once you’ve completed one scholarship application, it’s that much easier to re-purpose your essays and recommendations to apply for dozens of other opportunities. It’s a numbers game, and if you have a strong profile and the determination, you can have a strong chance to win.

It’s also worthwhile to mention persistence. Maybe this year you don’t receive any scholarships. That just means you need to continue to do well in school, find outlets for your international interests that will improve your eligibility, and re-apply next year.

Explore more overseas scholarships and apply today.