Australian universities and colleges require that international students submit a study plan for admission and scholarship applications. A study plan outlines why you want to study in Australia, how learning Down Under aligns with your future objectives, and what your strategy is to reach your academic goals. Admission and scholarship offices at Australian academic institutions assess each application based in part on the quality of the student鈥檚 study plan. If you鈥檝e never written one and don鈥檛 know where to begin, don鈥檛 sweat it! We鈥檙e going to outline the expectations and writing process below.听
Study Plan Tips
Before we discuss how to write a study plan that will impress Australian admission and scholarship offices, here are some quick tips:
- Don鈥檛 write more than one page.
- Be concise.
- Be factual.
- Have someone with strong English writing skills review and edit your study plan.
Note: Ensure you write your study plan yourself.
5 Steps for Writing a Study Plan for Australia
1. Answer the 鈥淲hy鈥� Question
First, jot down why you’d like to study in Australia and the motivation behind your application. Let’s break down what this might look like. This section of your study plan should briefly explain why you’ve chosen Australia as your study abroad destination. This can be anything from the country’s quality of education to its vibrant multiculturalism. Next, succinctly detail a few of the main advantages of choosing this specific course and institution. For example, you can highlight the course鈥檚 work-integrated learning opportunities, and the educational institution鈥檚 strong research impact.听
2. Explain Your Overall Academic Objective
This is where you want to go into detail about your overall academic objective. Essentially, explain why you want to study a certain course at this Australian university or college, and how it ties into your overall academic and career objectives.听
Let鈥檚 work through an example. For instance, you may be following your passion for helping people through innovation in the medical field, and the course you are applying to is a solid stepping stone to developing your skills as a medical researcher. As mentioned above, it鈥檚 also important to tie in how attending this academic institution will support your academic and career objectives. Continuing with our example, you may note that your desired university or college boasts a high research impact. This detail is important because you鈥檒l receive a quality education from a research-focused institution that employers will consider more seriously when reviewing your resume.听
3. Postgraduate Students Must Expand on Their Research Plan
If you鈥檙e looking to study at the postgraduate level, begin with introducing your area of research, and then detail what type of research you’ll conduct if your application is approved. Don’t be afraid to brag about yourself and your tremendous accomplishments in this section of your study plan鈥攁dmission and scholarship offices want to see it. Just make sure you’re connecting every detail to how you plan to take your studies to the next level.
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4. Describe Your Study Execution Strategy
It鈥檚 time to describe your strategy for how you will reach your goals. A great way to do this is to grab a pen and paper and write out a timeline of your academic objectives.听
Start with where you currently are in your studies and conclude with your dream career. Now mark every academic objective you must complete to reach that goal. Once you鈥檝e finished that, research what requirements you need to meet to achieve each objective. Depending on your objectives, these requirements will vary. They may include achieving a certain GPA, participating in work-integrated learning, or volunteering in your field. Now, under each objective, list the specific requirements for each. Finally, take this visual timeline of your strategy and summarize it in your study plan in a paragraph or two.听
5. Write a Concise Conclusion to Your Study Plan
Now that you鈥檝e answered the why question, detailed your overall academic and career objectives, and described your strategy to reach your goals, it鈥檚 time to write your conclusion.
The purpose of a conclusion is to remind your reader of the main idea of your study plan: your academic and career goals and how you plan to achieve them. It鈥檚 imperative to exclude any fluff from your conclusion. What we mean by this is that you should reiterate your main points and leave out any details that don’t connect directly to your plan.听
Tip: An effective conclusion educates the reader on the principal idea of the study plan without having to re-read the entire plan.
If you鈥檝e made it this far, that means you now know how to write an effective study plan that will wow Australian scholarship and admission officials! But remember, editing is your best friend, and the more people with solid English writing skills you can ask to review your work, the better!听
