Moving to Asia short term for online study?

hixx101 on 08/09/2017 - 17:39

Hello

I have been thinking for a while about taking a long time away from work to study programming as it has always been my dream and I don't have any financial support here just myself.

I currently hate my line of work but it allows me to save money (approx 1000/1500 per month) I'm wondering if anyone knows of online accreditation which would apply to Australia and be relevant here?

I currently have 4K in savings and another 6-10k in car, computer, tv etc I can sell and would look at around 12-15K before making a move.

I'm hoping to find someone with similar experience or anyone with some ideas as I'm really desperate for a change of scenery and out of my current line of work (sales rep)

I have a cert 4 in networking/IT which was completed a fair few years ago and have had a strong interest to learn programming for years but cant afford to take time off work to study.

any experiences or info greatly appreciated (im 25 years old)

thanks

Education & Work

Comments

  • KaTst3R on 08/09/2017 - 17:44

    Im just wondering if there is a need to physically move to Asia just for a course because im sure Australia would have similar classroom setting or online course offer.

    • hixx101 on 08/09/2017 - 17:49

      mostly for cost of living, I don't really have any form of support here and my guess I could live a lot more comfortably off that money in SEA

      • Aniseed Steed on 08/09/2017 - 18:01

        I could live a lot more comfortably off that money in SEA

        Not in Singapore though.

  • Kail on 08/09/2017 - 18:01

    You can get HECS to cover Uni debt here.
    If you study part time you can still work part or full time.

    If you move to another country you may not be permitted to work there so whatever you took over with you would have to cover the degree + living expenses + trip home, so make sure you math it all out first. Do you speak the language of the country you plan to study in?

    IT is a good field to get into imo. If you end up studying in Australia, I would suggest choosing uni with a degree that has an internship or industry placement as a subject. It gets your foot in the door of the industry and you may find yourself working at the company after you graduate. Even if you don't, you can at least put work experience in the relevant field on your resume which will give you an edge over other fresh graduates.

  • Azrael169 on 08/09/2017 - 22:55

    Just do online study while you work…

    My best mate is currently transitioning to the wonderful world of IT via uni. He works full time and studied a full uni load last semester (dropped down to 3 units this semester) and he is loving it and getting great grades. Seriously not that hard.

    It dosnt take much discipline and is easily doable. I completed my first degree in health sciences in 3 years while working a minimum of 35 hours per week.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 08/09/2017 - 23:07

    I was thinking of doing something similar but I keep imagining myself getting bored or restless. It's a lot harder to resist travelling when you're a skip and a hop away.

    The other catch is if you don't pay for a long-term arrangement you end up paying similar prices to budget rooms in Cairns or Adelaide, but you can't just work a day to make the rent back. This could be an advantage if you're really wanting to skip the monotony of work.

    Another issue is the length of your visa. Being forced to change countries can be a good thing if you want to travel but bad if your're trying to stretch out the time and money. Malaysia gives you 3 months from memory. But despite being cheap I haven't found a place there that suits my personality.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/09/2017 - 23:44

    Thailand and Vietnam are both great places for living on the cheap. Stay away from the cancerous white teacher crowd.

    You kinda just do visa runs to the border (bus/boat etc) every few months to renew your visa and you are set.

    Ever thought of telecommuting? It is a hard market to edge into; though with IT it is great to telecommute from asia.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 09/09/2017 - 10:35

      With regards to Thailand, the traditional visa-exempt visa runs by land are both riskier and costlier. Since December last year you are only eligible to 2 visa-exempt entries by land per calendar year, and then you can only stay for 15 days. So if you arrive in say February, at best you can stay 30 days + 15 days + 15 days without re-entering by plane. Then you have to factor in the cost of your time, road transport and neighboring country's visa (if switching in the north).

      With paid 3 month and 6 month tourist visas you can stay up to 60 days at a time. If staying less than 3 months, the former is probably the best value at $55 AUD. Of course this is Thailand so the rules could change by next week.

      One alternative is to get a Working holiday visa if you meet the requirements (18-30, Bachelor's degree, $5000 in savings, willing to switch to a new employer every 3 months if bothered working), but I don't know anyone that's bothered to try.

  • mskeggs on 09/09/2017 - 11:26

    I think this is a fun idea, assuming you are talking about studying online.
    I would suggest limiting yourself to a set period, and committing to it.
    So organise a 6 or 12 month rental in VN or wherever, and that is your deadline to be finished your study.
    I would also break down my study into segments with a timetable (e.g. finish "3.2 implementing arrays" by May 22nd).
    So that I can manage my progress and tell if my lazy afternoon on the beach is justified or just putting me further behind…

  • blitz on 09/09/2017 - 14:08

    Just wanted to wish you good luck, hixx101! Follow your dream!

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