One of the key reasons for doing a a doctoral research degree or PhD is to pursue an academic career. But this dream is becoming increasingly far-fetched, due to a decline in academic positions and a steady increase in Australians undertaking PhDs. The number of PhD completions has been steadily growing over the past two decades, from […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Australia has way more PhD graduates than academic jobs. Here’s how to rethink doctoral degrees
Why unis and vocational colleges are key to Australia’s temporary migration challenge
The number of temporary migrants in Australia is booming after falls during the pandemic. Of this group, current and former international students are the largest component. This comes as the federal government’s new migration review found “hard choices are required” to halt the increase in “permanently temporary” migrants in Australia. These are people who have lived in the country […] … learn more→
Prom price index shows cost of celebration is getting relatively cheaper – even at a time of high inflation
Going to the prom can be an expensive affair for cash-strapped teenagers. Past estimates and surveys put the average cost anywhere from US$600 to $1,000 or more. Some teens reportedly spend upward of $2,000 on the traditional dancing ritual at the end of high school – and that’s not including an over-the-top after-prom party. But with inflation running at the fastest […] … learn more→
Canada’s costly housing market leaves international students open to exploitation
Skyrocketing rent prices in Canada’s major cities are leaving more and more people struggling to find an affordable place to live. National conversations about the housing crisis often overlook a growing segment of the population that is extremely vulnerable to housing discrimination, rent gouging, rights abuses and sexual harassment: international students. Canada had more than 807,000 international students […] … learn more→
Procrastination and social networks, the perfect couple
More and more people have at least one social network . Young people in their university stage are the ones who spend the greatest number of hours viewing publications and sending messages from different applications using their smartphones. College students are the most active group in the new internet age. In Mexico , young people between the ages of 18 and 24 have […] … learn more→
Australian unis could not function without casual staff: it is time to treat them as ‘real’ employees
University working life may conjure up images of professors with book-lined offices, built up over a decades-long career in the one institution. But the reality is precarity has become the norm in Australian higher education teaching and research. According to the Universities Accord discussion paper stakeholders have already raised concerns about insecure work and underpayment in the higher education sector, […] … learn more→
We need to change the way universities assess students, starting with these 3 things
Compulsory tests, essays, regular grades and timed exams are considered a given in university life. But the Universities Accord should change this. Rigid, traditional assessments need to make way for a more flexible, personalised way of working out what students know and can do. The current system is not only vulnerable to cheating, it also disadvantages those […] … learn more→
Less external motivation and more internal discipline: the secret to success in university
In studies or work, discipline is a habit of commitment and self-control, which together with personality and behavior, can lead us to achieve our goals. According to the first meaning of the Royal Spanish Academy , “habit” is the “special way of proceeding or behaving acquired by repetition of the same or similar acts, or originated by […] … learn more→
Why arts degrees and other generalist programs are the future of Australian higher education
There is a persistent idea that a generalist degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts, is less likely to land you a job when compared to a specific qualification. This is personified by the stereotypical arts student as a directionless young person who has chosen to explore sprawling and eclectic subjects with no clear outcomes. This was […] … learn more→
Is college stressing you out? It could be the way your courses are designed
Stress is stopping students from enrolling in and staying in college. According to a recent survey of over 12,000 adults in the U.S., 63% of those 18 to 24 who had never attended college said emotional stress is one of the biggest reasons why they are not currently enrolled. And among those who do enroll, 41% thought […] … learn more→
