« Reply #15 on: August 21, 2012, 09:43:01 pm »
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It's hard. I've had friends who've done it (without scholarships or significant financial help from family) and it means working a lot and being frugal. Accommodation isn't cheap - a catered college will be about $300 including food. If you live off campus, you could pay anywhere from $140 to $250 a week for accommodation, plus more for food and transport.
I have actually known some people who've done the fake marriage thing. It did work, but ended badly - the couple were actually in a long term relationship and got married just for centrelink purposes, but then broke up. Awkward. I wouldn't recommend it at all (and I think it'd be hard to fake).
$140-250 isnt too bad if it includes bills and internet. Its just similar to living and renting house in Mel
If you are willing to travel, you can live a bit further to uni and the cost is cheaper plus you can do part-time job.
A part-time job is enough for you to pay for renting house and buying food every month
Its better to earn money and pay the living cost by yourself than by relying on the fake marriage I recommend
Sorry, I wasn't particularly clear - I wasn't actually including bills and internet in that, just rent. Bills can be steep in winter because of heating - Canberra gets very cold overnight.
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VCE 2006
PhB (Hons) (Sc), ANU, 2007-2010
MPhil, ANU, 2011-2012
PhD, Princeton, 2012-2017
Research Associate, University College London, 2017-2020
Assistant Professor, University of Virginia, 2020-
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