Hello. How is it going? I haven’t seen you for a long time. What have you been up to?
I am very well. Thank you. I was away for some time at our beach house not far away from Melbourne.
So, that’s why I haven’t seen you. Are you doing anything at the moment?
Oh, yes. I am getting ready to start studying at TAFE soon.
TAFE? You didn’t tell me you were interested in going to TAFE before! What course will you be doing?
I will be studying a certificate IV in nursing. It will take me one year to finish but this is something I really want to do.
Nursing? Do you want to work at a hospital in the future?
Oh, yes. But I can also work in other places, not only hospitals. I can work at doctors’ surgeries. After I finish the course I will be a Division 2 registered nurse. I am sure it will be easy to get a job then.
And can you do any further studies after you finish your Division 2 nursing course?
Oh, yes. I can choose to go and study at university if I want to. If I go to university, I will have to study for three years and then become a Division 1 nurse. I will get more money then.
And what is the difference between a Division 1 and a Division 2 nurse?
A very big difference. To do nursing at university, you need to study for three years. It is always hard to do a university course and you have to study long hours and submit a lot of written assignments to teachers. At TAFE, it is normally less study, you don’t pay a lot of money and it is only one year.
And what will they teach you at the nursing course? Anything interesting?
I will learn to do many things to get ready to work in the health industry. I will learn how to administer medicine, apply first aid and learn about infection control. There are other things that I will learn during the course but these are the main ones.
Do you have to pay a lot of money to study at TAFE?
No, TAFE is always cheap. I am a permanent resident (PR), so I don’t have to pay a lot of money. I will pay a few hundred dollars a year.
Do international students pay a lot of money to study at TAFE?
Oh, yes, they do. They pay about $8000 each semester. It's a lot of money as you can see.
And how long is one semester?
One semester is six months. So in one year, they pay a lot of money as you can see. You will be surprised to know that students come from America to study here in Australia.
Why will someone leave America to study in Australia? They must be crazy.
No they’re not. They come to study in Australia because there is a good education system here. If they do the same courses in America, they will have to pay a lot of money. They come to study here because it is cheaper. Do you see how lucky we are to live in Australia? It’s the lucky country as they say.
Oh, I see what you mean. Tell me. Do you think teachers at TAFE are good?
Oh, yes. I’ve done a couple of short courses there before and the teachers were amazing. They helped me learn a lot in a very short time.
And why did you choose to study at TAFE?
Well, it is near my house. I can go there in five minutes. I will need only to do 19 units and get my certificate after that. There is also a very good library there. So I can borrow any books I like. They also have many computers and I can use them to go online to do my homework or anything I like.
And when will your course start? Is it very soon?
It will start in a couple of weeks’ time. I can’t wait to go to TAFE and start my course. I will have a chance to make some new friends.
Do you know how much you will get per hour after you finish your course?
I am not really sure but I think it is about 25 dollars per hour, but there are many good things you get when you work as a nurse.
Good things? Like what?
You can get flexible hours, so you can work when you like. You can choose to work full time or part time. You can also get professional development, so you learn new skills as you work. Sometimes they offer you something called salary packaging.
What is salary packaging?
It is something to help you pay less tax, so you end up getting more money in your pocket.
Well, all the best for your course. I am sure you will do very well when you study at TAFE.
Thanks very much. I will see you later. Bye.
