If you’re still at school, you’re probably getting ready for a new semester to start soon. Chances are, some or all of your courses will be online while we’re still battling the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a huge adjustment, and it also means we have to be extra careful about protecting our data and devices from hackers.

We called on the cybersecurity experts at ESET to explain the best internet safety tips for the students.

What are the main cyber threats?

With so many of us studying online now, cybercriminals have more opportunity than ever to pull off attacks. Unfortunately, they’ve been busy thinking of new and creative ways to hack into our computers and networks.

Wondering how hackers get into your computer? These are some of the most common cyber threats we’re dealing with:

• Phishing emails. The pandemic has caused a lot of confusion and uncertainty, and cybercriminals are taking advantage of that by sending scam emails. There are a few types of emails doing the rounds, and the most common one asks you to download a “coronavirus tracker.” We’ve also seen emails from hackers pretending to be medical experts — and if you click on a link, it installs a virus on your computer.
• Identity theft. Since we’re all online now more than ever, there’s a chance we’re filling out more digital forms with our personal and contact information, as well as banking details. Hackers often steal that data so they can sell it, so it’s really important to be as private as possible. More on that in a minute!
• Webcam hacks. Hands up if you’ve lost count of how many Zoom calls you’ve had this year? Us, too. Can someone see you through your laptop camera? Usually not, but we’ve seen more cybercriminals trying to access webcams and hack into networks from there.

5 ways to boost your cybersecurity

Cybersecurity might be a pretty new concept to you, and that’s understandable. Schools have strict security measures in place, so you probably didn’t have to think about it too much before. Luckily, you can use “hacks” of your own to protect your data and devices at home.

To stay safe and secure while you’re remote learning, follow these internet safety tips for teens and students.

1. Don’t give away your personal details online

The less information you reveal, the better! One of the biggest computer safety rules for students is to only talk to people you know. If someone asks for personally identifiable information — like your address or where you go to school — double-check with your teacher or parents before responding.

Think of cybercriminals as detectives. Once they have a little bit of information about you, they can do some digging to find a lot more.

2. Secure your Wi-Fi connection

An open WiFi network is the equivalent of leaving your front door wide open. Plus, there’s no need to give other people free WiFi!

To lock down your WiFi connection and make sure no one can access it, here’s what to do:

• Choose a random name for the network. Instead of naming your network “John Smith’s computer,” challenge yourself to come up with a name that can’t be linked to you at all. The more obscure, the better. Think Lion’s Lair or Dragon’s Dungeon.
• Create a strong password. Your password should be hard to guess, and have a mix of capital and lowercase letters, as well as numbers and symbols.
• Change your password regularly. Aim for every 60 to 90 days.
• Update the security settings. In your network settings, select WiFi-Protected Access 2 (also known as WPA2) and pick AES for your algorithm.
• Connect to a Virtual Private Network (VPN). We’re always asked, do I need a VPN?It’s a good idea.These secure networks encrypt the data you send and receive and hide your IP address to increase your online privacy and anonymity. Your school should be able to help you set up a VPN while you’re remote learning — and you’ll earn brownie points for being on top of cybersecurity!

3. Check all of your privacy settings

This is an easy way to amp up your privacy and confidentiality. It’s especially important if you have younger siblings using your devices, too.

Go into every app, video-conferencing software, messaging platform (like Slack) and social media site you use for school and beyond. Then, turn on the most advanced privacy settings to make it harder for hackers to find a way in.

4. Learn how to identify spam and phishing emails

Your school is probably relying on email to send learning materials and announcements. With so many more emails flying back and forth, scam emails are on the rise during this pandemic.

You might be able to spot a suspicious email before it causes damage, like installing malware on your computer.  So, to avoid falling victim to a scam, follow these golden rules:

• Never open emails from unknown senders. If you don’t recognise a sender, mark the email as spam and flag it with your school’s IT department. And if you’re not sure whether you know the sender, check the email address or subject line for spelling errors or weird symbols.  That’s how to spot a phishing email.
• Avoid clicking on links in suspicious emails. If you do open a suspicious email, try not to click on any links or download attachments.
• Don’t send personal or financial details via email. Any legitimate person or business won’t ask for sensitive information through email. They’ll have encrypted platforms to store that kind of information, like online portals.

5. Say yes to all software updates

As tempting as it is to skip software updates, try not to ignore them. Software updates fix security issues and bugs so it’s harder for hackers to tap into your computer or webcam. They pop up all the time because manufacturers release patches as they find flaws to keep you — and your data — safe.

Now that you know that, it’s a good idea to install software updates right away. They usually take a few minutes and you might have to restart your computer, but it’s worth the extra effort.

You can also turn on automatic updates so you don’t have to worry about them anymore.

Protect your devices with antivirus software

For extra peace of mind, install a sophisticated anti-virus software on all your devices. by doing this, you’ll have a multi-layered defence against all those cyberthreats we talked about earlier.

Go for ESET Smart Security Premium to protect your laptop, or ESET Mobile Security to keep your laptop and tablet safe.

One of the key question many international students have is What is Destination Australia Scholarship, how does it work and how to apply for this scholarship?

So in this article, we are going to give a complete guide about Destination Australia Scholarship

What is Destination Australia Scholarship?

On 20th of march 2019, Australian government announced this scholarship known as Destination Australia. The aim of this scholarship is to encourage both domestic and international students to study in regional Australia.

Over a 1000 scholarships are offered each year to support the study and living expenses for these students in the regional area.

In 2020 around 1180 scholarships were awarded at 35 different institutes across regional Australia.

This new scholarship program delivers on the Government’s commitment to attract more students – both domestic and international – to study in regional locations.

How much is Destination Australia scholarship?

As discussed earlier, there will be 1000 scholarships available each year for this scholarship. It is planned to split these 1000 spots between both international and domestic students (500 each) equally.

The value of this scholarship is $15000 per year and it will be paid for the minimum number of years that are required to complete a course.

So, let’s say, you are planning to undertake a Bachelor’s degree in the regional area and it will take you 3 years to complete this bachelor’s program. For each of these 3 years, you will get $15,000, which means a total of $45,000 for the duration of the course.

Who is eligible to apply for this scholarship?

There are few eligibility requirements you need to meet when you are planning to apply for this scholarship. Some of them include:

• You must be planning to study a full-time course in regional Australia. So it can’t be for the part-time study.
• It is available only for eligible institutions – Only certain institutions in regional areas can offer the Destination Australia scholarship. You can check the complete list of institutions here.
• It is available only for eligible courses – when it comes to courses you can choose to do either vocational courses or a degree programs.

Some of vocation courses include: Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced diploma. The degree programs include: Bachelor degree, Master’s degree and PhD. programs

Please note that each institute that you are applying for may only have a specific type of courses eligible for this scholarship. They may not be offering this scholarship for all the courses available in that education provider.

• You must maintain your student visa throughout the duration of the course
• You must be studying in a regional area to be eligible for the scholarship

Also keep in mind that the institute you’re applying for may have their own criteria’s and own eligibility requirements when you’re applying for the scholarship.

What are the benefits of this scholarship?

There are many benefits of this scholarship including:

• Financial support which is up to 15 000 per year
• Lower cost of living in regional areas as compared to the city areas
• Chance to experience the lifestyle of regional Australia
• Additional migration benefits like extra time for the post study work visas etc.

If you want to know more about the benefits of studying in regional Australia, then we suggest you to check this video out or you can read more about regional areas in this article.

How to apply for this scholarship?

Before you get to apply for this scholarship, it is important to understand that institutes and universities in regional areas must apply for this scholarship to the Department of Education each year.

Then, Department of education will allocate these places for the eligible institutions in a regional areas.

Once these institutions are announced, then students can apply directly to these institutes for the Destination Australia scholarship. You can look up for these institutions on the Department of Education’s website.

Please note that these educational institutions might change each year based on their application and eligibility.

As a student, you can directly apply this scholarship to the institute by completing an application forms available on their website.

Now the selection of this scholarship will be based made on your application.

Usually many institutes require you to write a personal statement when you’re applying for this scholarship. It is around 600 words and you may have to include information like:

• Why you are applying for this scholarship?
• Why are you choosing to study in this specific regional area?
• Why are you choosing the specific institute?
• How this scholarship might benefit your career?

Once applied your application will be assessed by the selection committee of the institute and if your application is accepted then there could be further interviews or video interviews before they finally award you this scholarship.

Again, this personal statement requirement may vary from one education provider to other. Education providers can have their own criteria’s and interview requirements.

We highly recommend you to check the website of your education provider’s website for complete eligibility requirements and application process.

How do you get the scholarship money?

If you get awarded this scholarship from your educational provider, the money will be directly deposited into your Australian bank account every year as per the agreed payment schedule.

As per our observations, many education providers actually pay this scholarship money in a half-yearly installments, which is $7,500 every six months.

This payment schedule may vary depending upon your agreement with the education provider.

While, there are only 1,000 spots available for this scholarship, $15,000 is a substantial amount of money as an international student. So, we highly recommend you to look for your options to apply for this scholarship.

You can also check our article on 6 steps for applying for a scholarship in Australia here.

We would love to hear which regional area or institute are you planning to study in 2021 and beyond. Please put your thoughts in the comment below.

“Exams are fun” – said no student ever.

It is that time of the year again when students start worrying about their exams. It is certainly one of the most stressful times in any students life.

But there are ways to manage the stress, anxiety and be well prepared for the exams.

So in this article, we are going to give you top 12 tips for your exam preparation

1. Prepare Nice and Early

Now, our parents, grandparents, teachers and every one who have been through exams will say this to you “Prepare Nice and early for your exams. Don’t leave anything for a last minute”.

And to your disappointment, they all are telling you the right thing.

Having prepared well in advance for your exams make life so much easier.

Of course, there will be still some anxiety and nervousness for the exams but that is very normal.

2. Get organised

It is important that you get the things organised before start preparing for the exams.

There are many things you will need to organise like your study space, books, notes, stationery, computer, comfortable chairs, etc.

One of the other stressful thing is to find things on or a day before the exam. Some of the common things that can cause stress include:

“I can’t find my Student ID card!”

“Where is the exam hall?”

“I forgot to my stationary kit for my exam tomorrow”

These little things can cause more chaos than the exams themselves.

Make sure you have all the things you need to carry along with you when going for an exam. Also locate your exam halls, address and work out how to get there as well. Unless, the exam is online, then you may not need to worry about these things but still might need to be aware about the login details etc.

Create a checklist of things you need to prepare for the exam day.

3. Have clear goals

When you start preparing for the exams, it is important that you set clear goals for your study session.

For example, you might want to set a goal like in next hour, i will cover 3 topics of this chapter.

Having a clear goals for your study sessions helps you to stay focused and it helps you measure your progress.

Remember, “What can’t be measured, can’t be done”

4. Eat healthy food

Having a quick unhealthy meal is always an easy option, especially during exam times.

Buying a $2 cheeseburger from Macca’s or just having that MSG filled noodles again.

Sounds familiar, right?

While, certainly the convenience is there for eating junk/unhealthy food but it doesn’t help your exam preparation.

Eating healthy and nutricious food can help you stay active and be more focused than eating unhealthy food.

Planning your menu ahead before the exams can be great idea for those healthy options.

If you don’t feel like cooking during the exam time, then freeze some home cooked food in advance for those long study sessions.

Also, you eat more fruits as they don’t require the same efforts as cooking a full meal.

Avoid sugary and energy drinks too. They might give you a quick boost but you will feel tired after it lose its effect.

5. Work with your peers

That can be quite fun for studies but challenging at the same time.

If you can find a study buddy and work together to study and motivate each other, that can be great positive thing. Not only for your studies but your mental well bring as well.

You can discuss topics together, work on each other’s strengths and learn from each other too.

But, having friends over for studies can also means distractions and not getting much studies done, rather lots of chit chat for random things.

So, the idea will be to plan this session with your buddy before catching up and work out which topics will you discuss or learn during the session.

6. Visualise everything

It is a proven strategy to memorise and learn some key concepts.

Now, we don’t suggest you to cram but there are some things you will need to remember to do well in our exams.

If you can actually draw charts, diagrams, mind maps of the content you need to memorise, then it can help you remember those key concepts.

The idea here is “a picture can say 1,000 words”.

Having a visuals for your learning during exams can be great. So we suggest you to create these visuals from your lecture notes and resources like books etc.

7. Use technology

When planning, preparing for your exams, technology can be a great help.

Let’s talk about lecture notes first.

Imagine, having all the lecture notes in hand written notebook and trying to find those key things lecturer said in that pink coloured highlighted notebook.

Now compare that to simple note taking app like Google Docs or Notion, you can easily and quickly find your notes using search options there.

Don’t get it wrong, we are not against handwritten content at all but we are giving you exam tips, so every minute counts in this time.

Having a planned layout of the notes in these softwares can be very efficient way to go.

There are other aspects related to your exam preparations like bookmarking on the websites, timers on the phone, etc.

8. Get a break

Studying for a very long time can be exhausting.

It is important to have breaks in between the study session in order to keep yourself fresh and be ready for those longer sessions.

Ideally, you should be taking breaks every hour or so during those study sessions. Looking too long in screen can be harmful for your eyes anyways.

So split your study sessions and have some break and do some simple exercises or just go for a quick walk.

Have you hear about Pomodoro technique?

It has worked wonders for our founder, Sam and he explains in bit more details here:

9. Limit distractions

Aka Phone usage. Aka Social Media. Aka Friends. And the list goes on!

You will need to limit all your distractions while studying for your exams.

In a perfect world, you should be studying in a distraction free space. So, if you live with lots of mates in the same house and they don’t have exams, then consider to study in quieter space like library.

For the phone usage, pretty easy, turn it off.

Unless you are expecting some emergency/important calls, there will not much that you will miss.

Having it on mute can be still tempting to check it. So, just switch that thing off and focus on your study.

May be reward yourself by checking after every successful study session.

Or if you want to check the time, then no problem, buy this alarm clock from Ikea for $5.

10. Get moving

As mentioned briefly in the one of the previous points, you study to get yourself moving by doing some simple exercises or a walk.

The basic aim is not to get stuck behind the desk for hours but rather during your break time, try to move around and so some streching.

Don’t also go for a hardcore exercise as well as you might feel too tired for studying and will be falling asleep during study.

So, some strectching, excercise or walk will do.

11. Get help

Don’t hesitate!

If you are stuck and need help, then don’t hesitate to do so.

Most of the schools, institutes, universities will have support services available for their students.

So, if you need some assistance for your exam preparation, then reach out to these services.

Also, speak with your lecturers, tutors, family and friends and get some help from them.

There are paid counselling and tutoring services available for the students, so if you can afford, you can use those services as well.

12. Be creative

Well, we gave you a whole list of tips in the article, but this last tip is as important.

You can come up with your own strategies and ideas when preparing for the exams.

While the above mentioned tips have worked wonders for many, it is not always suitable for everyone’s lifestyle.

So, if you are comfortable in doing certain things in your own way, then you should go for it.

And now, over to you.

What other tips or strategies, do you use for your exam preparations? We would love to hear your ideas. Please put them in the comment section below.

Check our infographic on 5 effective ways to study here.