“We closed a chapter. I completed my masters (MBA International) from the ECU in 2024. I am grateful to the universe for giving me this opportunity.

I had three reasons for doing MBA at the ECU. Firstly, I wanted to learn about business (theory) to enhance the understanding I had from my ten years of corporate job experience. Second, MBA in ECU was the first program in Australia that I got successfully enrolled in. My application to another University was rejected. So, I had to study there. The third and the most important reason was to work and save for our future after completing studies.

I could not study and work at the same time. It must be because of the quality of my brain and mind. I tried handling both in the first two months but I couldn’t. Assignments kept me late into the nights and sometimes till morning. I was very serious about my studies but it was draining me out. I lost about 5 kgs in a week.

My wife saw my stress and told me that I could solely focus on my studies. So, I stopped working towards the end of the first semester and did not work at all in my second semester. My only stress was driving 200KM up and down to ECU from my home in Bunbury. Luckily I managed to move all my classes to a single day. So, I had to do that only once a week.

Yes, I sometimes worked during my breaks. From my third semester, I started working about 8 hours a week after the 35 years’ limit for TR was announced, fearing I would be affected. I earned about AUD 300 per week. It was less than what I was earning from my job in Bhutan but it was like after working one day a week.

But my wife did well. The total university fee was AUD 62K (Nu 3.4 m) of which $13.4k for the first semester was paid from Bhutan. She paid all the remaining by herself. She also fully paid our house rent of $300 per week in 2023 & $350 from 2024. In addition, she gave me pocket money and money to support my side of family back home. After I resumed working, I sometimes fuelled the car and also bought groceries on my own which was about $70 per week & $40 per week respectively.

As she was the only one working, I didn’t want her to stress herself too much as well. So, she worked for 8 hours daily for 5 days a week. On her two free days, we traveled and went for outings. It was more than we had ever done in our decade of marriage. What she earned was close to Australia’s median weekly income of $1.3k. So, it was enough to bear all the cost. We couldn’t save but we were okay as it was not our plan for the study time.

Despite all the support and effort, I could just secure an average of 70%. But I am happy and satisfied with the process and what I went through. I am sure it will be useful when I get back home.

We went for the graduation ceremony on February 8, 2025 and completed the supposedly stressful phase. I would like to thank my wife for supporting and believing in me.”