It has already been said that the salient feature of the Australian climate is its drought. The annual rainfall map shows that the only moderately rainy regions of the continent are the northern coasts and an eastern and south-eastern strip. The wettest area is the steep slope of the Atherton Plateau, where Harvey Creek averages 4180mm. of rain per year. On the west coast of Tasmania there is a rainfall of 2000-2500 mm. On the other hand, nowhere is there an annual precipitation less than 100 mm: the minimum value is found at Kanowana Station, with 106 mm., And at Oodnadatta, with 119 mm., Near Lake Eyre. A very dry area, just 200 mm., Also extends from Broken Hill to Carnarvon on the west coast. The rainy seasons are related to the movements of the pressure zones and winds. In the summer, the tropical wetland brings abundant rain to the north coast and light rains to the north-central regions. In winter, Antarctic cyclones bring moderate rainfall to the south coast but do not penetrate much inland, except in the south-east. The eastern highlands produce a lot of local rain due to the cooling of humid winds deflected upward from the mountain. There are therefore four types of precipitation: internal, except in the south-east. The eastern highlands produce a lot of local rain due to the cooling of humid winds deflected upward from the mountain. There are therefore four types of precipitation: internal, except in the south-east. The eastern highlands produce a lot of local rain due to the cooling of humid winds deflected upward from the mountain. There are therefore four types of precipitation: a) the summer rains of the northern coast; b) the winter rains of the southern coast; c) the arid or central region, which includes the low rainfall of the west coast; d) the almost uniform annual rainfall of the eastern belt. The latter region has a well-marked summer high in the north, an autumn high in Sydney and a winter high in the south. Since the main heritage of Australia is in its humid temperate regions, where it is the key to the problem of future colonization, an overview of the temperate regions, which are more than 500 mm long, may be useful. average annual rainfall. For Australia 2003, please check computerannals.com.

Australia will always be a largely pastoral country. Now, in this regard, the total quantity of precipitation is not so important as the degree of its probability: a factor which is less easy to calculate and which has led to very different assessments on the value of Australia’s unoccupied land. This will be best illustrated by the rainfall data over the next two years. In 1904 in Barrow Creek (Northern Territory) 1010 mm fell. of rain, in 1905 only 101 mm.; in Wiluna (Western Australia) in 1900 the precipitation was 711 mm., in 1901 only 203 mm.; in Charlotte Waters (South Australia:) fell in 1908 304 mm. of rain, and less than 71 mm. the following year. The Taylor (Australian Meteorology) has constructed maps on the probability of rains, which show that the region between Onslow, Burketown and Windorah has the most unsafe rainfall, while the southern coast is the region with the least uncertain rainfall. Evaporation is very strong in the central arid region: in Boulia (Queensland) it reaches 3170 mm. per year and this value is probably maintained up to Marble Bar. The axis of the area of ​​greatest evaporation is therefore 450 km. north of the axis of the least rainfall, and this is the fact that determines the location of the deserts: in fact, while the southern border of the desert region is given approximately by the line of 200-220 mm. of rain, to the north, due to the intense evaporation, the margin is constituted approximately by the 380 mm line.

Only in south-eastern Australia does snow fall in inhabited districts. So in May 1915 about 15 cm. of snow fell in central Tasmania. The snows cover the peaks of the Australian Alps for most of the year, but generally melt completely in March or April; the same happens in the mountains of Tasmania. Snow has rarely occurred in inhabited areas of southern Queensland and New South Wales (Toowoomba at 600m, Bathurst, etc.); occasionally it falls on the Flinders Mountains and in the district of Albany (Western Australia).

AUSTRALIA – sun, beach, sea, koalas, rugby… Everyone associates one or the other catchphrase with this country.

To be successful in the job market these days, a stay abroad is essential. Why shouldn’t you combine the pleasant with the useful and not spend your semester abroad in one of the most beautiful places in the world?

I chose Griffith University for a couple of important reasons. Since I wanted to spend my stay abroad in an English-speaking country and did not have to go through countless selection procedures, the choice was not very difficult for me. In addition, the selection of modules to be taken at one of the five campuses is huge and the number of international students promises an unforgettable stay. The location and the flair of the Gold Coast Campus did the rest…

You should plan about six months before you start your journey to clarify all organizational matters.

During the application process and the contact with the university, the team from ‘college-contact.com’ was always at my side with words and deeds, so that everything went quickly and easily. The only prerequisites for receiving a study place at Griffith are, on the one hand, proof of the required language skills (DAAD is sufficient) and, on the other hand, proof of a valid visa.
After receiving the ‘Confirmation of Enrollment’ (CoE), you can then apply for a visa at ‘immi.gov.au’. In my case, I opted for a ‘Non-award Temporary Visa (Subclass 575)’. This costs around 350 € and after your credit card (or that of a friend’s) has been debited with the amount, you will have your visa within the following 1-3 weeks.

You should take care of the flight as early as possible, as the costs for short-term bookings are very high. For the transfer from the airport to the university, Griffith also offers a free Airport Collection Service, which must be booked at least three days before arrival.

• See liuxers for more information about Australia and Oceania.

When looking for accommodation, there are basically four options. With a ‘homestay’ you live with an Australian family and pay a small amount for the ‘inconvenience’ (mediation by the university). Living in a student residence is definitely the most expensive option, but it also has advantages over the other options (close to the university, contact with other fellow students…). Of course, you also have the option of looking for a place to stay on your own. If you would like to know everything in the towel before your arrival, you can view a large range of apartments on various websites (e.g. gumtree.com.au) and do everything online. However, I only looked for an apartment on site. There are apartment advertisements in various showcases on campus,

There are really only positive things to say about the university. I chose three modules that are not offered at my university and I was spoiled for choice. In contrast to my university, the tutorials are a compulsory course and you cannot miss more than two times. However, this does not serve to ‘torture’, but to support learning, which is also very important at Griffith University. All lecturers and tutors are very helpful and almost always have time to help you with problems if possible. In addition, there are numerous seminars and other offers that support you in learning and if there are problems in the private sector, a contact person can always be found.

I have to say that the workload is very high because you have your hands full with the regular tests, homework and presentations. Because of this, the course is also much easier than in Germany and the exams can be passed without any problems.

Otherwise, there are numerous leisure activities and lots to do in addition to studying. From sports clubs to concert events to excursions in the surrounding area, everything is included. The Gold Coast is also the right destination for the party-hungry – there is something going on in the numerous clubs and bars almost every evening and ‘Surfers Paradise’ is highly recommended!

In retrospect, I can say that the semester abroad in Australia was definitely worth it and I enjoyed the time Down Under. It’s definitely worth an experience and I’m sure you won’t regret it either!

Do you feel like sun, sand and sea in your semester abroad and want exactly that, but outside of Europe and preferably as far away as possible ? I think then Australia would be a great destination for you too!

Organization

I’m Anna and I spent my semester abroad on the Gold Coast in Australia from February to the end of June 2018 and I don’t regret it! When I decided to go to Australia in mid-2017, my home university referred me directly to MicroEDU. We then got in touch. I received excellent advice on all of my questions and the organization of my semester abroad. Because Griffith University is right on the Gold Coast and one of the best universities in the world, it wasn’t difficult for me to choose her. First I applied to Griffith Uni, then I received my offer, that is, an offer from the university. Then I paid the tuition fees and when Griffith received them, I received the CoE (Confirmation of Enrollment) from Griffith University. This was necessary to apply for the visa. You should then apply for the visa via the website of the Australian government. The processing time took about 3 weeks and I had my promise to enter Australia.

• See jibin123 for more information about Australia and Oceania.

After all of this was organized and confirmed, the rest of the organization began – for example, course selection at Griffith University. Pay attention to which courses you choose and if you still have too few economics credits for your master’s degree, this is a great opportunity to collect more at Griffith. I focused on economics and chose the following courses: Economics for Dec Making 1, International Economics, International Trade and Competition and Firm Behaviors and Business Strategy. What you should pay attention to is that at Griffith Uni the courses are split up according to academic year 1, 2 and 3. For example, if a course code is 3001ABA, it would be a third year course and therefore more difficult than a course with code 1002IBA. This is then because of the 1 at the beginning of the first year of study and much easier.

Flights

Next it was the turn of the flights. I can definitely recommend that you book your flights four months in advance if possible, so as soon as possible so that it doesn’t get too expensive. If you were to go to the Gold Coast to study, Brisbane Airport is relatively close and you will be picked up at the airport with a shuttle service from the university.

Flat

After all the basic things had been clarified, it was time to look for an apartment. Here I can only recommend Flatmates.com.au to you. There are the best apartments here and you will find apartment offers in various places around the university. In any case, buy the subscription for AUD 25, because then you can also write to landlords who have just offered their apartment on the net and the landlords will also contact you directly. This way you can find better apartments faster and mostly !

If you’d prefer to stay a little out of the hustle and bustle of town, Southport or Parkwood is a good location. The university is only a few minutes away and supermarkets are right around the corner. Personally, I opted for Surfers Paradise, the center directly. There is always something going on here, of course, but as long as you don’t live on Cavill Avenue (party and restaurant mile), you will find enough peace and quiet to switch off and study and have the sea right outside your door. And if you feel like partying or the hustle and bustle of the city, everything is just a few minutes’ walk away. The university is also only 25 minutes away by tram, which was perfectly acceptable!

Arrivals

When my trip finally started in mid-February, after the 24-hour flight with a stop in Dubai, I lived in the Bunk Hostel in Surfers Paradise for a week. I can only recommend it, it was the best decision! Super nice people, different cultures and you get to know people right away. So you don’t have time to think about homesickness ! If you are lucky, other students from your university may even be there for their first time and you will make new friends straight away ! So it was with me.

When O-Week started, we were all overwhelmed at first. The university is huge, a great place to get lost, but after a week you have found your bearings and can just enjoy it! A university bar, many dining options, a fitness studio (I can recommend it!), A swimming pool, a tennis and basketball court, a library for studying, and much more are all on campus. So it can be endured there! I can only recommend that you enroll in one of the sports courses during O-Week or shortly afterwards. So you mostly get to know locals and maybe even experience a whole new sport! Speaking of which, if you have any questions at university or need help with anything, the Student Guild is located directly on campus and is the direct point of contact.

University

All I can say about the university effort is that it won’t be boring in Australia. Because you don’t have just one exam that counts 100% at the end, but several exams throughout the semester, you always have something to do. On the one hand, you learn more and can always improve your grade. You should be aware that you really have to do a lot for university in Australia (depending on the type and number of courses, of course), but that you are there to study too. And if you ever need an assessment of your homework or help with the preparation for an exam, the Student Guild offers several ways to provide help or your homework with the so-called ” Assignment Help”” to correct. Despite the effort at university, I always used the weekends and the semester break to see as much as possible and in the end I can say that I saw the whole east and even most of the west coast. So use the time you have and travel as much as possible. If you are busy on the unit days, the weekends are definitely free to discover a lot of Australia! What is perhaps more important, Australia is a bit more expensive than Germany and you have to expect travel including 800-1000 euros per month, depending on the rent and so on. But that is completely feasible with a scholarship, student loan, salary or savings and no reason not to want to get to know this country!

Conclusion

All in all, I can only recommend the semester abroad in Australia. In Down Under you will have a unique time, discover a wonderful country with many different, wonderful sides, find friends for life and definitely want to come back when you are in Germany! I hope I brought Australia a little closer to you and motivated you to go to the other end of the world! Have fun and don’t let a crocodile devour you.: D Take it easy and just let yourself be carried away by the Australian lifestyle!

Arrivals

I decided to take a few days vacation to Bali before my semester abroad at Griffith University in order to adapt to the time difference and to avoid the Australian ‘winter’. I can highly recommend this. From Bali I booked my flight to Brisbane at short notice and paid a total of around € 700 for my outbound flight. Griffith University offers a free shuttle service from Gold Coast Airport or Brisbane Airport which is really great if you are landing in Australia for the first time. Gold Coast (or Coolangatta) airport is closer, but the flights to Brisbane are usually cheaper, so I would recommend booking a flight to Brisbane. The driver then waits with a name tag at the airport

I can only recommend booking a hostel for the first week (Budds Beach, Surf’n’Sun) and looking for apartments on site. The students who lived in the University Village moved out quickly because it is very expensive (250 AUD / week), far away from the beach and more young students live there. Even if it sounds like a dream, many students have found accommodation in the high-rise buildings in Surfers Paradise, which are actually holiday apartments or hotels (Hilton, Q1, Focus Apartments, Imperial Surf) with a pool, gym, BBQ and tennis court. You can find these on Gumtree or you can walk through town and ask at the reception. The rent was between 110 AUD / week in a shared room and 200 AUD / week in a single room. In most cases electricity and internet are added to the rent. Many students have used the Internet provider Optus (for cell phones Optus, Vodafone or Lebara). You can either share an apartment with other international students or look for a shared house at gumtree.com.au or flatmates.com.au. Most of them live in Surfers Paradise, but some also live in Broadbeach, Main Beach or at the university.

Transport

A tram has been running from Broadbeach via Surfers Paradise to the university since July 2014. The drive from Surfers Paradise to the university takes about 20 minutes. For the tram you should get a GoCard (you can get it from 7Eleven, for example). This gives you a 20% discount on all trips or a 50% discount as a student. For the Student GoCard, however, not only the student ID is sufficient, you also need the TTCC, which you can apply for via the university (do it right at the beginning). The train runs every 15 minutes during the week. In addition to the train, there are also buses that cover other routes. You can get anywhere easily by bus and train, so you don’t actually need a car. If so, you can rent a car.

• See iamaccepted for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Leisure

The Gold Coast offers many recreational opportunities. On the one hand, the apartments are mostly equipped with a pool, gym and tennis court, on the other hand, you live directly by the sea and can swim and surf there. Although Surfers Paradise is ironically not ideal for surfing, Burleigh Heads, Coolangatta or Byron Bay are better. There are also several rivers where you can SUP or kayak. In addition, there was a day at the university on which all leisure clubs introduced themselves. For example, you can join the outdoor club and take part in weekly activities such as a sunrise hike or hikes through national parks. Devocean Dive also introduced itself to us and offered the diving license 50% cheaper for students (250 AUD). Many took up the offer and obtained their diving license during the semester. There is also Seaworld, amusement parks like Dreamworld and water parks like Wet’n’Wild. The orientation trip to Byron Bay was worth it, as you got to know a lot of students, but in general you could have done all the activities much cheaper. Otherwise you can of course travel a lot. Many students have organized trips to Fraser Island, the Whitsunday Islands or Cairns. If you are lucky you can get a free campervan (e.g. transfercar, just google relocation car) and drive up the coast to Cairns. A lot of people went on a sailing trip in the Whitsunday Islands, I went on a day trip with Oceanrafting because I didn’t have much time and that was great. You can also book cheap domestic flights to Cairns, Sydney or Melbourne. You can also fly to Fiji or New Zealand. Many have made these big trips after the semester. You can party a lot in Surfers Paradise, but I recommend going out to Broadbeach. Why will you notice when you’ve been partying in Surfers Paradise.

Eat

In Australia, sushi is one of the cheapest meals one can get. Sushi rolls are often available for $ 2.50 per roll. In addition, the pizza at Dominos is very cheap. You can get a value pizza for 5 AUD that tastes good too. On Sunday and Monday you should go to the Irish Pub Waxys, they have steaks for 2 AUD. On Thursdays, depending on the season, Longboards burgers are available for AUD 10. Many restaurants also have other lunch specials until 4 p.m. Most of the shopping at Coles or Woolworths in Surfers Paradise. But there is also Aldi, which is also much cheaper in Australia, but is not necessarily nearby. You can drink the tap water in Australia, but you have to get used to the chlorine taste first.

Weather

When I arrived in Australia it was still winter or spring. In the morning, in the evening and at night it can get quite cool (approx. 10-15 degrees). Accordingly, you should also pack long trousers, sweaters and a jacket. Since the Australians usually have no heating, it is also quite cool in the apartment or in the hostel. During the day, when the sun is shining, you can walk through the city in shorts and a shirt. We went into the water from August, which had a temperature of about 20 degrees. From September it got warmer and you rarely needed a sweater. It is often windy in Surfers Paradise, especially on the beach. As a result, it doesn’t feel so hot in summer. We mostly went to the beach in the morning because the wind didn’t come until noon.

University

I took 3 Masters courses at Griffith University as I did an additional course before. That was great, because I only had university on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. I took the Measuring Marketing Effectiveness, Retail Branding and Innovation and Entrepreneurial Innovation Marketing courses. I had various assignments during the semester, mainly group work and presentations. The overall grade is made up of 3-4 individual grades, which are weighted differently. This means that you always have something to do during the semester and not one big exam at the end. In the first week I looked at 4 courses and then decided on 3. In the bachelor’s program, the submission times are usually based on the mid-term and final, and you usually have written exams. In the master’s program we had to write many papers in individual and group work, give presentations, but also written exams. The level is a bit lower than in Germany in that you are rated better, but compared to Germany you have something to do throughout the semester. Still there is plenty of time for the beach and for traveling! Every 2nd Wednesday at the university there is a market where you can buy food, which I can highly recommend. The Griffith Mates and Student Guild always have great events for international students. The hairdresser and computer shop at the university are not recommended as the prices are not necessarily better. Griffith University’s library is very large with computers and game consoles. The university also has tennis courts, a basketball court and a beach volleyball court. You have to register with the Studend Guild beforehand, but we just always played beach volleyball and brought our own ball with us without registering, as no one else wanted to use the pitch.

Costs

All in all, the semester at Griffith University was a great experience, especially for me in the Masters, as I had another very relaxed semester in which I traveled a lot. The cost was less than expected as I paid $ 150 / week for my rent and groceries and excursions were reasonably priced too. I can only recommend the university and life on the Gold Coast!

Have fun with your semester abroad, it will be an unforgettable six months in your life!

Planning and preparation

Since a semester abroad was planned for my English studies and I study design as a second subject at the University of Applied Sciences, Griffith University with the freely combinable courses was totally suitable. I started planning about a year before my stay abroad and would recommend it to everyone. Since I wasn’t sure where exactly I wanted to go, that was also more than helpful. In the end there are a few things to consider and plan (course credit, financial planning, flights, insurance, etc.), with Sabine from MicroEDU was really very helpful. I booked my flights through Sta Travel. I booked the outward and return flight together in one tariff and thus had the opportunity to rebook the return flight for a small surcharge. I actually took advantage of that: I extended my stay in Australia and made a stopover in Thailand for 10 days, which was really great.

Arrival and orientation week

I went through my entire semester at my home university before starting in Australia, which meant I had an exam shortly before my departure. That was stressful – but maybe it was also a welcome distraction so shortly before the start of the semester abroad. So I arrived at the airport in Brisbane on Monday night (on the first orientation day) and had the university staff pick me up. That was very well organized! I then spent the first few days in a hostel (BudsInn) in Surfers Paradise. The orientation drive to Byron Bay from Wednesday to Friday is more than recommended. Ocean kayaking, surfing lessons, hiking and visiting the zoo were really great and of course you get to know the other internationals more easily. See existingcountries for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Accommodation

Most arrived on the Gold Coast a week before Orientation Week started and were looking for an apartment. When I got there shortly before, most of them had of course already formed shared apartments. I then wrote to three Swedish girls via an internet platform (I think flatmates) who still had a free bed in the apartment in Surfers Paradise. I moved in straight away and shared a small room with a friend for € 130 a week. We lived less than 200m from the beach, which of course was great!Surfers Paradise in general is very touristy and a bit trashy. But for a semester it was really cool and since the place itself isn’t particularly big, it was always easy to meet up with the others. However, I wouldn’t want to live there permanently.

Most internationals live in Surfers Paradise, which can be reached easily and reliably in twenty minutes by tram. The student village / dormitories on campus are really very expensive and far from just about everything – except of course the university. Many of the Americans lived there and some Australians.

University in general

The campus is incredibly big and you need some time to find your way around. I had three courses this semester: two in Linguistics (Intercultural Communication, English Words and Grammar) and a graphic design course / project (Action Research 2). The linguistics classes were always super interesting and the lecturers really competent and helpful.My design course wasn’t bad, although I would have liked more input. The level there was a bit lower than that of my courses in Germany. In terms of effort, it was more than feasible – I still had time to work 15-20 hours a week in a café, which was a lot of fun. Otherwise there are enough opportunities to pass the time on the Gold Coast and with the others.

Leisure

Many of the internationals have bought a surfboard for the semester, which is very good on the Gold Coast. You could also get a diving license through the university. That paid off directly in the mid-term break: I spent 10 days with my Swedish friends on Bali and the Gili Islands. It was indescribably beautiful and really worthwhile due to the cheap accommodation and affordable flights. Many of the other internationals have toured the east coast (between Brisbane and Cairns). We did that after the semester and took more time for it. Sydney and Melbourne are also incredibly beautiful and a must if you are at the other end of the world.

During the semester there are also weekend trips to Byron Bay, Noosa or the surrounding International Parks (Springbrook, Burleigh Heads, etc.). We have often rented a car for it.

Due to the many acquaintances there was always something going on somewhere – whether it was a house party, going out in Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach (right next door and not quite as touristy as Surfers Paradise). I personally spent most of my time with mostly Europeans. Many of my friends came from Scandinavia. A few of my people also came from Germany – although I was happy that we were actually always a good mix from many countries. But there was also a large group of Germans who were mostly among themselves.

Costs

The semester abroad with flights and high tuition fees can of course be very expensive. However, I was lucky enough to get foreign student loans, with which I was able to cover a lot (it is essential to submit the application in good time, as we know they like to take longer). With a small PROMOS scholarship and my part-time job, I was able to finance the two months of travel that followed.

Food, public transport and alcohol are a lot more expensive compared to Germany. Beer is hardly affordable… so most have been satisfied with a “wine product” called Goon. Not the very best, but definitely enjoyable and practical.

Conclusion

During my time in Australia and at university, I met great people and had many new experiences. I haven’t regretted the decision a bit, don’t want to miss the indescribable experiences and can more than recommend a semester abroad in Australia.

About two years ago I had the first information event on the subject of a semester abroad at my German university and it quickly became clear to me: I’m going to Australia ! Not only did I want to get to know the impressive nature and relaxed mentality of Australia, but also as far away from home as possible (and let’s be honest, New Zealand was just too cold for me…). After I had decided on the country very quickly, the much more difficult question arose: which university and, above all, which part of this huge country did I want to go to?

Instead of digging through tons of travel guides and university websites, I decided to organize my semester abroad through MicroEDU and I was not disappointed with the quick, friendly and very helpful advice! I described my wishes to the advisors at MicroEDU and came to the conclusion: Queensland should become it – the Griffith Unviersity Gold Coast.

The City of Gold Coast is a medium-sized city on the east coast of Australia and the perfect place for a semester abroad. It lacks the hectic bustle of a big city like Melbourne or Sydney and yet the lively city center (Surfers Paradise) has it all what you want in your semester abroad (beach, party, bars and all sorts of events… by the way, shopping is also quite good, girls!). What I particularly liked about the Gold Coast is that you can feel the Australian relaxation in every corner, according to the national motto “No worries, mate!” (Unlike in the major Australian cities). In addition, the Gold Coast with its own airport and the proximity to the airport in Brisbane is a great starting point for all trips – especially for a road trip along the east coast (an absolute highlight!).

• See ehuacom for more information about Australia and Oceania.

After I had decided where to go, the preparations for the semester abroad began. About six months before the semester abroad, I began applying to Griffith University, applying for a visa and choosing a course. The Australians – and especially the international student advisors at Griffith University – are super helpful and therefore the bit of bureaucracy that came my way wasn’t done as quickly and as wildly. Nevertheless: start organizing at least six months before the semester abroad, otherwise it will be tight and stressful.

Griffith University itself is a large college that has more than just the Gold Coast campus. However, the Gold Coast campus is the largest and liveliest with just under 18,000 students. Accordingly, there are also many international students and the university specializes in the problems and needs of international students. The support is unique!

Despite everything: You have to be able to afford Australia. Not only the tuition fees, but the land itself is very expensive. Find out about the current tuition fees, housing and other living costs in good time and look for scholarships if necessary. These are often given through letters of motivation and not according to grades – so everyone has a chance!

When looking for an apartment, I decided not to search from Germany, but to look for a shared apartment on site via portals such as flatmates.com or the university’s own real estate website. You have to spend a few months in your apartment and with your roommates, so I can only recommend everyone to search on site first and to take a good look at the rooms and roommates. The housing market on the Gold Coast is very fast moving and many students despair in the first few days, but in my time there everyone found good accommodation in the end, so don’t despair!

I personally studied at Griffith University’s business faculty and took the following courses there:

• Firm Behaviors & Business Strategy
• Organizational Behavior
• Business communication
• Economics for Decision Making 2

In the business area, all courses are taught in two parts. On the one hand you have a lecture (not requiring attendance) and on the other hand a practice-oriented workshop (attention: here there is often compulsory attendance, which is also included in the grading !). Unlike at many German universities, there is not just a large exam at the end of the semester, but many small examinations (presentations, essays, etc.), each of which makes up 20-30% of the final grade. So you are busy the whole semester and have less time to travel than you might think.

That’s why you should think about when you have time to travel and which travel destinations you really wanted to see. My personal highlights were:

• Melbourne
• Road trip along the east coast (including Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Fraser Island, Whitsunday Islands, Magnetic Island, Noosa and many more)
• Camping trip to the outback

If you can make friends with communal showers and some dirty clothes, then do without hostels or hotels along the east coast and rent a campervan ! You always have your sleeping place with you, you are flexible and can always stop where it is nice. But be careful: Wild camping is officially prohibited in Australia and Australians have no limits when it comes to fines!

I could tell you a lot more about my time in Australia, but I think you actually have to experience a semester abroad there yourself. I can only recommend Australia as a country, the Gold Coast as a city and Griffith University as a university and I would spend my semester there again immediately. So: off to Down Under !

The registration process is electronic and is easy to complete with the “griffith portal” as a general point of contact.

There you can also find the self-created timetable, course content (downloads) and the professors’ announcements for the lectures can be observed there.

The Griffith University has a huge campus and is excellently equipped. It has a huge area with confused numbering of the buildings, luckily they have their own app that you can use to orientate yourself.

In addition to the important Student Center, where you can get your student ID and OSHC health card, there is a huge bib. There, the reading material to be borrowed is rather sparse, but there is plenty of PC space available. There is even an XBOX station for gaming in between.

Cafes, restaurants and a kind of cafeteria can be found relatively centrally. The cheapest meal there was about 8 AUD – cheap is something else.

The bar, however, is pretty cool. You can eat there, play billiards and drink alcoholic beverages, and there are occasional parties that I didn’t go to.

You can live in the so-called Village. Student dormitories with small apartments. Heard that it should cost from 230 AUD per week there, so comparatively expensive. Better to look for a flat in the middle of surfers or the surrounding area. Most of the students who live there are very young, 18+, and eager to party. There were regular parties that ended around 11 p.m., as the rhythm is different there.

• See educationvv for more information about Australia and Oceania.

There are numerous sports clubs that you can join for a small price. The teams try to act professionally, but there is still considerable room for improvement in more European sports.

You can register in the in-house fitness studio, which I advise against. It’s small and expensive. There’s one in Southport that is better and much cheaper.

I can’t say much more about leisure time and sports opportunities, as I was hardly ever on the university grounds and didn’t take part in these events.

I attended the Management Consulting, Programming Principles I and Quality and Performance Management courses.

Management consulting was very exciting, but also extremely demanding. In addition to the mandatory final exam, a group presentation and an individual assignment should be made. The lecture was very interactive and the lecturer has many years of professional experience and knows what she is talking about. The biggest disadvantage was the required reading. This was extremely rare in the bib and there were no used copies to buy. New costs around 200 AUD – just too much.

It was also graded quite hard, so the rumor is not true that this course is very easy in Australia.

Programming Principles I was great. There you learn the basics of Java programming. There is no compulsory attendance and all of the learning material is online. There is a quizz every week, but it was usually very easy if you had prepared yourself. In addition to the script, tutorial videos are also provided. A lot of exercises are provided, which can also be challenging and motivating. Overall, I really enjoyed this course. The exam was fair and was also graded fairly.

Quality and performance management was also great. The professor knew how to inspire and explained very well. A total of 5 quizzes had to be written, which were a joke:-D and a final exam that was fair.

The quizzes were set up as multiple choice, each with 4 questions, and were corrected by the person sitting next to me… I couldn’t find the words.

The tuition fees for three courses at AU $ 7,500 are quite high. Each additional course costs AUD 500 extra. If you drop a course on time, there is no penalty. If you exceed a certain date, unfortunately I forgot which one, you have to pay a kind of penalty so that you can cancel the course without failing.

The connection to the university is great, the tram comes every 8 minutes. To be able to use this, you will receive a so-called Gocard. They can charge them with money and thus use public transport at a low student rate. In addition to the Gocard, you must always have your student ID and a so-called TTCC card with you, which Translinc guarantees you the student tariff. Sounds strange, but that’s how it is. Sometimes it’s much more bureaucratic than at home.

Exam conditions are quite strict. Sometimes there are seating arrangements and you have to sign a piece of paper that is supposed to prove that you are writing the exam yourself. Toilet visits are meticulously recorded and several people check that everything is in order during the exam.

My semester in Gold Coast, Australia

I begin my experience report with the help of College-Contact:

If I had the choice to do a semester abroad again through an agency, I would do it again through College-Contact. MicroEDU did most of the work for me to apply to Griffith University in Gold Coast. It was always good to know that employees like Sabine Jakobs, who work for MicroEDU, take care of you and answer any question as quickly as possible. Not only have I been very happy with the work MicroEDU has done, but so have all of my MicroEDU friends I have met in Australia.

Flights / Organization:

Like many others, I have regarding flights made fault. Because I did not know whether I would get financial support from the Bafög office, I did not book my flights and thus paid around € 400 more than others. If you want to spend a semester abroad, you should book the flights as early as possible in order to save a lot of money, even if you don’t yet know whether you can afford it, as the rebooking fees are not high. The documents for the Bafög office can actually be arranged very quickly, so that you get the semester fees and the flat-rate flight allowance back before you leave. If a passport is not valid long enough, you should renew it or apply for it again (it was not the case with me). There is one thing I would sort out beforehand (perhaps through the MicroEDU Team). The so-called TTCC. This is a card that you absolutely need to be able to travel 50% cheaper on the S-Bahn. Since this card was used in the Gold Coast from July, but could be applied for from January 2014, I wondered why MicroEDU couldn’t take care of it. As a result, we had to use the S-Bahn for 4 weeks (some a lot more) without a discount and would have saved ourselves a lot of money with the TTCC. Some students who had been helped by other agencies were already prepared.

• See anycountyprivateschools for more information about Australia and Oceania.

A little tip for the long flight (mine from Dubai): Ask beforehand whether you can sit where there are no children. They could often cry in the 15 hour flight and that can get annoying after a while.

First weeks:

When I arrived exhausted, I checked into a hostel for the time being, because I wanted to look for a good apartment on site. The best thing would be to find roommates from Germany via the “Official Griffith University Study Abroad & Exchange Group” on Facebook so that you can book a hostel together in Australia and look for an apartment there if you want to study there all by yourself. It is not difficult to find an apartment there, however, as every year old Abroad students offer their apartments for the newcomers. However, you should have thought about where you would like to live beforehand. Personally, I’ve been to Surfers Paradise and haven’t looked back. The university was easy to reach from there by S-Bahn every 5 minutes and it only took about 25 minutes to get there. In Surfers you had a lot of opportunities to take advantage of the free time you had in abundance. If you could get an apartment fast enough, you were happy to be able to enjoy the orientation trip to Byron Bay without the stress.We can only recommend booking this trip, as you could get to know almost all students there. I personally got to know people there whom I can call good friends today.

Catering / study / party:

So I wanted to say a few words about these three subjects. In terms of food (actually better: cost of living) you can only say: It is significantly more expensive than in Germany if you don’t want to eat a pizza for 5 $ or the equivalent of 3.50 € every day at Dominos. So if you don’t have an abundance of money, like me for example, you often have to pay attention to the prices. There are two large supermarkets in the city or in Australia in general. Woolworth and Coles, you can argue which of the two is cheaper, but I often had the feeling that you could buy cheaper at Coles. In any case, be prepared for the fact that you can expect around $ 150-200 per week for the apartment and an additional $ 100 per week just for food. That means you get around $ 1000-1200 a month without a party or other activities.

The course itself was not very difficult in my opinion. It is more school-based and you can actually only master the exams and all assignments through the tutorials and the lectures (without further learning). The university is, however, great! Every day there is something new to see in front of the library and every second Wednesday a larger market with various inexpensive delicacies is set up, while there is a small “concert” by various acoustic singers on a meadow next door.

You can party in Surfers Paradise every day. As a student, you can get into any club for free before 11 p.m. if you buy an LCARD at the university for $ 5 (definitely worth it!). On Tuesdays and Thursdays women could drink all night for a fee of $ 10 because of Ladies Night at no additional cost. The men always had the Thursday that Vanity Corona offered for $ 1. Otherwise there was a party every day, but not cheap. You can be prepared for the fact that without an LCARD you pay around 15-20 $ entry and, for example, a beer (Corona) costs 10 $. Alcohol is not allowed on the streets!

These were the most important things I was able to take with me during my stay in Australia. If some still want to travel there after their semester, I recommend that you look for people who might want to go on a road trip. Otherwise there is only good news to report from Australia. It was a beautiful and unforgettable time with many different characters that you got to know there. If you still have any questions, I am available through MicroEDU to help one or the other.

A semester abroad is planned as part of my studies (cultural studies and knowledge management) and it quickly became clear to me that I would go to Australia. I was surprised how quick and easy the application process was. After I decided to go to Griffith University on the Gold Coast Campus and had all the documents together, everything went very quickly. MicroEDU was always there for my questions and always promptly answered. It would of course be ideal if you could book the flight as early as possible. Applying for the student visa was also very easy and the confirmation came quickly. If you can, I would recommend that you apply for a foreign student loan as early as possible. On July 16 Orientation week started and the Byron Bay trip is definitely a must! You get to know all the other foreign students very quickly and you are also in one of the most beautiful places in Australia. However, I would recommend flying to Australia early. I only arrived in Brisbane on July 14th, 2012, where the Uni Shuttle went straight to Surfers Paradise. I had actually imagined looking for an apartment a little easier. Many rooms are incredibly expensive or just further away. I would definitely recommend looking for something in Surfers Paradise, because then you will live more or less in the center, where everything happens. And by bus it is only about 20-25 minutes to the university. Take enough time to do this on site, but it is certainly also a matter of luck.

At university I had taken the following courses: Introduction to Public Relations, Corporate Communications & Public Relations, Sociology of Identity and Employment Relations. I found all courses quite interesting, although it always depends on the lecturer, but that’s no different in Germany;) In terms of the scope of work, I found it okay. You definitely don’t have to revise yourself, but if you want to get credit for the courses and their grades, a little something has to be done. I thought the university campus was really great. Everything is green, so you can also do a lot outside. The library is well equipped and there is actually everything you need. And if, like me, you only have to go to university from Monday to Wednesday, life is good anyway. There are books for each course that the instructors say are helpful. Just don’t buy the originals because these books are incredibly expensive. At the beginning of the semester there is a second-hand sale of university books that you should definitely use. But you can get by quite well without these books.

• See toppharmacyschools for more information about Australia and Oceania.

I found Surfers Paradise really great to live with. I was at the beach in seven minutes and you actually have everything you need to live. The surrounding beaches are also great for surfing. You can tell pretty quickly that it is a tourist stronghold. There is actually something going on in Surfers almost every evening and it never gets boring. You can take the train to Brisbane in 1 ½ hours and spend a great weekend there. Otherwise life in Australia is of course a lot more expensive than in Germany. Apart from the enormous tuition fees, the rents are very high (calculates at least AS $ 600 per month) and then groceries, public transport, celebrations, trips etc. I have the room with another German Student shared, which also made the rent cheaper. It wasn’t that bad either. There is of course an incredible amount to see in Australia. At the weekend we often drove to the surrounding national parks such as the Lamington National Park. During the semester break in September I was visiting a friend in Melbourne and then did a little road trip on the Great Ocean Road. Then it went on to Adelaide. After university, I rented a campervan with friends and then drove all the way up to Cairns. Fraser Island and a sailing tour in the Whitsunday Islands are definitely a must. Be careful when choosing your campervan. First we had one from Wicked, which was no longer roadworthy on the second day and Wicked did not exactly show itself from the best side. We had much better experiences with the Jucy camper. In the end I was in Sydney for two weeks. Definitely one of my favorite cities now! You can quickly see how life is going in Australia. The people are incredibly friendly, helpful and open-minded.

The half year in Australia is definitely one of the most beautiful of my life. You meet so many people at university or while traveling, you see many of the most beautiful places in the world and you can get used to the Australian way of life incredibly quickly. I would do it all over again and I can only recommend everyone to use this opportunity.

Arrival and accommodation

There are a few things that I would have liked to have known before I arrived. For one thing, I didn’t know that the university pick-up service (can be booked online through the Griffith website) is available from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast. I thought I had to fly all the way to the Gold Coast, which meant that I had to change planes once more and the flight time increased significantly. It is much easier to get to Brisbane because there are flights from Germany with only one stop.

If you don’t want to book the pick-up service: you can also get to the Gold Coast by train and bus. However, I would recommend the pick-up service because after 25 hours of flight time you don’t feel like looking around for train connections.

On the other hand, I didn’t know about the possibility of booking a flexible return flight. At first I only booked a one-way flight to Australia because I didn’t know whether I would be traveling to Australia afterwards or not. So I didn’t know when and from where I would fly home. In Australia I have heard from many people who have had the same problem that you can also book a return flight with flexible dates and locations. For a small surcharge, of course, but this option is still significantly cheaper than booking two one-way tickets.

We also recommend arriving on the Gold Coast a few days before the start of the semester. Like many others, I had to look for an apartment. I would advise against apartments on campus. $ 250 a week is very expensive, plus you live on campus in Southport, so far from the beach and most of the internationals. One advantage, however, is that you live closer to Australians and thus not only come into contact with international students.

• See andyeducation for more information about Australia and Oceania.

However, looking for an apartment was not a problem for me, I found a suitable apartment within a day. I’ve also heard from people who had more trouble finding, but the majority had an apartment by the start of the semester. It is advisable to have a look around the exchange students’ Facebook group beforehand. I met my roommate on Facebook before I arrived.

Even if you are not looking for an apartment on site, it is better to arrive a few days before the start of the semester, as you have to take care of a few organizational things, e.g.: hand contract (Vodafone has good offers for students), bank account, GoCard to use the tram, Student ID Card,…

Studies and University

The university itself is located in Southport and can be easily reached by tram from Surfers Paradise. The campus itself is huge, it takes a while to find your way around.

The semester started for me on Monday and Tuesday with some organizational events for exchange students, then on Wednesdays the people who booked the trip went to Byron Bay. I can absolutely recommend the trip. There are lots of cool activities, such as kayaking, surfing lessons, partying… And most importantly: you get to know the other international students.

My experience was that the courses are much easier than courses at German universities. My subjects were Human Resource Management Principles, Management Strategy and Decision Making, Corporate Communications and Public Relations and Investment Analysis and Management.

For each course there is a lecture and a tutorial / workshop, comparable to German universities. However, in contrast to my home university, there are assignments and also smaller tests during the semester, so that more courses are mandatory and are included in the final grade. But it’s not that wild.

Activities

The Gold Coast and the university offer a lot of activities, it never gets boring. I bought a surfboard after taking surf lessons on the Byron Bay trip. It’s difficult in surfers, but shops further south (Miami) have good deals on surfboards and wetsuits. You can also surf in Surfers Paradise, but especially further south on the Gold Coast there are better spots like Currumbin and Burleigh Heads. I also got my diving license through the university’s diving club. The diving club works together with a local diving school and offers the courses really inexpensive.

The Q1 is also recommended. At the end of the semester we had dinner with many exchange students on the supervisory platform.

The Student Guild also offers many other activities, and I particularly enjoyed whale watching.

You can also go partying on the Gold Coast, there are many mainstream clubs, but also clubs where other types of music are played. Elsewhere comes highly recommended. In my opinion, the house parties of the Internationals in the high-rise buildings of Surfers Paradise are better anyway.

There are also many national parks on the Gold Coast (Springbrook, Tambourine, Burleigh Heads, Lamington). However, some can only be reached by car. I have visited Springbrook and Burleigh Heads, they are really recommended.

Travel

One week is free during the semester. Like many others, I booked a flight to Cairns with some friends and then rented a van to drive back to the Gold Coast. On the way we went diving on the Great Barrier Reef, sailing the Whitsunday Islands and saw a lot more.

After the semester, I did another road trip from Adelaide to Melbourne. But many also flew to Bali, New Zealand or similar. I can only recommend traveling during and after the semester to get to know Australian culture and lifestyle a little better. As much as I appreciate the Gold Coast as a place, Surfers Paradise is more of a tourist destination, and you can get to know Australian culture better elsewhere. Nevertheless, I also really enjoyed surfing for a semester.

Costs

Most things are significantly more expensive in Australia than in Germany, especially food, rent and alcohol. I lived with two other exchange students in a shared apartment; I paid 180 dollars / week for a single room. That’s a lot by German standards, but my room was one of the cheaper ones compared to others. The further away from Surfers Paradise you look for an apartment, the cheaper it becomes. However, I would not recommend living far away as most of the other exchange students live in Surfers. Groceries are best bought from Coles instead of Woolworths. There is also an Aldi on the southern part of the Gold Coast, but it is difficult to reach for surfers. Unfortunately, those who like good German beer have to dig a little deeper into their pockets; a six-pack Becks can cost the equivalent of € 12. Goon (wine from 2-4l cartons) is significantly cheaper, even if it takes some getting used to.

Conclusion

I can recommend a stay at Griffith University on the Gold Coast to anyone. The university is very modern, there are countless leisure and travel opportunities and you get to know a lot of new people from different countries. The semester was really a great experience, and even if there are cheaper alternatives for a semester abroad, I would always go back to Griffith University on the Gold Coast.

After I had decided to spend a semester abroad in Australia, I found out about possible universities on the MicroEDU homepage. My selection criteria were: to expand my marketing knowledge, to achieve very good grades and to study for a semester in the sunshine. It quickly turns out that Griffith University Gold Coast best suited my criteria and my available time. After very good advice from MicroEDU, my decision was confirmed.

Application

The application process was straightforward and easy. After completing the documents and sending them to MicroEDU, I received the acceptance from Griffith University within a few days. Then I was able to apply for my visa and book the flights. I booked the flights through STA-Travel.

It is worth mentioning that the MicroEDU team was a very important support for me, especially in the decision-making process. My questions were answered patiently and in detail, both by phone and by email.

Accommodation

For me it was important to find and book accommodation in Germany in advance. To find out about accommodations on the Gold Coast, I read a few testimonials beforehand. Most of the experience reports recommended looking for accommodation on site. Nevertheless, I wanted to have booked an accommodation before arrival, so I created an account on Gumptree and Flatmates. Since the housing market in Australia is very fast moving, I had no success in November.

• See act-test-centers for more information about Australia and Oceania.

In January all international students were invited to a Griffith University Facebook group. I got to know my roommate through this group and we rented two rooms in a student dormitory (Metro on Central), three kilometers from the university. The feeling of security of having an apartment was very important to me. Basically, however, I would not recommend the Metro on Central student dormitory. It’s overpriced, you can only get to the university via the metro shuttle bus (which only runs three times a day), public buses (which NEVER run according to the schedule) or on foot.

If I were looking for an apartment on the Gold Coast again, I would definitely make sure to live at a tram station, as the buses are far too unreliable. The trams, on the other hand, run very regularly and are reliable.

Studies and courses

The Australian system of study is very different from the German. The whole trimester over are partial tests in the form of mid-term Exams, quizzes and / or Written Assignments deliver. The partial performances have the advantage that at the end the final exam usually counts a maximum of 55%.

At Griffth University, I chose the following four courses:

• 2002 IBA – Firm Behaviors and Business Strategy
• 2004 MKT Consumer Psychology
• 2036 MKT Retail Marketing
• 2098 MKT Branding and Promoting New Business Ventures

2002 IBA – Firm Behaviors and Business Strategy

The content of this course was comparable to the microeconomics at my German university. Fortunately, 90% of the material on the course was known to me from my German course. If I had heard the content at the Griffith for the first time, I would have had great problems, as it was very difficult to understand the Asian professor (this was also confirmed to me by Australians).

As an exam, you had to write a group assignment, complete three quizzes in the classroom and write a mid-term and final exam. The quizzes and homework were rated very well. The exams were comparatively very demanding, were rated rather strictly and turned out pretty bad. Personally, I would not take the course again because micro is an interesting subject, but the professor taught it very boringly and poorly.

2004 MKT – Consumer Psychology

Consumer Psychology was one of my favorite courses. In terms of content, I found the subject very interesting. As an exam, I had to write two term papers and take a mid-term quiz. Every Monday I had a two-hour workshop in which the theory was briefly repeated, which one had learned in advance through video material and readings. Then we discussed our housework in the workshop. This time was especially valuable for the first group housework. In summary, I can highly recommend this course, the tutors are hard-working and extremely helpful, I have learned a lot and, if you make an effort, you get a very good result.

2036 MKT – Retail Marketing

I can also highly recommend this course. I particularly liked that we applied the theory with the help of many examples in the workshops. At first, the course reminded me of my school days, as we started the first workshops with an attendance list and Icebreaker games. After a while I got used to it and understood the meaning of the games. A group assignment gave us the opportunity to get to know all the students in the course and to be able to form groups who pursued the same grade goal as yourself. You got to know each other better through the games. In addition to the group homework, we had an online quiz, a individual reflection and a final exam. This course also took up a lot of preparation and follow-up time.

2098 MKT – Branding and Promoting New Business Ventures

In terms of content, the course was interesting. Every lecture we watched some practical marketing videos so that I could learn a lot about the advertising strategies of Australian companies. The examinations for this course were two papers and two quizzes.

The first term paper specialized in dealing with the different theories of a brand. For the second term paper, a separate promotion plan had to be drawn up for a brand he had invented. The tasks for both term papers could have been formulated more clearly. However, if you attended the workshops and lectures regularly, you knew what to focus on in your housework.

On-site support

I was pleasantly surprised by the support in Australia. Both the professors, the tutors and the international office always replied to emails very quickly and were very helpful. I didn’t know such a service from Germany. In addition, at the beginning I had a few concerns about all the homework and readings, but I was quickly relieved of this fear, as the university offers different programs to support writing homework.

Conclusion

In summary, I am very happy to have done my semester abroad at Griffith University and can only recommend it to everyone.

Preparatory phase

Half a year before the start of my studies, I started the preparation phase for a semester abroad. Here I came across the agency MicroEDU GmbH from Münster. On their website, these provide important key data from various universities around the world in a clear form. So I ended up in Australia with my search criteria `English` and` Sun`.

I then decided on Griffith University because it only required an English test from the German Academic Exchange Service, which could be taken quickly at the FH Flensburg. Since the recruitment agency did not take any fees, I sent my application documents to Münster and within a few weeks had a preliminary acceptance from the Australian university.

Three months before the start of my studies, I transferred the tuition fees of AUS 7150 to Australia and booked a flight with a fellow student who also wanted to spend a semester abroad at the same university. Thus, EUR 7,500 had to be pre-financed for the semester abroad in November. However, I only had a confirmation of receipt of my documents from July 2013 from the responsible student loan department in Baden-Württemberg.

• See mcat-test-centers for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Two months before the start of the course, we were able to choose my courses in an online portal at the university in Australia. This turned out to be a great advantage, as we were able to coordinate this quickly in consultation with our course director and thus everything was settled except for the financial one.

On February 2, 2013, my fellow student and I boarded the plane in the direction of the Gold Coast, Australia. We landed in Brisbane two days later and were taken to a hostel on the Gold Coast by a driver from the university, which we had previously booked online. Since the cheapest student dormitory with around AUD 200 per week rent exceeded my budget, I went looking for an apartment on gumtree.com.au. After about nine days of looking for an apartment, I was able to move into a cheap holiday apartment with a Tasmanian of the same age. The rent here was around AUD 160 a week. We got along well, even if his dialect made him difficult to understand at first.

Thanks to my roommate, I was quickly immersed in the Australian way of life. He was probably happiest when he could watch AFL (Australian footbal league), there was a meatpie and he could wash it down with a jug (large mug) full of beer. But I was able to discover this phenomenon in quite a few other Australians as well.

University life

The university started on February 18th. My schedule consisted of the four courses Employment Relationship, International Business, Management Concepts and Environmental Economics & Politics. There was a weekly lecture with the entire course and a tutorial in smaller groups. The lectures and tutorials were very well coordinated and based on chapters from books. At the beginning of the semester, you knew when which chapter was being discussed and thus had a very nice overview. So it came about that you had to read a chapter per week in each subject. At the end of the chapter there were mostly questions that you should then work out and bring with you to the tutorial. These weekly elaborations were already included in the final grade. When you got used to the workload of the weekly case studies after a few weeks, assignments were added. Assignments are written elaborations in the order of 1500-2000 words on a specific question. A lot of emphasis was placed on scientific work and so it came about that one sat again more intensively in the library to find sources. After all the work in the semester, however, the exams in June were all the more relaxed.

Overall, the university kept you on a short leash, but you were also well looked after and even got feedback from tutors on Sunday evenings if you had any questions. The many written elaborations and the scientific work in particular helped me a lot to improve my English and gave me a little routine for the upcoming bachelor thesis.

Everyday life

Financially speaking, the semester abroad was a ruin for me. I used around 1000 euros a month for a student lifestyle (rent, groceries, bus to university …). In a country with lots of sun and sand, you don’t need to spend much money on leisure activities. Since it was mostly light from 6 a.m. in the morning and the temperatures were already over 20 degrees Celsius, the day started early.

I usually had to take the bus to the university at 8.30 am, so I had enough time in the morning to go to the beach to go surfing or swimming and have a leisurely breakfast and read the newspaper. For me it was the best way to start the day and you were automatically in a good mood during the day. But this may also be due to the Australians, who are naturally cheerful. I would describe the Australians as very relaxed and helpful. It was very easy to get to know people, as “small talks” with strangers are definitely more common than in Germany. Most of all I have heard the phrase “No worries, Mate”, which for me reflects the Australian lightness in the words.

Conclusion

Although the semester abroad was very expensive, I am very happy that I took the risk. I was able to improve my English, took a certain amount of Australian ease with me and experienced a lot. At the end of the semester I still had time to get even more insights into the breathtaking Australian landscape, which I will probably never forget. Many events happened during the semester that will have a positive impact on my life in the future and Australia will be a country I love to fly back to.

b. Courses

Basically, no final exams are written at the university that count 100%, as we know from Germany. During your studies you always have individual assignments, mid-exams and sometimes also small online tests. You are pretty busy with the university during your studies, but that’s perfectly fine. But in the end you don’t have an exam that makes a lot of decisions. The final grade is then made up of the results of all exams that you have taken during your studies. This system wasn’t really wrong in my opinion, that way I was able to take a lot more with me.

In Australia I attended the following bachelor courses:

Urban Ecology and Biodiversity

The course consisted of a weekly lecture and a laboratory day, which took place every two weeks. My professor in this course attached great importance to linking theory and practice. Most of the things that were discussed in the lecture were examined again in practice. In the course I had a mid-semester exam, an assignment (5000 words), a laboratory workbook and a final exam. The course was a bit complex but was worth it.

Various learners in the Contemporary Classroom

In this course we learned the principles of inclusion in schools. In doing so, we theoretically addressed all forms of disability that can occur in mainstream schools and were given practical options for action. Here, too, some practical actions were demonstrated on how the lessons could be designed. In addition, I got to know quite a few new teaching methods. This course consisted of a weekly lecture and tutorial.

Language & Communication for Science

In this course the academic writing and editing of texts was essentially taught. Sometimes a few grammar rules and vocabulary were refreshed in the tutorial. The course wasn’t really time consuming and helped me improve my English. This course also consisted of a weekly lecture and tutorial.

4. Life and leisure time

Basically, the cost of living in Australia is quite high compared to Germany. Everything costs a little more than in Germany. But after a certain amount of time you settle in and you know where you can buy cheap products. Most people in Australia shop at Coles and Woolworth, which would correspond to EDEKA in Germany. Bed linen and other household items are best bought from Kmart. Kmart is something like IKEA. Otherwise there is a steak for $ 3 in Restaurant Waxys on Sundays and Mondays, which is also good.

There is definitely no shortage of leisure activities on the Gold Coast. There are plenty of national parks around surfers like Springbrook, Lamingtion or Tamborine, where you can easily get there and back in one day. The beach at Burleigh Heads or Stradbroke Island is also very beautiful. All of this can be done very well in one day. Another thing I can recommend is the sunrise in Mount Warning. You have to walk up the mountain before sunrise, which can be a bit exhausting, but it’s definitely worth it for the view. Domestic flights are very cheap in Australia. The cheap airlines include TigerAir, which is comparable to RainAir. This makes it easy to fly to Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns for a long weekend. During your studies you also have a week’s vacation that you can use for a longer trip.

Surfers also has plenty of bars, clubs and cafes to offer. There is something for everybody. If you register for the clubs during O-Week, you have free entry to many clubs for the entire semester. I also got my open water diving license, which was incredibly cool. With my license I went diving in the Great Barrier Reef after the semester. You could go diving in the reef without a license, but not deep (about 8m) and only with an instructor who holds you.

During the semester I made very good friends and in four weeks after the semester we drove along the whole east coast with many stops. This is a good option and is a nice end to Australia.

5. Financing

I financed my semester abroad with the help of the Hans Böckler Foundation, for which I am very grateful. The scholarship covered the tuition fees for me and I received a lump sum abroad, which was a great financial support.

• See cancermatters for more information about Australia and Oceania.

In addition to the DKB credit card, I have opened a bank account at the Australian bank ANZ. I then withdrew larger and larger amounts from my DKB card free of charge and transferred them directly to my ANZ card. With the ANZ card I was able to pay anywhere free of charge for the entire semester. You can pay anywhere with the DKB card, but you pay a small fee. The fee is not high, but it accumulates over time. In total, I spent around € 15,000 over the six months.

Statement of costs

• Flight: € 1,300.00
• Tuition fees: € 5,400.00
• Visa: € 360.00
• Monthly expenses: approx. € 1,300.00
• 6 months stay: approx. € 15.00

6. Conclusion

You’ve probably read the following sentence in many other reports and I didn’t think I’d write that, but the semester abroad on the Gold Coast was the best time I’ve ever had. I made so many friends in Australia and experienced a lot of great things, so I can only recommend the semester abroad on the Gold Coast. The relaxed, friendly nature of the Australians, the closeness to the beach, the sun and all the wild, beautiful animals have a positive influence on how we feel in Australia. If I had the chance to do another semester abroad in Australia, I would take it immediately.

I also think it’s great that the Hans Böckler Foundation made it possible for me to have this experience. Also a big thank you to the friendly staff at MicroEDU who always had answers to my many questions.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Otherwise, have fun with the planning and have a good time in Australia 😉

Best wishes

Why Australia?

Right from the start of my studies it was very certain that I wanted to do a semester abroad. On my list were Australia and America. I finally decided on Australia because my gut feeling told me that Australia would be the best choice and it was.

1. Organization

My semester in Australia on the Gold Coast started in mid-February and ended in late June 2016. I started organizing at the beginning of October last year.

The first thing I did was get in touch with MicroEDU and roughly get some information about the universities in Australia. The nice staff at MicroEDU then sent me a list of colleges that would best fit my degree. I then chose Griffith University on the Gold Coast because I liked it the most. The reasons were mostly the positive reviews and the proximity to the beach. Then I took the necessary language test at my university in Bielefeld. I took the “DAAD” language test which was free and very relaxed. I passed the test with a small “b” in all areas. This corresponds to language level B2-C1.

After I received all the necessary documents from MicroEDU for the application and sent them completed to MicroEDU in Münster, I only had to wait for my acceptance, which did not take long. Then I applied online for the student visa and got an acceptance within 24 hours. After all that happened, I booked my flight and waited eagerly for my semester abroad.

2. Apartment

Apartments on the Gold Coast can be found through gumtree or flatemates. Most international students lived in Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, or Southport. I arrived a week before O-Week and went looking for it. At first I lived in the hostel “Budds” in Surfers Paradise.

When I was looking for an apartment, I only had the right to have a single room and not a high rent per week. I also wanted to live in surfers. After five days, I found that finding a place to live is not as easy as explained in the reports. I personally walked to the high-rise buildings in Surfers, which wasn’t promising either. After about 8 apartment visits, I decided to live at the Campus Village because I didn’t want to put the stress of looking for an apartment to myself anymore. The apartments were either too expensive or in poor condition.

The Campus Village is a five-minute walk from the university. At Campus Village, I took over the last 4 months of an annual contract from a student. I had to pay $ 230 a week. This rent is relatively cheap for the Campus Village. If you book an apartment from home, you pay $ 275 a week, which I think is a bit high. In addition, the contracts start in early February / July and end at the end of June / November. So for the weeks that you are not there, you still pay. After about 4 weeks I moved out of the Campus Village because it was too expensive for me. Before that I had to find someone to take over my contract. Amazingly, I was really lucky and quickly found someone. I then lived in Southport for $ 170. I found the apartment very quickly through friends. From Southport I always took the bus to the university for about 6 minutes.

In summary, I can say: Finding a suitable apartment in Surfers is not quick and can be expensive, depending on where you want to live and what your needs are. In my opinion, the women didn’t have that much stress looking for a place to live. In some cases, a large number of apartments were advertised only for women. But you should call them anyway, sometimes it works anyway. Living at the Campus Village is really cool, you are only surrounded by international students, which is very good for your own English skills. At the Campus Village there are also a lot of activities such as free dinner, pool party and more. If you don’t live in the Campus Village, most of life takes place in surfers. I liked both apartments, although the price at Campus Village was a big disadvantage.

What would I do differently next time? It’s not that easy to sign a contract at the Campus Village, if you’re unlucky you won’t find anyone to take over the contract. I would wait until O-Week, get together with students and rent an entire apartment in a holiday home such as the Genesis, Penthouse, Solaire Apartments or Trilogy Surfers Paradise. In any case, you shouldn’t drive yourself crazy about your apartment in Germany. You will definitely find a suitable apartment. For some it is faster, for others it takes a while. Once you’ve found the right apartment, everything works.

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3. Study

Griffith University on the Gold Coast is very big and quite beautiful. It’s pretty green everywhere, so you can relax outside in the shade to do work for the university. Of course you can do that in the library too. The individual faculties of Griffith Uni are spread over a large area. If you download the Griffith app beforehand, you can easily find every single room.

If you live in Surfers, you can take the tram to the university in around 25 minutes. In addition, the bus network is quite good and you can get almost anywhere. For buses and trains you need a GoCard, which you can buy at the university or in any “Seven Eleven”. In addition, students receive a discount on every trip. In order to be able to use this, however, one must first apply online for “concession fares”, which only takes a few minutes.

a. Orientation Week

On the first day, all international students meet in the main lecture hall and receive basic information there and play a few little games. Then there is a welcome BBQ and you can talk to international students. I found the program very cool and fun. In addition, get-to-know meetings, games and much more are organized throughout the week. The university goes to great lengths to ensure that the foreign students feel comfortable at the beginning. There are also events in the semester that are quite fun. I’ve visited a few and thought they were cool. In the first week there is also a market for sports courses and various other promotions. There you can register for a diving license (open water, $ 250), register for club VIP cards in Surfers Paradise and get to know nice people. I took the diving course, more on that later.

I was also on the orientation trip in Byron Bay. It was definitely worth it. It’s the best way to make friends, pet kangaroos, and get on a surfboard for the first time. I can only recommend it because the friendships that are built up there usually last until the end of the semester.

The organization in advance with the help of MicroEDU worked great. The entire application went smoothly and I soon had my firm acceptance and courses that I had already chosen. It should also be mentioned that the choice of these courses is not 100% binding. You will then have places in these courses, but it is still possible to change courses afterwards. Even if “prerequisites” are suddenly required, the relevant evidence can be submitted later. As soon as the courses are activated, you should try to find the times to make the timetable as suitable as possible. There is a lecture for all courses and several tutorials at different times, one of which you can choose depending on availability.

The start at the university was very successful, a lot is being done for the study abroad students. In my semester there were a total of around 300 students from all nations and there were many events, especially in the orientation week, but also during the semester, to bring everyone together. Parties, barbecues or team competitions took place regularly. Missing the orientation week is no drama, because there is not a lot of important information or the like, but you make the first contacts there, not to mention the great trip to Byron Bay. It is highly recommended, it was there that I got my first great impressions of Australia. The place is incredibly beautiful, there are lots of great activities and you have more to do with other students, especially at the beginning.

I hadn’t looked into accommodation before, except for booking 3 nights at the Trekkers Backpackers hostel in Southport. It’s not necessarily one of the nicest hostels, but looking for apartments for a few nights is more than enough. I then went to gumtree.com.au to look for it and finally, after my second visit, I selected the first apartment and moved into the hostel after 2 nights. The apartments in Surfers Paradise are generally rather expensive. I saw a lot of friends in retrospect and wasn’t too impressed with the value for money. I lived with two other girls in a small bungalow in Labrador. A bit out of the way, but spacious and really nice, the three of us felt very comfortable there. You can get anywhere with bikes, to the university in 10 minutes, to the beach about 20 minutes, to Surfers about 20 minutes. If you want to party every evening, then Surfers is the right place for you. Otherwise, in my opinion, the surrounding places are nicer and not that crowded. The beach can be easily reached from anywhere, which was actually most important to me.

• See equzhou for more information about Australia and Oceania.

My everyday life at the university looked relatively relaxed at first, four subjects in total and lectures and tutorials only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In Australia, however, the final grade consists of several parts. For example, I had to take regular online tests in subjects like finance or submit presentations and reports in international marketing. Then there is an intermediate examination in almost every subject before the mid-semester break. So with four subjects you are always busy with some “homework” in between. The tasks are not necessarily difficult, the lecturers just want you to deal with what you have learned, so it is rather time-consuming. At the time of the exams or when you have a major donation ahead of you, you are relatively busy.

But I’ve always been able to do a lot with my roommates and other fellow students. We went on trips more or less every weekend and spent a lot of the week on the wonderful beach on the Gold Coast. I can only recommend the Gold Coast Campus compared to the ones in Brisbane, you simply have a lot more of the great coastal landscape of Australia and the sea. The most beautiful destinations in my eyes are the Whitsunday Islands, the Great Ocean Road on the south coast of Melbourne, the smaller islands off the Gold Coast and Tasmania. In my experience, the excursions into the countryside were much more valuable than the ones in the big cities, which of course you can also look at, but not necessarily longer than a few days.

All in all, this semester abroad at Griffith was a great decision. The location is perfect, as you can easily reach the well-known places from the east coast. The weather is always nice and there is so much to experience. University life is something completely different and a good experience and helpful for language skills. The contents of the subjects were also completely different than at my university, much more practical and I took some away with me. I made a lot of great contacts and can only recommend everyone, when they are there, to really make the best of it and to travel as much as possible. Unfortunately, for such a long time, you won’t come back so quickly.

I studied law at Griffith University and I definitely don’t want to miss this experience.

The Griffith University (Southport) Gold Coast campus is nice and big, but not too big to get lost. There is a library, cafes, a university bar and a sports field with a beach volleyball field.
The location of the university is pretty good, as it is about 20 minutes from Surfers Paradise (by bus) and you are right at the beach and in the party zone. There are also plenty of shopping opportunities in and around Southport. There is also an airport on the Gold Coast from which you can reach any destination with the low-cost airlines.

At the beginning of the course you receive a lot of information on an Orientation Day (1 week before the start of the course) in order to get a little start-up help for the course. But that was more fanfare than helpful. You can get most of it out yourself when the actual lectures begin.

After Orientation Day, I took a trip to Byron Bay, where you got to know a large number of the other international students. That was really great, because you get to know a lot of people right away and make connections and learn to surf, hike, chill on the beach and party. I can highly recommend this.

I really enjoyed the course itself. It was easier than in Germany. At the beginning it takes a while to get used to all the technical terms, but you get used to them very quickly. In addition, the lecturers are very nice and helpful. I took three courses. A course always consisted of a lecture and an accompanied tutorial. In the tutorial, the material from the lecture was discussed in depth again. The tutorials are always very small groups in contrast to the lecture. That was always very pleasant and you could memorize the material even better. You could always download all the documents you need for the lecture from the Internet (Griffith Portal). It was practical and easy. However, books are expensive and the library is not well stocked with items that you can borrow. Often books that I wanted to borrow were already gone.

• See recipesinthebox for more information about Australia and Oceania.

When choosing a course, you should always pay attention to the course numbers, as the first number always stands for the number of semesters, i.e. for course number 4013, 4 stands for the 4th semester. The lower the first number, the easier the price is.

You have exams during the semester and at the end. But you can do that well and it is not an excessive learning curve.
The law course was very different from my German course. But I still enjoyed studying there and getting an insight into a different legal system.

I lived in Griffith University Village, which is right next to the university. The university is about 5 minutes’ walk away. I really liked it there because you share a 5-room apartment with other international students. Everyone has their own room and you share 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room and the balcony. This way you get to know your roommates very quickly.
However, you don’t have to apply there straight away from Germany. Most of the time there are still rooms available on site and it is sufficient to drop by the office after arriving and ask. The rent is quite high, but that’s the same when you move to Surfers Paradise and you have to pay a deposit. Internet is then added separately. This is not included in the rent.

The apartment is fully furnished, but you have to get bedclothes and kitchen utensils yourself. When moving in you have to fill out an inspection form and you should be pretty precise and list every deficiency in the room or in the common areas, because otherwise every little thing will be attracted to the deposit when moving out.

The village also has a pool, which was very useful on hot days to cool off for a while. There is a sunbathing area with a few loungers. Then you didn’t have to go to the sea first. There is also a basketball court and a barbecue area where you can always grill. There is also a TV and computer room and a laundrette with washing machines and dryers. But you always need change because it is not free.

Some people have also moved to Surfers Paradise, which is an option too. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the university, but it is right on the beach and where the party goes in the evening.

During and after my studies I traveled a lot in Australia. There is simply a lot to see and discover and you can always find time for it, even during your studies.

Overall, the semester at Griffith was very nice and full of experience. So if you decide to go to university, you will have a lot of fun there and meet a lot of nice people !!!!

Life on campus

I was very impressed by the great organization at Griffith: Regardless of whether it was a matter of informing the students competently and in good time or giving grades and feedback within a short period of time, everything worked great. The professional competence of the teachers was also great. The lecturers were always at your side, whether in person or by email. There were enough learning rooms on campus, in addition to the library with individual and group workstations, there were also so-called learning centers and a 24/7 study lounge.

Unlike what we know from Germany, there is no cafeteria on campus. But there is a large selection of snacks, restaurants and cafes. In terms of price, these do not differ from restaurants in the city. There are microwaves on campus that you can use to warm up food you have brought with you.

As mentioned at the beginning, you can find out about the course content and the composition of the examinations in advance. I had three courses, all of which were very time consuming. There were important levies every few weeks. Depending on the subject, these consisted of classic homework, some of which should also be completed in group work, or practical work (in the case of media subjects, these were, for example, graphics or prototypes). I can only advise you to organize your time sensibly and not to take care of deliveries at the last minute, because shortly before the deadlines it can get very stressful.

• See computerminus for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Leisure

In addition to studying, there is a lot to do on the beautiful Gold Coast: The kilometer-long coast offers beautiful beaches (starting on Main Beach, via Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Miami, Burleigh Heads, Currumbin, to Coollangatta), but also numerous national parks, such as Springbrook and Tamborine are nearby. So just get together in small groups and explore the surrounding area by rental car! The cultural offer is also not to be despised with numerous film and music festivals, there are also many opportunities for shopping and a number of leisure and amusement parks. Brisbane can be reached quickly if you fancy some big city air. There are also beautiful corners further north, towards the Sunshine Coast and Noosa.

Travel

If you have the opportunity to travel during the semester or afterwards, you should definitely do so! Visiting Australia is incredibly impressive and varied. It can be an advantage to look for travel companions, as this is the best way to share the costs of accommodation, rental cars, campervan, etc. and of course the newly gained impressions. But solo travelers are also common in Australia.

By plane, rental car or campervan? Domestic flights are not expensive, for less than 100 euros you can fly across the country (flight prices to Alice Springs, however, exceed this considerably). There is also an airport on the Gold Coast that can be easily reached by public transport.

In order to explore the areas away from the big cities, it is advisable to rent a car. Incidentally, fuel is much cheaper than in Germany. There are also guided bus tours to some hotspots, but these are usually expensive, you are inflexible and you can’t get everywhere.

Adventure camping – the journey is the goal: If you have no problem with camping, then it is a good idea to explore parts of Australia by campervan! I traveled the east coast between Brisbane and Cairns in this way with a friend. You are flexible, save yourself the constant moving from accommodation to accommodation and also save money. That we did this in July, in the middle of the Australian winter, was not a problem in this part of Australia. In the south of Australia it is quite cold at this time.

Weather & clothing: As huge as Australia is, the temperature differences from place to place are just as huge. Depending on the season and planned destinations, a warm jacket may not be missing! (Assuming you get the idea to travel the beautiful south in winter, where the temperatures can be just above 0 in the early morning)

My personal highlights: Great Ocean Road (including Melbourne), Darwin and Litchfield National Park, the Whitsunday Islands, Fraser Island and Sydney.

Last but not least…

In retrospect, one usually only remembers the positive moments that definitely predominated during the entire stay abroad. Nevertheless, there are a few hurdles to overcome from time to time, the important thing is: There is always someone there who can help you. Be it the university on site, fellow students or MicroEDU. No matter how stressful it can be, enjoy this time to the full and don’t worry too much! You will notice how the lightheartedness and good mood of the Australians will rub off on you, according to the typical Australian motto – “No worries!”

A renowned university and a pleasant climate in the “Sunshine State” – choosing Griffith University was not difficult!

Many factors went into my decision to join Griffith University on the Gold Coast. On the one hand, of course, the subject orientation and the range of courses, on the other hand, the location, the weather, and possible activities in the area. My expectations were not disappointed! But now in order:

So much to plan…

When my desired university was determined, it was time to apply after collecting all the relevant documents. Thanks to the competent and very friendly advice from MicroEDU, this process turned out to be very pleasant. As soon as you have the approval, I can only advise you to apply for the visa as soon as possible. Even if this is usually approved quickly, processing times can vary. And with a time buffer you are on the safe side in the event of delays.

Course choice

If you then deal with the choice of course, you will find that there is very detailed information about the courses offered and that you can get a good idea of ​​the course content in this way. It is necessary to make a preselection and submit a transcript of your academic achievements from your home university, as selected courses must first be approved by Griffith. This ensures that you are only admitted to courses that are manageable in terms of difficulty. So it is better to specify a few more courses, as one or the other will not be approved. If you want to have the courses passed abroad credited to your home university later, you should clarify the choice of course with them in advance.

As stressful as it all sounds, this planning saves you unpleasant surprises later and, once you arrive, you can concentrate fully on finding your way around the new university. If you have not yet made your final choice, you can still select or deselect courses within a certain period of time.

Flight and arrival

I booked my flight to Brisbane through STA Travel, including the return flight (this one from Singapore, however). This can sometimes be cheaper than booking the flights individually. If you are not sure about the date of your return flight, you can subsequently rebook it free of charge, provided that you book this rebooking option from the start for a surcharge of 15 euros (although it may be that rebooking on certain flights is excluded from this – have found out I only did this when I made the request for a possible rebooking).

You can register in advance for the free pick-up service from Griffith University, so that after the long journey you are brought to your destination accommodation in a relaxed manner. I can only recommend booking the latter in advance, regardless of whether it is a hostel or, for example, accommodation through AirBnB.

Apartment Search

I arrived with a friend a few days before the start of the orientation week, so that we could look for a permanent place to stay on site. In our experience, this search can take a few days. We wanted to move to Surfers Paradise, happily in a flat share with non-German speaking roommates. For this we had looked at advertisements on www.flatmates.com.au and www.gumtree.com.au, but we had also created an advertisement for us as apartment hunters. Since we couldn’t find anything suitable that way, we decided to rent an entire apartment on our own and look for roommates ourselves. The latter worked extremely well, so we ended up living with two Spanish women. Finding the apartment itself was a bit more complicated, as many apartments are sold through brokers and have to be rented for at least six months. You can also try to go through various systems individually and ask about vacant apartments at the reception. So we found what we were looking for, even if it took a bit of patience (so don’t give up too quickly, there seemed to be some vacant apartments, especially in the northern part of Surfers Paradise).

• See youremailverifier for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Living on the Gold Coast, especially Surfers Paradise, isn’t exactly cheap. Each of us paid around 500 euros a month for a shared bedroom. Our apartment was beautiful and right on the beach promenade. The “Surfers Paradise North” tram station was right in front of the building, from where it only took 17 minutes to get to the university.

Transport

While I’m on the subject of transportation: the best way to get from Surfers Paradise to the university is by tram. Overall, this currently ranges from Broadbeach to the University Hospital. If you want to get to other parts of the Gold Coast, you can take advantage of the bus service. Regardless of whether it’s a tram, bus or train, the GoCard gives you a discount on your journeys. Once bought, the GoCard can be topped up with credit at the machine (it is essential to register for the Student Concession, so you can even travel for half the price). A ride to the university and back to Surfers Paradise costs about $ 3.20 with a discount. Very important: tap the GoCard both when boarding and disembarking at the designated stations, as the fare is calculated according to the distance traveled. If you forget to grope after getting out,

My name is Silvana and I’m in the 4th semester of studying multimedia and communication at Ansbach University. It was already clear to me from the start of my studies that I wanted to do a semester abroad in Australia and when I got the wanderlust, I applied at Griffith University in Australia at the end of the 2nd semester with the help of MicroEDU. The decision was not difficult for me because I wanted to go to the sea somewhere – so the Gold Coast was a great choice.

Application and organization

Filling out the documents was actually no problem, and I could always write to MicroEDU or Sabine if I had any questions. After six weeks, I received my confirmation at the beginning of August and thus had enough time to prepare for my semester abroad from February.

I booked my flight through a travel agency, which I can only recommend to everyone, as you always have a direct contact person there if you want to rebook your flight, for example.

To finance the semester abroad, you can apply for BAföG abroad, which you should do in good time, as the processing time takes a little longer and of course it is not sure whether you will be supported. It is also possible to apply for different scholarships.

Apartment Search

When looking for an apartment, it depends on what exactly you are looking for. If you only want a bed in a “shared room”, it is not difficult at all and you can find something within a few days. However, if you are looking for several people who all want a room to themselves, the search will take a little longer.

I recommend that you take a look at the “Gumtree” or “Flatmates” pages, or simply ask at the hotel reception – this is how we found our apartment. I lived with two other girls in the middle of Surfers Paradise in the “Genesis” – a hotel with many apartments. We had one with a single and a twin room. Since we always swapped places after six weeks, everyone had a room to themselves, but it wasn’t a problem to share a room with another person, as we got along really well. Our apartment was really big, we also had a balcony with a sea view.

Surfers Paradise is the center of the Gold Coast, here you can easily go to the beach, do good shopping and also have a great party. It’s 25 minutes by tram to the university, but that wasn’t a problem at all.

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Also, be prepared for the fact that the rent or the cost of living in Australia in general are more expensive, but it is possible to find something for $ 150 a week.

Everyday university life

The Griffith Gold Coast campus is really big and at the beginning I felt a bit like a zoo because of all the birds and trees, haha. Overall, everything is really nice and new, you can actually relax or study anywhere. There are a few cafes, restaurants and a university bar. There are also many other shops, such as the university store or a hairdresser. There is also a regular market where you can buy delicious food with a good atmosphere and live music.

The Griffith looks very organized, for example there is an app with which you can find all kinds of information or a campus map. Even before the beginning of the semester, you will receive a lot of useful information, such as help with enrolling.

An orientation week takes place one week before the official start of studies, in which you can get to know many people and the university better. Whether you want to try typical Australian food, join clubs or get information on Griffith offers – you should definitely not miss the Orientation Week. If you like to party, you should also sign up for the list at the stands – you will then receive a card with which you can, for example, go to the clubs free of charge.

Furthermore, the range of courses is really very good, you will find a lot of and different courses, so there should be something for everyone.

I chose the courses “World Cinema”, “Television Studies” and “Creative Thinking”, all three of which were very interesting and not difficult either. In general, you don’t have to worry – with three or four courses you definitely have enough free time, but of course it depends on whether you put pressure on yourself to perform or not.

In my courses we were a very small group of no more than 20 people and depending on the course there were lectures, tutorials or seminars. The relationship with the professors or tutors was quite relaxed, so you always get help if you don’t understand something and you can adjust to a fairly relaxed atmosphere – at least that’s how it was with me in the courses.

The exams or research papers are spread over the semester so that you do not have total stress at the end, so there are several (mostly three) certificates of achievement in each course. Since I didn’t have any written exams, I finished a little earlier than many of my friends.

By the way, the English wasn’t a problem for me, the professors or tutors speak quite clearly so that you can understand everything.

Leisure

The Gold Coast and Australia offer so many different things to do.

On the Gold Coast you can of course discover the rainforest by the sea or in the hinterland in Lamington or Springbrook National Park. But there are also many amusement parks or many other activities that you can look forward to.

For shopping it’s best to go to Cavill Avenue or to one of the shopping centers on Broadbeach or Southport. There is also an outlet center in Harbor Town, which I can only recommend to you (my backpack was so much heavier than I flew home: D).

Those who like to party will also get their money’s worth on the Gold Coast. By the way, on Thursdays we found the “bedroom” in the middle of surfers the best.

I saw the most beautiful sunset on the Gold Coast in Burleigh Heads and the most delicious food is in the mega cool Marketta Market with live music in Miami.

You can also eat cheaply every Sunday, Monday or Wednesday in Waxys, an Irish pub in Surfers – there you can get steak or chicken schnitzel for $ 3 + side dish.

It’s also very easy and not that expensive to get from one place to another, as the bus and train network on the Gold Coast is really very well developed. The best thing to do is to buy a GoCard at “SevenEleven” and after nine trips you can drive the rest of the week for free – even as far as Brisbane.

During the semester we also did small road trips or other excursions, for example to Byron Bay and the surrounding area. The best way to do this is to rent a car and just drive off. But it is also possible to fly to Sydney or Melbourne, especially during the semester break.

Australia is generally a beautiful and varied continent that I was able to discover with friends in the weeks after my semester. First we were in the outback, which I can really recommend to you. The atmosphere there is awesome and I will never forget how nice it was to sleep by the campfire under the stars. From Cairns we rented two vans and drove down the east coast to Brisbane. Whether diving in the Great Barrier Reef, sailing in the Whitsundays, camping on Fraser Island or just driving around and spending time together – it was just so beautiful.

Conclusion

If I could, I would repeat my semester abroad. I had an incredibly good time, experienced and seen so much and became more independent. But the most important thing is: I’ve made friends for life. Of course, at the beginning I was homesick and didn’t know how the time was supposed to go by, but at some point I felt really good – and suddenly the time flew by. Maybe at some point I can’t remember every conversation or moment, but Australia will forever remain one of the best times. If you have the chance, go for it! It’s worth it, I promise!:-)

University and courses

It was worth studying there for the campus alone. The atmosphere is very relaxed due to a lot of meadow and trees on a huge area, you get the impression of being in a park and not in the university. So you can see straight away where the tuition fees are going. The equipment and furnishings of the rooms are also extremely high-quality. Everything is very organized and the professors are very committed and approachable at any time.

I took the three courses Retail Marketing, Consumer Psychology and International Business. Each week there is a two-hour lecture per subject and an associated one-hour tutorial, which means ten hours a week. That sounds extremely little, especially since I never had to go to university on Thursdays or Fridays. But you shouldn’t be blinded by that, because during the semester I sometimes had more to do than with my full-time job and evening studies combined. For the subjects I needed three books, each of which cost at least $ 50-100 if you’re not lucky and don’t find them used.

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The final grades of my courses consist of four components in each of my subjects: an intermediate examination, an individual report, a group work and the final examination. If you had to submit two reports on the same deadline and had an intermediate examination, you quickly came under time pressure, and each partial grade is decisive for the overall grade. I noticed that fellow students who only took subjects from the first year had significantly less effort. I had second and third year courses. Of course, it always depends on the demands you have on yourself and your grades. But I wouldn’t underestimate it. In retrospect, I have to say that I learned an incredible amount from it, because I dealt very intensively with all the content and everything was very practice-oriented. Although it was often stressful, it was fun.

The language didn’t cause any problems at the university, all lectures were very understandable.

Living on the Gold Coast

All the university stress is balanced out twice and three times with the Australian attitude to life. Australians are extremely friendly and helpful. The bus drivers say goodbye to you with a friendly “Take care, darling” and the old men on the street wish you “G’day!” In the morning. Life on the Gold Coast, in particular, is indescribably beautiful, and I have never experienced that in any other place during my travels. In the morning, the locals get up very early to surf, jog or do yoga on the beach at sunrise. Everyone goes to work early to quit work early to spend as much time outside as possible. Unfortunately, the sun sets from 5 a.m. in winter, which is a shame, but one more reason to enjoy the time in the morning.
I can only describe the weather from February to July: The rainy season was quite late, so it rained until mid-March, but it was very warm. In May it was already cooler, especially at night it went down to five to seven degrees by the end. In return, you have many great, dry, sunny days in winter, not cooler than 20 degrees.

Costs

Unfortunately, I can’t put it another way: Australia is expensive for Europeans. The rents range between $ 130 and $ 230 per week, depending on whether you share a room or what the location is – so you should plan for € 500 just for the rent. In supermarkets you spend about twice as much as in Germany.

The flight also costs around € 1,000, the student visa € 400, and of course you also want to see something of the country. It is not fun to be short of money in Australia, so I would take whatever support is possible – whether BaFöG, scholarship, student loan or maybe the parents. You can hardly manage these sums on your own. I tried to find a job, which unfortunately didn’t work. My training as a media clerk didn’t bring me anything, so I applied to restaurants and supermarkets, where of course all locals were given preference. Jobs are very scarce there so don’t trust yourself to find a job. You have better chances if you are there for a full year for a master’s program.

Travel

Here we come to the pleasant part. The Gold Coast is a good starting point to get to know Australia. On long weekends we flew from Gold Coast Airport or Brisbane Airport to Sydney and Melbourne and did a vantrip to Fraser Island. You can’t go wrong with traveling, everything is beautiful. After the semester, I had four weeks before my flight back home. Via the website “Workaway” I found a family with whom I could live for 10 days in a small village in the outback, because I wanted to get to know the ‘real’ life inland. A once in a lifetime experience. Then I traveled along the coast from Cairns to Brisbane for two more weeks, which was a nice end to the semester.

I had a great many moments full of happiness and gratitude that I was allowed to have this experience. I can only repeat what everyone says afterwards: it’s a lot of money but it’s just worth it and I would do it again without hesitation.

If anyone has specific questions about the courses or travel, they are very welcome to contact me via MicroEDU.

As part of my part-time BBS degree at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, I had the opportunity to complete my 7th semester in Australia in the 2013 summer semester.

I chose Griffith University, which has several campuses around Brisbane. Because of the course offerings and location, the Gold Coast campus in Southport was my choice and it was the right decision.

Preparation

It was very important to me that I complete courses in my semester abroad that count towards my regular degree, which is why choosing a university took a while. I compared courses and coordinated the module descriptions with my professors in order to be able to write exams in my two main areas of International Management and Marketing abroad. As I have noticed, this process can be easier in the regular Bachelor program as full-time students have a mobility window.

In general, a large number of Australian universities have a very good reputation, so this was not a decision criterion. Of course, the cost factor also plays a major role – the tuition fees amount to $ 7,000-9,000 for one semester, approx. € 5,000-7,000. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about BaFöG because as a part-time student I was unable to apply for it. However, I would advise everyone to apply for scholarships!

The application to the university was very, very easy and quick and runs – if it is not a partner university – through an agency that communicates free of charge with the Australian universities and forwards all application documents. The two largest agencies for Australia are MicroEDU and Gostralia. I had a very nice contact at MicroEDU. To be honest, I have the impression that in Australia every student is accepted regardless of their grade point average, as long as the tuition fees are paid. That doesn’t mean that I had a bad cut, but that I was amazed at how easy it was to apply.

In addition to many forms, there are also some practical things that should be done beforehand. You need a valid passport at the time of application, nothing really out of order when it comes to vaccinations as long as you don’t go to a university in the middle of the rainforest. A valuable tip: With the credit card from Deutsche Kreditbank DKB, you can withdraw cash free of charge from most ATMs. I would advise everyone to take care of it at least 2 months in advance, it is very practical.

• See proexchangerates for more information about Australia and Oceania.

The best way to get from A to B is by bus and get a “GoCard”, which is discounted with a student ID. Unfortunately, the ticket is not included in the tuition fees.

I hadn’t organized permanent accommodation before leaving. I have read many testimonials that share this view and I can only confirm that firstly it does not work and secondly it is really easy on site. So I booked a hostel for the first four days (Trekkers Backpackers in Southport – the hostel was okay, the location was not ideal and an unbelievable number of Germans around me. I would recommend a hostel in Surfers Paradise). I arrived just three days before the orientation week started. In order not to have so much stress with looking for an apartment, I would recommend to be there about seven to ten days in advance.

What helps a lot when looking for an apartment is an Australian cell phone number! One of the largest mobile network providers “Optus” is very popular with all students so that you can short-circuit each other free of charge and even have 250 free minutes to the German landline network. It can be set up within ten minutes.

A lot of people who are living in hostels at this point are in the same situation as you and are also starting your studies, so it is quick to start looking for a flat together. Popular portals are gumtree.com.au and easyroommate.com.au, or you can go through the towns and ask about vacancies in holiday apartments.

There are several options for the location: The dormitory is very expensive, close to the university and far from the beach and there is always something going on. But $ 250 a week was out of the question for me. Surfers Paradise is the center of the Gold Coast, so to speak, and this is where most of the international students (not locals) move. You can go partying every day, I would describe it as the party stronghold of Australia. An extremely large number of Germans live here, often in German flat shares, which I personally find a shame. I lived there for the first four weeks, then I moved away. If you want to live with locals, you have to take another trip to the university. Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, and Burleigh Heads are the closest places to go. Southport is a popular place near the university, but not directly on the sea. I lived in Mermaid Beach with three Australians and it was the best decision I could make!

I spent a semester abroad at Griffith University on the Gold Coast in eastern Australia from February to June 2011.

Right from the start of my studies, it was clear to me that I wanted to complete the semester abroad in Australia, which was required by my university. I had heard many positive things about the unique nature and wildlife of Australia and the way of life of the Australians. This semester abroad was the perfect opportunity to visit this country and experience it for yourself! In addition, after all, you never know when the opportunity will arise again to live on the other end of the world.

When the semester abroad was approaching, the choice quickly fell on universities in eastern Australia, as good weather and the sea were particularly important to me for just under six months. I ultimately chose Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus. On the one hand, because it is relatively close to the sea, and on the other hand, because the tuition fees were slightly lower than at other universities in this region.

Griffith University’s campus is very large, but it is easy to find your way around. On campus there is, for example, a hairdresser, a fitness studio, a post office, a computer shop and a bookstore. There is also a small canteen that offers a variety of international dishes. Of course, the university also has a library that is really very well equipped. Wireless LAN is available free of charge for students on the entire campus. The university also has a wide range of leisure activities, such as various sports. The lecture rooms are air-conditioned, for which we are very grateful, especially in the summer months. The campus can be reached quickly and easily thanks to the good bus connections on the Gold Coast.

In my semester abroad, I had to take at least 4 courses in business administration. Griffith University has a wide range of courses, so my choice isn’t that easy. I was able to follow the lecturers and the content of the lectures without any problems. Studying was a little easier than in Germany and passing the courses is also possible with a little effort. International students have their own contact person who takes care of them and helps directly with problems and questions.

• See petsinclude for more information about Australia and Oceania.

The application process was quick and easy – thanks to MicroEDU. You fill out a few forms and send them to MicroEDU, from where they are forwarded to Griffith University. A few weeks later, I was accepted and had to transfer the tuition fees in advance. I then applied for my visa online and booked the flights a short time later. This shouldn’t be done too late.

At the beginning of February 2011 the time had finally come and the Australian adventure could begin! After landing in Brisbane, a friend and I took the train (AirTrain) from the airport to the Gold Coast. The trip took about 1.5 hours. From there we took the bus to Southport. Our destination was the local hostel “Trekkers Backpackers Resort”. At this point it should be mentioned that we wanted to find accommodation on site, which we have not regretted. It’s really easy and, in my opinion, better than living in one of the student dormitories (explanation of this follows)! Housing offers can be found on the bulletin board in the university or on the Internet, for example.

In the end we found a really nice and large apartment near the beach in the neighboring village of Surfers Paradise. Surfers Paradise is a slightly larger town and is very popular because of the beach, discos, supermarkets and shops. There is always something going on there! The bus only takes about 15 minutes to get to Griffith. The rental prices are a bit more expensive here, so you should either share an apartment with two or more. In principle, you then pay almost the same as in the student dormitories. I advise against these because they are quite expensive, you often only live in a small room, it is quite noisy and you have to take the bus to go shopping or to the beach, for example.

Traveling in Australia was not neglected either, after all you want to see something of this beautiful country. A first and recommendable opportunity is the 3-day trip to Byron Bay, which takes place during the orientation week and is voluntary, but not free. Here you can make first contacts, learn how to surf, kayak and watch dolphins, hike and, above all, celebrate with others. In general, the airfares in Australia are cheaper than in Germany. The weekends are particularly suitable for short trips to Sydney or Melbourne. In addition, there are no lectures for a week halfway through the semester, so that this time can be used for a longer stay and to visit more distant places.

Having completed my semester abroad in Australia and at Griffith University was definitely the right decision, one that I haven’t regretted for a second and don’t want to miss. I think that it will be the same for those who decide to spend a semester abroad at Griffith or Australia and I wish them a lot of fun!

Life in OZ:

I arrived in Australia in January, which is known to be the best weather because, unlike Europe, it is summer there. Only in the northeast is it more rainy, due to the rainy season. Which doesn’t mean it isn’t hot there. In general, everything runs a little slower and more chilled: For example, it is not uncommon for you to get caught up in a 5-minute conversation with the cashier at the supermarket checkout with just a short: “How is it going” and the queue arrives the till is getting longer and longer. Much to the astonishment, none of the customers complains, it is simply accepted, it seems as if you have all the time in the world there. Even when making plans, I have adapted to the habits of the Aussies: I just don’t do any more! It also works differently and, above all, with less stress.

About the language: For the first few weeks I really doubted my English skills. Until I realized that I couldn’t understand the Aussies at all, they speak a completely different language! With the English that you learn at school or university, it is difficult to communicate with Australians. You really need time to get used to their slang, the abbreviated words and the caressing;) I have to admit, I didn’t really understand them until the end… Even taking the bus is a little adventure, for example: Always start early enough, either the bus is way too early or too late. He’s never on time. Conclusion about the Australians: They are totally relaxed, mostly nice and helpful but you don’t understand them…

Education:

Wow, the Gold Coast Campus is impressive. A multitude of buildings that are in a really stylish area. Learning is really fun, of course, the weather makes it all the more important, and there are plenty of opportunities to be outdoors on campus and learn. The relatively newly built library is also great. It is two-story, on the upper floor there is an extensive collection of books and on the lower floor there is a work room with lots of computer workstations and further tables, chairs, sofas and beanbags to create a pleasant learning atmosphere. A large flat screen should of course not be missing in this room. In most of the other buildings there are also computer laboratories that are open late into the night in order to provide the students with the best possible support while studying.

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The lectures and the learning requirements differ considerably from the German standard. I would say the level is not quite as high as the German one, but the learning curve is considerably more extensive. Every 2-3 weeks, each subject has to be subordinated in the form of term papers, results of group work, tests or lectures. If, as in Germany, you are used to only taking one final exam at the end of the semester and of course only starting learning shortly beforehand, that can be a big change.

The essays in particular are a lot of work: researching and quoting causes difficulties, especially for foreign students, and courses are offered especially for these students. Many a sunny day actually had to be sacrificed for research in the library…

Living:

When we arrived in Southport, we stayed in a hostel for a few days until an apartment was found (note: the “Trekkers” is not recommended). The 3 of us wanted to live together during the semester (it didn’t hurt learning the English language) and decided to look locally and definitely not to go to a student residence. The “Griffith University Village” is, for example, not to be recommended, too expensive and doesn’t look nearly as great as in the pictures. In addition, you cannot rent the apartment on a monthly basis, but have to pay for half a year. Since the semester starts in March and runs until the end of June, you already have a problem. If this is not explicitly stated on the website, you will only find out in the course of communication with those responsible. Registration fees paid up to then will of course not be returned. They make a lot of money with it, some who fell for it have met with. So, if you want to go there, take care. But about our place to stay: Griffith helps with the search, there is a notice board on which landlords can post advertisements. There is also a driver available to take seekers from sightseeing to sightseeing. We found a nice little house just outside, in the Biggera Waters district. Price was OK, unfortunately not in the center of the main beach or Surfers Paradise (neighboring towns directly on the sea) but really a counterpoint to the always pulsating Surfers Paradise. Surfers could be reached quickly by bus. The connection to the university was also OK. In these places, of course, you pay more than a little further outside. We had some acquaintances who paid significantly more, but lost a lot of living comfort. So, my tip: be patient and only look for a place to stay when you are there. If you are interested in our former booth, here is the name of the landlord: Brad Mainwaring (easy to find on Facebook)…

Free time / going out:

Well, the nightlife despite every description: I can only say this much: The neighboring town of Southport is called Surfers Paradise (short: Surfers) is press on the beach and THE party place in Australia. It’s worst in the Schoolies, the counterpart to the American Spring Break. An apartment costs a whopping 3000 bucks a week! But there is also something else going on in the town every day, you can always experience something.

Otherwise, trips to neighboring national parks can be undertaken after about an hour’s drive, so you definitely won’t get bored. Byron Bay is definitely worth a trip, one of the most beautiful and relaxing places I have seen in Australia. And I think you should have surfed at the end of your stay…

Yes, as far as my report, please contact me if you have any questions.

I wish you a lot of fun, I’m totally jealous… 😉

During my studies in industrial engineering in Germany, professors often made me aware of how important a stay abroad would be for upgrading a degree. Together with 2 other fellow students, I was inspired by the idea of ​​studying abroad for six months and we started looking for a suitable university abroad. Since our university did not have any very interesting partner universities to choose from, we had to look elsewhere. Through a tip from a fellow student, we came across MicroEDU and rummaged through the universities on offer in Australia – it was clear to us from the outset that we should go to Australia. After an unsuccessful application at the USQ in Springfield (so the university would have taken us only the Bafög office was not particularly enthusiastic about this idea) we decided on Grifith University on the Gold Coast. OK so far, now a little more detailed:

Canditature:

It was super easy, MicroEDU forwarded the necessary application documents to Griffith and also took care of all the other written and telephone contact with the Australian university. We only had to pay the tuition fees;)
It was really nice that you can also take the DAAD test as a language certificate at this university. It costs nothing and has to be deposited with the English professor you trust…

An important topic, it costs a lot, the trip. The application is recommended to everyone, even if they do not meet the requirements for receiving student loans in Germany. With the Auslandsbafög there are special allowances for tuition fees, flights and the like. Your total entitlement will be calculated and offset against the earnings of your parents and your assets. It’s definitely worth it for everyone. In addition, you don’t have to pay back a large part of the money and only half of the rest. Note, however: the application is extremely laborious, endless documents have to be filled out and the office will follow up on every little thing. Sometimes I really had the feeling that something was desperately looking for, that the application could be rejected. I’ve been studying in Australia for a month when the application was finally approved and I had the money in my account. The application was already 7 months ago, for my fellow student it took a month longer…

Grade recognition:

I had taken care of studying abroad on my own and not studying at a partner university through my home university, with which a learning agreement was concluded. A recognition of the work performed abroad is correspondingly cumbersome. I relied on the benevolence and understanding of my professors. At this point, thanks again to Prof. Venitz;) Unfortunately, our international office at the university was anything but helpful, which often turns out to be very annoying, because you can get documents or information from all places at the university needed, was referred to at this point. So, just as a conclusion: As soon as you carry out such a project on your own, you have to reckon with a lot of work. And another tip: At the end, ask your lecturer at Griffith for a letter about the amount of the points you have achieved, the transcript only states the degree you have achieved (High Distinction, Pass, etc.), grades are just different than in Germany. There could be problems…

• See loverists for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Travel:

Well, of course I didn’t just want to go to Australia to study, I also wanted to see something of the breathtaking continent. So I started heading Down Under 6 weeks before the start of the semester and traveled the continent as a backpacker, together with the other two fellow students. How saw the big cities Melbourne and Sydney, from Cairns (please don’t make the mistake and pronounce it Cärns;)) from the east coast down via Brisbane to our destination Southport. There are so many nice things to experience along the way that you shouldn’t miss: diving and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, sailing off the Whitsundays, hiking through the rainforest in Cape Trip, camping on Fraser Island, etc., after the final exams I still make the trip to Darwin, Alice Springs with Ayers Rock and Adelaide. Unfortunately, I had to pass the West due to lack of time and money. To explore the whole continent during the six months in Australia was almost impossible. You only really become aware of the vast distances when you are in Australia. And in return you get to know the advantages of living in Europe, where after a few hours’ drive you are in another country where another language is spoken. So after my trip I really decided to travel more in Europe, there are really no distances compared to Australia… And in return you get to know the advantages of living in Europe, where after a few hours’ drive you are in another country where another language is spoken. So after my trip I really decided to travel more in Europe, there are really no distances compared to Australia… And in return you get to know the advantages of living in Europe, where after a few hours’ drive you are in another country where another language is spoken. So after my trip I really decided to travel more in Europe, there are really no distances compared to Australia…

Organization

The organization of my stay abroad went smoothly thanks to MicroEDU. It is clearly specified which documents are required and you will be supervised by a MicroEDU employee during the entire application process. You can also contact the supervisor at any time if you have any questions and you will receive an answer the next day at the latest.

After I was accepted at the university, the question of accommodation arose for me. As far as I know, there are 3 options: the Uni Village, the option of living with an Australian family and searching locally. I have decided to look for accommodation on site first. I can recommend this at any time. Most international students are looking for accommodation at the beginning of the semester. A cheap option is therefore to get together and rent an apartment in one of the numerous holiday homes. That’s why I lived with two Swedes and a German. The rent was A $ 150 for a shared room. Very expensive compared to Germany, but cheap by Australian standards.

• See localbusinessexplorer for more information about Australia and Oceania.

University

The university has a nice big campus.The buildings are clearly numbered and easy to find. If you still get lost, you can use the Uni App with Campus Navigation. Everything you need is on the site and beyond. There are several food stalls (burger, Asian, snack bar, café) so you don’t have to go hungry. Unfortunately the prices are a bit high. For example, a small coffee costs around $ 4. But you can also bring your own food and heat it up in the provided microwaves. There is also the university bar, where you can hang out between lectures. (Beer pitcher from 10 AUD). In addition to the cafes and food stands, there is also a hairdresser, a travel agency and a store for writing and learning materials on campus. The university is also very easy to reach by tram. There is a train every 8 minutes and thanks to the concession card that you get as a student, it’s not that expensive. (1.50-2 AUD from Surfers Paradise to University.)

Course content

This is where I was most surprised. The workload is significantly higher compared to my German university. I attended 3 courses (Branding, Strategic Marketing, Contemporary Sport and Event Management), in which I had to hand in 3 written assignments with 2,500 words each. At the end there was a final exam, which was easier and took significantly less time to study than in Germany. My lecturers were all very good and easy-going. Much emphasis was placed on interaction. Since the university is very international, students from many different countries take part in the courses. As a result, practical experiences and the different approaches in the various countries were often discussed. This made the lectures very interesting.

Study conditions

The Griffith University is very well equipped. It has very modern buildings and everything looks very well organized. There is, for example, the Student Center, which helps you with all organizational questions. There is also a doctor there who can be consulted in case of problems. I was particularly impressed by the new business building and the library. All of my lectures took place in the new business building. The lecture halls are equipped with the latest technology, you can sit on comfortable office chairs and take the elevator to the lecture hall. The library is also very large and modern. There are many places to study undisturbed, but also large group workplaces. There are also many computers and printers that you can use. The only point of criticism was the small number of textbooks.

Leisure

The university offers many recreational opportunities. At the beginning of the semester there is a “Sign In Day”, during which all student clubs introduce themselves. I myself was only on Sign In Day for the sports clubs. There is a wide range of sports on offer, such as basketball, soccer, cheerleading and chess. I chose the volleyball club and the life saving club. The volleyball training took place once a week and was a lot of fun. If you are good enough, you can also take part in the university games, which was a lot of fun. The Life Saving Club has offered fitness courses such as swimming training or jogging on the beach.

There are also many recreational opportunities in Gold Coast outside of university. Gold Coast is actually known as a vacation region. That is why, in addition to the huge beach, there are also amusement parks such as Dreamworld, Movieworld and Sea World as well as the Wet n Wild water park. I’ve also been to two games for the Gold Coast Titans, the local rugby team.

Costs

In general, Australia is a very expensive country compared to Germany. But you can find out pretty quickly where there are cheap offers. On Sundays and Mondays, for example, there are inexpensive steaks in Waxy’s (2 AUD per steak + 2 more AUD for chips / salad). Domino’s also offers inexpensive value pizza for 5 AUD. The best places to shop are Coles or Woolworth. Both supermarket chains have inexpensive own brands that do not burden the wallet too much and the products are actually quite ok. By far the cheapest is Aldi. Unfortunately, it is a bit out of the way and is therefore difficult to reach by train.

From October 11, 2018 to February 26, 2019, I was in beautiful Australia and completed a semester abroad at Griffith University in Gold Coast, where I took courses in the Bachelor of Business. Choosing Australia was not particularly difficult for me because I wanted to improve my English skills and at the same time wanted to discover something new that doesn’t necessarily exist in Europe. The selection of the university was also relatively clear, as Griffith University is in the top 3% worldwide. Fortunately, my stay abroad was financed by the Avicenna Studienwerk.

Preparations

My semester abroad was actually a spontaneous action that developed about two to three months earlier. With the support of MicroEDU, I was able to apply to the university of my choice without any problems and without great effort and to specify a large selection of preferred courses. Then I got my approval after a very short time and the preparations could start. After the course registration and the secure acceptance, I first had to pay the tuition fees in order to apply for a visa to be allowed to ask. I received my visa after a few days and so I was able to book my plane ticket with a clear conscience and the trip could start. As a rule, an apartment should not be rented beforehand, as there are often traps on the housing market and it is not safe. Therefore, I had booked a hotel room for the first week so that I could only look for an apartment during this time.

Departure and apartment search

Since Australia is not just around the corner, a stopover in Dubai had to be made after an eight hour flight be inserted. I took advantage of this and postponed my next flight to spend a few days in Dubai and explore this city. When this was done, I made my way to the airport to take the sixteen-hour flight to Australia. A driver was already waiting at the airport in Brisbane, who was sent on behalf of the university and drove me to my hotel. Having difficulties fighting jetlag, I tried to find a suitable and furnished apartment on realestate.com.au in the first week and found it within the next three days. If you are looking for a flat share, I can recommend gumtree.com.au. All sorts of things are offered on this page, such as shared apartments, beds, TVs, etc.

Start of the semester

During the orientation week I was able to make many contacts and was welcomed by warm “Griffith mates”, who guided the international students through the campus and also organized day trips for us. So we started with a positive feeling and the first week of the semester began. In the beginning it was of course difficult to follow the professors continuously, but this subsided after about two to three weeks.

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In Germany we were used to not writing the exams until the end of a semester and that this is also our only performance review. Unfortunately, this was not the case in Australia. A performance review (online exams, presentations, term papers, essays, etc.) was carried out in each course every other week. Of course, this system seemed more complex to us than the system at our German university, but we were able to get used to it quickly. It also quickly became clear to us that we were following the important course content, that we were always on the ball and that it was easy for us to take the final exams at the end of the semester.

Before I started the semester abroad, my English skills weren’t that good, so I feared I would have difficulties at university. Fortunately, this was not the case and my English skills improved rapidly. I was also able to communicate very well with Australian citizens despite the strong dialect.

Closing words

After a successful semester and passed exams, I had to say goodbye to this beautiful country, which was very difficult for me. Of course I missed my friends and family, but at the same time I would miss the atmosphere and people in Australia as well as the incredible nature.

Since a stopover also had to be made on the return flight, I took the opportunity to stop in Singapore and take a look at this fascinating country.

The semester abroad was a complete success in every respect and I was able to gain a lot of unique experiences. By being on your own and spending time alone, you get to know yourself better and develop your personality. Of course, it is sometimes uncomfortable to speak to strangers and it takes a lot of courage, but once the first friendships have been made, it seems easier. A semester abroad usually brings only valuable experience and I can really recommend everyone to live abroad alone. This gives us new knowledge about ourselves and experiences that cannot be gained in our usual environment.

Maintenance costs and means of payment

The cost of living in Australia is on average around 1.5 times higher than in Germany. A cell phone prepaid card with decent data volume, SMS and telephone flat rate costs around 30-40 dollars. The provider Optus is recommended. Transportation costs are around $ 15 per week. You should get a GoCard for this, which you can buy at any kiosk. The GoCard is a rechargeable prepaid card that gives you a 30% discount on all local transport. If you also register the card as a student, you get an additional 30% off the price. After 9 trips a week you get the rest for free, so at a unit price of about $ 1.50 per trip, the cost is about $ 15 per week. If you want to save withdrawal fees, you should get a DKB student card with which you can withdraw money free of charge at ATMs. Since December 2016, the DKB has been advertising that direct payments with the DKB credit card are also free.You don’t necessarily need an Australian bank account for the semester abroad.

3. Organization of studies at the university

The university is very well organized compared to European universities. There are a lot of study rooms that are well equipped. From cushions to relax in to fully equipped conference rooms. The organization of the studies runs entirely through the university’s online system. All dates, lecture documents and lecture recordings can be found on the online platform. Furthermore, the Studentguild and the Griffith Mates (best google their websites) organize a lot of inexpensive excursions, such as to Byron Bay or Noosa. It is important to be quick here to get one of the coveted spots.

There is no real cafeteria at the university, but rather a collection of restaurants. The food costs just as much as in the city. The German cafeteria system does not exist here. The class sizes here are very pleasant and much smaller than you know from German universities. The grading system is similar to the American system, in which the student’s performance is measured continuously through assignments and not just through a final exam. The final exam usually only accounts for 50% of the final grade. The exam phase is at the end of the semester and all exams are written within two weeks. From the next semester, the university system will change from semester to trimester. So inform yourself about it in good time. Furthermore, it can be said that the workload during the semester is higher than in Germany due to all the assignments, whereas the tasks are less theoretical and easier to solve than you know from German universities.

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4. Life and leisure

At the beginning of each semester there is an orientation week, which, however, cannot be compared to our European orientation weeks. The main thing here is to show you around the campus and give you a few tips. There are not many social activities during the orientation week. As mentioned earlier, it’s worth checking out the Griffith Mates and Studentguild excursions. We got to Byron Bay, South Stradbrook and Noosa during the semester; also saw a hypnotist show and attended some American high school-style themed parties.

The Studentguild also organizes free movie nights with meals every two weeks. Another highlight are the bi-weekly Market Days, where international food is offered on campus for little money. In the first week there are also the so-called sign on days where you can register for university sports clubs and cultural clubs. The diving club was particularly popular as it offered beginner courses for a mere $ 250. That is many times cheaper than in Germany. The offer was only valid during the sign on days. The buddy program is also very useful for the Griffith Mates, where you get an Australian student at your side as a mentor. You should definitely register for it, as there is also free coffee!

There is also a lot to do in the area around the Gold Coast. There is, for example, the Currumbin Sanctuary, where you can relax with kangaroos in the meadow, or the amusement parks for which the Vegas of Australia (the Gold Coast is also known as the Las Vegas of Australia) is known. Of the amusement parks, I can especially recommend Wet’n’wild and Movieworld. Dreamworld was unfortunately closed due to a tragic incident, but is supposed to be the best amusement park here. Furthermore, places like Killarney Glen, Springbrook, Moreton Island and Mount Warning are recommended for nature lovers. There is also no shortage of beaches. Nearby beaches that are a good alternative to the crowded beach in Surfers are Kirra Beach (very quiet and secluded, accessible by bus), Main Beach or Burleigh Heads.

The climate on the Gold Coast is subtropical, so it is almost never cold at least during the day. Accordingly, the people are very relaxed. The food is very British (so greasy). Burgers are something of the national dish here. Australian barbecues take a lot of getting used to, as the term barbecue means sausages in toast with a little onions. You should definitely not try the Australians’ favorite dish. Vegemite is really inedible.

5. Why you should study there (conclusion)

If you want to study at an elite university with challenging teaching, you are actually wrong here. But if you want to experience something after all the stress at the university in Germany and feel like having summer forever, you ‘ve come to the right place. The breathtaking nature, the many leisure activities and the nice people make this semester abroad unforgettable. So pack your flip-flops and off to Australia.

1. General: Information about the country, the city and the university

The Griffith University has several locations in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast in the state of Queensland. I decided to study on the Gold Coast because the beaches are not far away and there is more to do and see than in the metropolis of Brisbane. Once you have decided on a campus, you cannot take courses on the other campus. This means that you should find out about the courses in advance! The Gold Coast is right by the sea and in some parts of the city it is very quiet and idyllic (half a million inhabitants). Except in the Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach districts, you don’t notice much of the tourist hustle and bustle. In summer, the party districts can get extremely crowded. The Gold Coast is located in the subtropical climatic area, so that even in winter there are hardly any temperatures below 20 degrees during the day. However, you should take warm things with you, as it cools down relatively quickly in winter in the evening (I don’t mean a winter coat, but a jacket that keeps you warm at 10 degrees)!

Australia is a huge country with comparatively few inhabitants. The big cities can be counted on one hand and they are all on the coast. The nature is breathtaking and just waiting to be discovered. The local currency is the Australian dollar. If you would like to travel for a longer period after the semester, this is the right place for you.

2. Recommendations for preparation: Visa, flight, insurance, visits to the doctor, housing and maintenance costs

Visa and Insurance

To study in Australia, you urgently need a student visa (around $ 450) that is valid for the duration of the study plus an additional month. To apply for a visa, a valid passport and the confirmation of the university to start your studies (Confirmation of Enrollment / COE) are required. Furthermore, a valid health insurance must be taken out, which can be found when transferring the tuition fees paid at the same time. The Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC) covers the basic medical needs for the duration of the degree. However, if you plan to make a follow-up trip, you should also take out private insurance. Since the student visa expires one month after the end of studies, we flew to Fiji during the semester break and applied for the e-visitor visa from there, which is free and allows a stay of three months from the time of entry. The e-visitor visa cannot be applied for from Australia and you are no longer allowed to work with this visa!

• See getzipcodes for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Flight

I booked the flight through STA-Travel about two months before the start of my studies for about $ 650. If you book earlier, you can get the flight for a little less money. I flew to Brisbane with Etihad. But there is also an airport directly on the Gold Coast. So it is worthwhile to see whether the flights there are a little cheaper. Otherwise, you should definitely sign up for Griffith University’s free pick-up service !

Doctor visits

Fortunately, I never had to see a doctor during my stay. But even if you have to, there is a doctor right on the university campus so you don’t have to search long.

Flat

Many students book a hostel on arrival or try couch surfing and then look for an apartment on site. The accommodation options offered by the university are overpriced and not really well located. The housing market on the Gold Coast is really relaxed so if you arrive early it is relatively easy to find an apartment. The maintenance costs are higher than in Germany, but looking for an apartment is a lot easier. Here you usually pay weekly rent, which depending on the apartment and location is 130-200 dollars per WEEK. To find apartments, websites like gumtree.com.au or flatmates.com.au are recommended. The university service also offers“Studentguild” advertises other private accommodation offers directly on their website or on the pin board in front of the Studentguild building. During the orientation week, the Studentguild also offers a free car service for viewing apartments. Just call people and make an appointment to view the apartment!

When choosing the location of the apartment, there are the following options. You can either live in the immediate vicinity of the university, such as in the Parkwood or Labrador districts and can usually walk to the university within 10-20 minutes and are then about 30 minutes from the beach, or you live directly on the beach in Surfers Paradise and then drives 30 minutes to the university. You should be aware that it is usually more expensive and much louder in surfers, but all bars and clubs are located here. I chose option three, to live between Surfers Paradise and the University in Southport. Southport is cheaper than Surfers Paradise and is the “center” of the Gold Coast. Most of the local residents live in Southport, so it isthere are many cultural offers on weekends, but also many places to shop. So if you want to live like a local and don’t want to spend all your money on the apartment, Southport is the place for you. It takes about 15 minutes by tram from Southport to the beach and university.

General: Information about the country, the city and the university

I spent my semester abroad in Australia at Griffith University. Australia, the smallest continent in the world, has a population of around 24 million. Most of them live on the east and west coasts. Griffith University has five different campuses, four of which are in Brisbane and one on the Gold Coast. I chose the Gold Coast campus. Although it is about 70 km from Brisbane, it is right on the coast (on the beach), which was particularly important to me.

Griffith University is one of the largest and best universities in Australia with 50,000 students. It is one of the top 3 percent of all universities worldwide. The university is divided into 9 faculties, including business and commerce, engineering, health and leisure. The university is particularly known for studying medical science.

• See diseaseslearning for more information about Australia and Oceania.

Gold Coast is a big city with a lot of tourists. It is also known as the Australian “Las Vegas”, which is particularly confirmed in the Surfers Paradise district by the numerous cafes, bars, nightclubs and leisure activities.

Recommended preparation: Visa, flight, insurance, visits to the doctor, apartment, maintenance costs

I came across Griffith University through MicroEDU and applied through them. The entire application process went through MicroEDU, I just had to choose whether I would like to study for a semester or two at the university and which courses I would like to take. After submitting the application form and checking the course selection, Griffith University asked me to transfer the tuition fees, which start at a minimum of AU $ 7,500 per semester (for 3 courses) depending on the number of courses. After transferring the tuition fees, I received the confirmation from the university stating the code that was used to apply for the Australian student visa. The application for the student visa was made online and processed quickly (1 week). The cost of the student visa was just under AUD 550. With this it was possible for me to stay in Australia for the duration of my studies and an additional month (to travel). Of course, depending on the application, there are also other options for obtaining a residence permit / visa. A free option is the simple tourist visa, which is only valid for 90 days.

The flight was booked shortly after the confirmation from the university and the visa. At first, I only booked the one-way flight because I wanted to keep the option open of whether I would still like to travel after the semester abroad. The one-way flight from Frankfurt to Brisbane cost around 700 euros.

Although compulsory health insurance (OSHC) is required by the Australian government for all international students, the university recommends that you take out additional health insurance abroad, as OSHC insurance only provides basic coverage and excludes certain benefits such as repatriation. I followed the advice and took out a foreign health insurance in connection with a liability, accident and luggage insurance with PROTRIP. This cost 40 euros per month. During my stay abroad I only had to see a doctor twice, the doctor’s visits went smoothly with the OSHC insurance. So I can recommend that the OSHC insurance was perfectly adequate.

I lived in Southport, a part of town between the university and the beach. The rent was $ 145 a week, which was by far one of the cheapest apartments around. When I arrived, I took a hostel and looked for a suitable apartment from there. The university offered a free living service by offering private apartments exclusively for students on its website. In addition, she offered a free shuttle service for all students who were looking for accommodation in the first 2 weeks. This shuttle service drove the students to the various apartments for the purpose of viewing the apartments, ie as a student you only had to make an apartment appointment and the university would then bring you to the respective apartment. In particular, I would not recommend moving into the University Village as it is very expensive ($ 250 and more per week) and the apartments usually do not match what is promised in the pictures.

The cost of living in Australia is generally very high. In addition to rent, food prices are on average 2-2.5 times higher than in Germany. In particular, foods such as dairy products, fruits and sausages are very expensive. On the other hand, fuel is very cheap, for example.

Study organization: course choice, recognized exams, other

On the website of the university there is a very good and structured list of all courses offered, broken down according to the semester in which the lecture is held. In addition, the filter can be used, for example, to display only Bachelor or Master courses or to find courses related to the faculty. With the help of this site, it was easy, fast and problem-free for me to find suitable courses for my studies. I attended 3 lectures (Corporate Finance, Resource Planning and Management, Heat and Mass Transfer), which I had my professors approve in advance. Griffith University has a different grading system than the German universities (the exact distribution of grades can be found on the university’s homepage). You have passed a subject if you have achieved at least 50%. The best grade is achieved from 85%. All courses had in common that the overall grade is made up of partial grades, which in turn are awarded for intermediate exams, group work, homework and reports. The resulting high expenditure of time during the semester was offset by relatively fair exams. The professors are very friendly, courteous and very interested in ensuring that their students feel comfortable in the course. You will be addressed by your first name, try to answer every question and, if there is not enough time, refer to your office hours or deal with the question in the next lecture.

Life and leisure: student life, nightlife, country, people, climate, food, sports, travel

Student life is very diverse and has something to offer for everyone.There are many sports clubs at the university, such as rugby, soccer, badminton and basketball. For non-sports enthusiasts, there are social clubs with different interests. There were social clubs for joint vegan cooking, Japanese cultural evenings, dance clubs and much more. In addition to these clubs, the university organizes various events, day trips, parties and much more through its own student center, the “Student Guild”. The latter in particular is in great demand, which is why the tickets are often sold out within a few hours. Another great way to meet new students is at the Griffith Mates events, which are particularly popular with international students. The nightlife on the Gold Coast is mostly in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. While Surfers Paradise is more likely to be haunted by tourists, the locals prefer the nightclubs of Broadbeach. Australians are generally very friendly and helpful. One is often addressed as “Hey how are u?”, But it should be remembered that Australians are not seriously interested in how you are. The climate in Australia can be very different. It is very typical that at the same time in the north of the country 30 degrees or more are reached, and in the south the temperatures are only 15 degrees. The food is very Western and Asian, but exotic food is not neglected either. However, it has to be said that the food on the Gold Coast is often very unhealthy and greasy. Australians love burgers or schnitzel with fries. Healthy food is available at increased or overpriced prices.

If you love to travel and want to discover new places, Australia is an ideal place. Not only nature lovers get their money’s worth, many beautiful beaches can also be visited and enjoyed. I had traveled the east coast from Brisbane to Cairns, the Uluru and then the route from Adelaide via Melbourne to Sydney. There were many beautiful places, beaches, mountains, islands, landscapes and much more on this route. Especially recommended are Frasers Island (largest sand island in the world) and Whitsundays (Whitehaven Beach, the whitest beach in Australia), but also the Great Barrier Reef. Magnetic Island and Kangaroo Island are also highly recommended.

Conclusion

I can only recommend studying at Griffith University in Gold Coast. In addition to a great and beautiful campus, the university offers very good and practice-oriented teaching. The university invests a lot of money in teaching and research, staff and student offers and activities. For example, coffee, muffins, cakes, etc. are offered free of charge every evening during the exam phase. In addition to these aspects, the Gold Coast location offers the ideal balance to everyday university life. You can relax on the numerous beaches or parks and if that’s not enough adrenaline, you can discover one of four large amusement parks. Surfers Paradise is the ideal place to do something in the evening (and also during the day).