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!
