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 !
