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!
