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.
