I am studying real estate management in Germany and have taken various business courses in Australia at Griffith University in Brisbane. The organization of my semester abroad went smoothly thanks to MicroEDU and after I had all the necessary documents together, I was soon accepted by Griffith University. The student visa for Australia would I apply as early as possible, since I have heard from some fellow students that they did not get the visa on time and then had to enter on a tourist visa.

• Australia is a major country in Oceania continent. For information about Oceania, please visit shoppingpicks.

The orientation week

I arrived in Brisbane a few days before the start of “O-Week” and had a bit of time to orient myself. On the first day of the orientation week, we were given helpful tips about studying and living in Australia. There was also a lot of support from the university when there were still problems with choosing a course. In general, there are many offers during this week, most of which are free and a lot of fun.I have already booked a 3-day tour to Byron Bay from Germany and I can only recommend it. We had a great program, a lot of fun and we met a lot of new people. However, the weather in July may not be so good. But we were lucky and could therefore enjoy the activities in the sea, such as surfing or kayaking.

Studying at Griffith

I took 4 courses at Griffith University on the Nathan Campus. To get a student visa, you have to take at least 3 courses. I had three courses that were weekly, always in the evening, and one intensive course that was taught one full day a week for four weeks. The intensive course was the most complex course due to the short time and we had a lot to do. But you couldn’t rest in the other courses either. Since I didn’t have a lot of previous knowledge in some of the courses, I had to read a lot of documents in order not to lose touch. Furthermore, the exams are spread over the entire semester and there are midterm and final exams. However, if you invest the necessary work in preparation, it is not so difficult to get good grades in the end. In general, the professors are very open and always happy to help if you have any questions.

Life in Brisbane

I didn’t live in town, but in Nathan, on campus. There is self-catering or a self- catering option. I decided to self-cater with my fellow student from Germany. If you are doing your master’s degree or writing your doctorate, you will be accommodated in 4-room apartments. Otherwise you live with 7 or 8 other students. The apartments are a bit bare, because the residents usually don’t stay that long, but you have a large kitchen with plenty of options to store your food, and the rooms have everything you need. There is also a cleaning schedule that is also checked by the university, which means that you always live in a clean apartment. This housing option is priced usually cheaper than living right in the city. The Nathan Campus is right in the forest and you can see a lot of animals. The only downside is that unless you have a car, you have to take the bus to go shopping. Bus connections into the city are good and you can get home quicker than others who live on the outskirts of Brisbane. There is also a night bus every hour at night from Fortitude Valley, where many clubs are located, directly to the campus. In a pinch, Uber can also be used very well in Australia, it’s cheaper than taking a taxi and the drivers are always very nice. There is also a university bar right on campus, where you can eat and celebrate. In general, there are activities on campus almost every day that invite people to participate, or free food will be given out. There is also a gym and a wide range of sports. You can join different clubs and then play in the respective teams. There is a swimming pool and tennis courts on the Mt. Gravatt campus. This campus can be reached free of charge with the intercampus bus.

Otherwise, Brisbane is not a huge city, but there are a lot of things to do. During my time there was the Brisbane Festival, which means there were different shows and attractions. South Bank with the lagoon is recommended when the weather is nice and on Fridays and Saturdays you can meet at the Boundary Market and have something to eat and drink. We often went to a market on Saturday mornings to buy fruit and vegetables. This is a lot cheaper in the markets than in the supermarket. You should definitely have a look at the skyline at night and with the go card (a bus ticket that you should definitely buy, as bus and train travel is a lot cheaper for students with this card) you can also take the ferry and see the city from the water.

Conclusion

I would recommend doing a semester abroad in Australia because the country and the people are just great. In the event of problems, you can actually speak to anyone and almost always get help. In addition, the country should be explored. The east coast is very touristy, but it has beautiful places. The domestic flights are not very expensive and you can get everywhere by bus. Surfers Paradise can be reached very quickly from Brisbane and has a beautiful beach. My personal highlight were the Whitsunday Islands. The tours are a bit more expensive there, but worth the money in my opinion. I had to do a lot for the university, but you’re proud when you finish the semester with good grades and you can really learn a lot. When choosing accommodation, everyone has to decide for themselves whether they want to live directly in the city or prefer the somewhat quieter life on campus. All in all, Australia, and especially Brisbane, offers a lot of choice in terms of leisure, living and travel. I can recommend Griffith University, but there are other universities even in Brisbane, all of which have very good reputations.