Study Abroad at Bond University (1)

Are you interested in studying or studying abroad for a semester ?

This is definitely the right choice and I can only recommend it to you!

I personally chose Bond University in Robina, Australia and am very happy with it just because of the experience.

I decided to do this because on the one hand I wanted to improve my English for my studies and then I wanted to discover the whole other side of the world. Bond University actually only became it for the practical reason, because the semester there doesn’t start until September and I was therefore able to take all the exams at my home university.

And because the trimesters are short, you can even take exams for the semester in which you were actually not at home. So you don’t necessarily have to lengthen your study time.

In any case, you should start preparing everything early, as it takes a long time to collect all the documents for the application. However, MicroEDU will help you a lot. All questions were always answered very quickly and in detail and I never felt left alone.

The university itself can hardly be compared with the German standard, or at least with my university. Because it is a private university with few students, you will find great study conditions there. All rooms are equipped with the latest technology and everything is super networked. There is even a multimedia learning center that is open 24 hours. There you can work on large touchscreen computers for university as well as play video games. Yes, there are xbox consoles there too. So something for everyone.

Another big difference is the small classes and lectures.

For example, I had a lecture with just 15 people, so discussions were much easier. You also get the feeling that the relationship is very important to the lecturers. Everyone was able to use the names immediately and you could use them without any problems. You could answer them at any time with questions and suggestions and were well and very personally looked after.

In general, the university is well equipped with all kinds of contact persons.

In addition to the university contact persons, there is also a doctor directly on campus, a pastor / pastor and a separate department for foreign students. It even helps you write essays in English. There are also special employees for this who take their time every day.

You can also learn about all of this in detail at the many information events that are offered during the orientation week.

You feel very well looked after overall.

Regarding the course itself, I can say that I consciously chose not only courses in my actual subject, but also courses that I just found interesting, simply to get a better insight.

Here, too, it is a little different than in Germany. You have to do a lot more spread over the semester, such as presentations, many essays and elaborations and also exams. There are midterm and final exams.
That all sounds like more work, but in my opinion that is limited in that the level of demand is not quite as high. It is also easier to learn if there is not so much material. On average, it is more like that you have to do something for the whole semester, but in the end you don’t have too much stress.

There is always enough time for free time.

The university also has a lot to offer. There is even a bar of its own on campus and even a shuttle bus that drives the partygoers to a club in Surfers Paradise every Thursday.

And so, different clubs at the university offer parties throughout the semester.

There is also its own travel agency that helps you plan and carry out weekend trips.

I mostly did it myself, though. Jetstar, for example, offers some of the cheapest flights.

When the exam phase is not in progress, the weekends can be used well to see important places in the country. It’s also important when you’re already there.

But the area itself is also fantastic to live there. You have the hinterland nearby, to which you should definitely take a day trip. There are great mountains and a lot of rainforest and one or the other wallaby can hop across the street.

And in 15 minutes by bus you are on the beach, in Surfers Paradise, which is not without reason. The beach is really super nice and I’ve tried to use the time and be there as often as possible. Surf courses are also offered there with student discounts.

Thanks to the O week, you can get in touch really quickly. Almost all of them are new and many exchange students. Of course there are also a disproportionately large number of Germans, but I’ve already managed to deal mostly with Australians or people from other countries. Makes the most sense in my opinion, for language and cultural exchange.

I lived in the Varsity Towers and was actually quite happy with it. They are directly opposite the university and only a 5-minute walk away. On campus you still have to buy a meal plan for almost $ 2000, so you are very inflexible and only eat in the “cafeteria”. But around the university there are much cheaper offers to eat out if you don’t want to cook yourself (two Asian restaurants offer extra student menus). And in the towers I lived alone in a studio, which was the best combination for me. You have so much contact every day and are never alone, so I thought it was nice to be able to close the door behind me and have some peace.

But of course everyone is different. You can’t really go wrong with the accommodations anyway. Others from Varsity Lakes or The Reserve were just as satisfied.

It just makes a big difference in price whether you live alone or in a shared apartment. You can get a room in a shared apartment for as little as $ 120, whereas your own studio starts at $ 230. All per week! You pay, but also earn, everything per week instead of per month. But you get used to it quickly. For the fact that everything is so expensive, you earn quite well with student part-time jobs. You can earn between $ 25 and $ 40 an hour. It’s also great to get in touch with Australians and improve your English.

  • Australia is a major country in Oceania continent. For information about Oceania, please visit a2zgov.

After graduation, I can only recommend you to keep traveling! The student visa is still valid for a month after the end of university and I would definitely use that. I still crossed the entire outback, visited Kangaroo Island, Sydney and Melbourne. That makes a big difference to really get a picture of the country and to be able to experience the really warm hospitality of the Australians.

Finally, I can only recommend you to spend a semester abroad in Australia and especially at Bond University. In any case, it is a very enriching experience. You get a completely different picture of your own country and your home university. You also get to know friends for life and spend very special months there.

If you have any questions, you can always contact me.

Architecture at Bond