University

The Bond University is a relatively young university and was at its inception, the first private university in Australia. The university is located in Robina, in the heart of the Gold Coast. In addition to the location, the campus is an absolute highlight. Even at the end of the semester, I was amazed again and again. The campus is large and very well maintained. Even during the examination phase, there is no density stress, as there are countless learning and work opportunities. There is also its own bar and club, state-of-the-art sports infrastructure, a trading room and much more.

Preparations

The application at Bond University proves to be very easy and efficient. Once accepted by Bond University, one needs to apply for a visa, get compulsory health insurance and choose courses. However, all of this is clearly explained by the university and can be done relatively quickly.

Life in Australia

The quality of life on the Gold Coast is excellent. There are gorgeous, miles of beaches, Mermaid Beach and Miami Beach are particularly recommended. There are also very beautiful national parks such as Springbrook National Park. There are tons of clubs, restaurants and bars in Surfers Paradise. Personally, I liked Burleigh Heads better, where you can also find many bars and restaurants, but everything is a bit more civilized. The people in Australia are very helpful and open, which means you can make new friends very quickly.

It is not mandatory to open an Australian bank account. What I would highly recommend, however, is to use an online bank such as Revolut or N26. This saves you the foreign fees and also benefits from a better exchange rate compared to normal Swiss banks.

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

What is definitely worth buying is an Australian SIM card. As a provider, I can recommend Boost. This is a provider that uses the Telstra network, but is a lot cheaper than the three big providers Telstra, Vodafone and Optus.

Accommodation

Most students live in the Varsity Shores or The Reserve. I chose the former, paying Australian $ 200 a week. I had a rather small room, but since I didn’t spend a lot of time at home, I didn’t care. What needs to be said, however, is that the condition of the various houses in the Varsity Shores is very different and in some cases very poor. In addition, the management is not really competent. Some of the houses were already very dirty on arrival and it took a long time to fix problems. In the reserve you pay about 300 dollars a week, but you have a nicer complex and nicer apartments. However, the standard also varies there.

Leisure

Since public transport on the Gold Coast does not have the standard of Switzerland, it is definitely worth buying or renting a car. I decided on the former together with two other HSG students and would do it again. We bought a 4×4 with which we went on a few trips during the semester, such as a long weekend on Fraser Island. With enough time and a little negotiating skills, the car can be resold for about the same price. Otherwise you have to expect a certain amount of depreciation, which then still costs about the same as the rental price for a semester. It should be noted, however, that there is a certain administrative effort involved in making a purchase and that you still bear a certain risk. We bought our car through Cheap Student Wheels who also have cars for rent. Otherwise there are countless online platforms, such as Gumtree, where cars can be bought and sold.

Cost of living

In terms of price, life in Australia is comparable to that in Switzerland. Shopping, eating out and gasoline is a bit cheaper, but alcohol is more expensive. Then there are all the excursions, trips and parties that should not be missed. Accordingly, you have to expect a higher budget than in Switzerland.

Academic

The courses can easily be booked online before the semester. The courses can also be changed up to week two. I would recommend choosing the courses in such a way that you certainly have Friday and possibly Thursday free. This means that extended weekend trips can be carried out without having to worry about being present.

The academic level in my postgraduate and MBA courses was quite high, but not quite on the level of the HSG. The effort should not be underestimated, especially if you are aiming for very good grades. In my opinion, however, with a certain level of commitment it is possible to achieve very good grades in all subjects. I didn’t have an exam in any of my subjects at the end of the semester, instead I had countless papers, presentations and essays during the semester. The courses all take place on a rather small scale and are very personal. I have attended the following courses: