Background

I am an MBA student at a private financial college in Bonn. I am completing the course part-time. A semester abroad / summer school is a compulsory part of the course. I completed a summer school in California in 2016 to improve my English. At the time, I applied to Stanford University on my own. So I already had an international experience that I can look back on extremely positively. I wanted to try a new university and a new environment. Since the semesters in Australia are shorter than in many other countries, I chose Australia at Bond University.

Australia and the Gold Coast

Australia is a very safe country and one of the most popular immigration countries. Immigration is very strictly regulated and controlled. So very different than in Europe and Germany. Once you’re there, you know why: the shops have shorter opening times and there are significantly fewer poor people in society. The Gold Coast is a very quiet area. It can also be boring. I myself grew up in a small village and live in a small town, and even for me the area was a bit boring. The big advantage, however, are the many beautiful beaches. Nowhere do you see many people at once. Everything is a bit more extensive. This is typical for Australia as only 22 million people live here.

The weather in the Australian winter (May-August) is sunny and very dry. It almost never rains. However, the sun sets at 3:30 p.m. and it is then very cold. I’ve been to the beach and in the water every now and then. However, warm summer evenings are excluded. Australian autumn, summer and spring are all warmer, but more rainy. Many people who live there have told me that.

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

Brisbane is around 1.5 hours away by car or train. There is also a little more going on there.

Accommodation

On campus in the university’s residential buildings only very young students up to the age of 19 live. In general, it is advisable to look for something else, as you are obliged to buy credit for the small restaurant on campus if you live on campus. I chose The Reserve. This is located directly on the campus and offers 2- or 3-person rooms. Everyone has their own bedroom. Mostly also their own shower. It’s not cheap and some of the room furnishings are a bit older. I lived there with a Canadian. We found each other on flatmates.com.au and decided not to leave the room partner search to chance. Every now and then I’ve heard that people don’t really get along with their roommates. But that was rather the exception. The Cape and The Retreat are right next to it and are similar. But I was never in there. The varsity shores are very cool. However, I read a lot of negatives there. I was in two different houses and talked to people there too. The houses were all beautiful and life is very good. However, the management is not very helpful and it is a ten minute walk to the campus. You live there with your own bedroom and bathroom and share the common rooms with several students. That’s not a bad thing. You live there with your own bedroom and bathroom and share the common rooms with several students. That’s not a bad thing. You live there with your own bedroom and bathroom and share the common rooms with several students. That’s not a bad thing.

Groceries can be bought in the Robina Town Center. The bus connection there is very good. There is a discount for students. You buy a rechargeable card for local transport and then declare online that you are a student. Finished. Uber is more expensive in Australia than the US, and not as common as it is in California.

Bond University and students

The university has a reputation in Australia for not being cheap. That is also true. This is also reflected in the quality of the equipment. The university itself was founded in the late 1980s. The gym with outdoor pool and courses opened in 2017. Otherwise, the university has libraries with learning opportunities, security service, a doctor’s office as well as a small restaurant with coffee supply and a bar. The university is, however, extremely small. At first I saw that as an advantage. However, there is really little going on on campus and you always see the same people. The students there are younger than in Europe and the USA. An estimated 90 percent of the students are younger than 21 years.

This should be taken into account, as the few events at the university are also aimed at this target group. The few students aged 22 plus with whom I spoke were not very happy with this very low average age. So I definitely cannot recommend the university to students aged 24 and older. You also have to keep in mind that it is also more difficult to get to know people / friends and to find them, as the choice is really very limited here. Or you have to get along with the few people your age who are there. In the USA, the average age is significantly higher and you have more choice.

Campus life is practically non-existent. Only very young students live on campus. Everyone else lives further away and only comes there briefly for the courses. The only small restaurant on campus has mediocre food quality and high prices. There is no campus life like at US universities.

This also became apparent when I spoke to college students and alumni. I made good friends with some of them. I had more contact with the regular students and less with other exchange students because there are only a few exchange students in the May semester. These students all confirmed my picture. Those who choose Bond University should do so because they love Australia with its nature and beaches. You don’t have a real university life here.