“It's a ten-minute walk from the university to the beach.”
The application
I found out about the possibility of a semester abroad in Australia in a conversation with the International Office. As I originally wanted to go to Australia after graduating from high school, but was too young at the time, it was clear to me relatively quickly that I wanted to do my semester abroad in Australia. The application consisted of two parts. The first part is the application for a semester abroad, which is sent to the International Office.
After I was accepted for the semester abroad, the next step was to apply to the Australian Southern Cross University (SCU) in Australia. I was supported by Gostralia – a company that supports study abroad programs in Australia and New Zealand and helps with the application process. As the semester took place from October to February, I had to request changes to my study schedule and coordinate these with my partner company. This was not a problem, which is why I was then able to apply to the FHDW.
On the GOstralia website www.gostralia.de you can find all the documents you need to apply to the Australian university. After submitting the application documents, I received my acceptance letter some time later. However, this does not mean that you will be admitted to all courses. After a few weeks, it turned out that I was not admitted to a course because, according to SCU’s initial assessment, I did not meet important requirements for the course. The International Office then informed SCU by letter that the requirements had been met after all (e.g. due to the content of my practical phase), and so I was accepted for the last course.
I also applied for the PROMOS scholarship, which I then received. This included a CV and a letter of motivation (both in English).
The preparation and arrival
Of course, you have to organize a few things before you leave. This includes things like the flight, insurance, visa and first accommodation. However, it is also advisable to find out something about the country and, above all, the course of study beforehand. GOstralia was a great help here, for example by offering pre-departure seminars in which information was provided on the points mentioned above and the must-sees in Australia. GOstralia also helped me directly with my visa application, as there were some questions that were not entirely obvious at first glance. As I only turned 18 three months before my stay, I had the problem that my application was held back until my birthday. For this reason, time was a little short in the end. It is therefore highly recommended that you submit your application early to save yourself unnecessary stress.
There are various ways to fly to Australia. I flew from Frankfurt via Abu Dhabi to Brisbane and then took the train to Gold Coast. I slept in an Airbnb apartment for the first few days and then started looking for an apartment. I was lucky enough to be able to move into the same apartment as the FHDW students the year before me. It was 100 meters from the beach and right next to a bus stop, which made it easier to get to university. In general, however, it’s not too difficult to find an apartment there, and the university will help you if you need it.
The Uni
The university building is modern and equipped with the latest technology. The university has a brand new building, which was used for the first time during our session. The university also has a volleyball court and plenty of grassy areas where you can make yourself comfortable on the beanbags. The university has a library, a café and lots of places to hang out. The beach is about a ten-minute walk away. The staff at SCU’s International Office are very friendly and help with questions about studying and life on the Gold Coast.
The study
Studying at SCU is very different from studying at the FHDW. Although the level of difficulty is similar, the workload in Australia is significantly higher. There is not just one exam at the end of the semester, but the grade is calculated from several parts. These can be quizzes, essays or other special tasks, such as a manager interview in my case. There are also no intermediate grades between the units. My units were Managing Organization, Computing Project I, International Business and Statistical Analysis, and I therefore had to complete a total of around 25 assignments, which were sometimes more and sometimes less demanding. However, it was all manageable and there was enough time for leisure.
Another point in which the Australian system differs from the FHDW is that many things are solved online. I had all my lectures online – some live, some recorded. However, the Computing Project I module was fundamentally different. The exams consisted of different project plan phases for a group software project. Our group planned the website for an English institute based in Chile, i.e. we had to record the requirement and develop and document the solution approach.
The country
The country is teeming with tourists and backpackers, so that travel agencies, hostels and clubs alternate side by side in the tourist towns. However, this makes it particularly easy to get to know people quickly and make contacts.
The transportation system is poor compared to Germany. There are buses and trains, but they are very limited and mainly run directly along the coast. At least there are rechargeable cards that allow you to travel quickly and easily. Each federal state has its own card… Buses are often delayed or do not run at all. It is therefore advisable to download Uber beforehand, for example, to get home in an emergency.
In the run-up to the trip, we were repeatedly told that Australians are a very friendly people. I can confirm this. The bus drivers in particular are very talkative and Australians also like to chat and are friendly.
There are some differences in the food culture. For example, barbecue is very popular in Australia (for any occasion and mainly meat), whereas ice cream parlors and bakeries are rare. There are also some specialties that take some getting used to, such as meat pies and vegimite (the latter in particular is not recommended), as well as TimTams (find out for yourself what they are).
Of course, the country has many beautiful places that are worth visiting. I myself traveled around for a month after my studies and saw the Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne and Perth. I also visited Sydney, the Whitsunday Islands and Fraser Island during my studies.
Costs
I was lucky enough to have an income during my stay thanks to the dual study program. I therefore had enough money to be able to travel at the same time. Other ways to finance your studies include BAföG abroad, scholarships or working. However, it is advisable to look out for the own brands from Aldi and Woolworth, especially when shopping, as you can often save a lot of money. Eating out is very expensive in Australia, which is why you save even more money by cooking. In order to plan my money, I wrote down all my expenses so that I could estimate what I can/can spend (I’m happy to pass on the Excel list). I arrived at the following result:
| Cost per week (in AUD) | Cost per week (in €) | |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment | 249 | 165 |
| Food | 87 | 58 |
| Travel costs | 26 | 18 |
| Miscellaneous | 21 | 14 |
| Leisure time | 21 | 14 |
| Total | 404 | 268 |
Conclusion
In conclusion, I can recommend a semester abroad to everyone. In my opinion, there are almost only advantages to living and studying abroad for a longer period of time. I had a lot of great experiences and was able to improve my English. To improve your language skills, it is of course advisable to do as little as possible with Germans, which is very difficult given the number of Germans in the country.
As the tuition fees in Australia are quite high, you should think carefully about where you want to spend the semester. If you decide to go to Australia, you should also take some time and money with you so that you can still see some of the country at the end. Although there is also time for this during the semester, I personally found it nicer to travel without having to think about university.
The support provided by both the International Office and GOstralia was excellent. In this respect, you don’t need to worry about suddenly finding yourself alone on the other side of the world! This may seem obvious at first glance, but I know from stories from fellow SCU students that it is by no means the case. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me (you can get my contact details from the International Office or through GOstralia). Finally, I would like to thank Ms. Schwabe and Ms. Carroll-Scott from the International Office and Rebecca from GOstralia for their great support.
