“The Australians are incredibly friendly and relaxed, which helped me to settle in quickly and make friends.”
I had always wanted to spend a semester abroad to gain new perspectives, improve my language skills and immerse myself in a different culture. Australia appealed to me directly – the breathtaking nature, the unique wildlife and the relaxed way of life made the country my personal dream destination. I spent my four months on the Gold Coast.
Preparation
The preparation began a few months beforehand. I chose Southern Cross University, which is right on the beach and next to a small airport. The application went through Gostralia, which made the process easier. I also received support from the FHDW International Office. I applied for my student visa online and received it within a few minutes.
To settle in, I spent the first two weeks in Brisbane with family friends. From there, I traveled to the Gold Coast one day or another and looked at apartments locally. I would recommend everyone to stay with friends or in a hostel first in order to find a nice apartment in peace.
Everyday life at university
My first week at university was great. We didn’t have any lectures here yet, but excursions, workshops, live music and snacks. It was a great way to get to know the university and your new fellow students.
My everyday study life in Australia was ideal for me. We had significantly fewer lessons than in Germany and more self-study. Personally, I really liked this as I was able to organize and make the most of my time. My typical day at SCU was the perfect mix of university and free time.
I started quite early in the morning with a walk along the beach. I often grabbed a coffee at one of the cute cafés on the way. Then I went straight to the lecture and afterwards to the library with my fellow students to study a little and get to know each other better. As a reward, I often ended the day at the beach – soaking up the sun, going for a swim and simply relaxing.
Mini job
One or two days I went to work in the evening at a restaurant nearby, where I helped out a bit as a bartender to finance my leisure activities. Mini-jobs are very well paid in Australia!
It is important to know that salary and rent are usually paid weekly. The rental prices ranged between 250 and 400 AUD per week, but this depends entirely on the location and how close the apartment is to the beach.
Food is a little more expensive in Australia, but still manageable. You should definitely take some savings with you. Nevertheless, I would recommend everyone to work locally. You get a routine, earn good money and get to know lots of nice people. My language skills also improved very quickly. I would definitely recommend opening an Australian bank account, which is usually free for students and is super quick.
Cost calculation
Return flight: 1,600 EUR
Rent per week: 300 AUD (approx. 180 EUR)
Rent for 15 weeks: 4,500 AUD (approx. 2,800 EUR)
Food per week: 80 AUD (approx. 50 EUR)
Food for 15 weeks: 1,200 AUD (approx. 750 EUR)
There are also costs for public transport, rental cars, travel costs for trips to Sydney, Cairns etc.. However, these are completely variable.
Unforgettable experiences
On my days and weekends off, it was time for activities and adventures. The Gold Coast offers an incredible variety: from surfing at Surfers Paradise Beach to hiking in the national parks. You can use the public transport system, which only costs 50 ct (AUD) along the coast. I got the GoCard for this. This can be topped up with the desired amount at any train station or 7eleven.
In my opinion, the biggest benefit of the university were the weekly trips with “OJ” – Outback Jack. Every week a trip was offered to destinations near the university. National parks, beautiful beaches, small fishing villages and swimming in ice-cold “rock pools” at the waterfalls – everything was included. The Australians are incredibly friendly and relaxed, which helped me to settle in quickly and make friends.
My semester abroad was full of unforgettable experiences! One of the absolute highlights was a road trip with my boyfriend, who was visiting me, and a girl from Canada who I met at SCU and has now become one of my closest friends. After booking our flight to Cairns for the wrong date and standing at the airport with our luggage, we spontaneously drove along the coast in a rental car, making little stops without a specific destination and just enjoying the freedom. Our final stop was Airlie Beach. The helicopter flight over the Whitsundays was the absolute highlight. Seeing the turquoise blue waters and the famous Heart Reef from the air was a breathtaking experience. Another highlight was our trip to Byron Bay, where we enjoyed the sunrise at the lighthouse and watched whales in the distance – an incredible moment.
I was also totally impressed by the Brisbane Riverfire Festival. Of course, I couldn’t miss out on the wildlife: Meeting kangaroos and koalas was a dream that I was finally able to fulfill. There were also spontaneous day trips to small islands, where we went snorkeling and swam with rays, turtles and dolphins.
To list all my highlights would take far too long, but each of these moments made the semester abroad special for me and showed how much Australia has to offer.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I can only say that my semester abroad on the Gold Coast was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I not only learned an incredible amount academically, but also personally and had to get out of my comfort zone.
Of course, there were also some small challenges. For example, getting used to the Australian accent, which is really difficult to understand. Finding accommodation and a job was a bit of a struggle at first, but if you keep at it, it’s not a problem.
I have become more independent and self-confident, now speak fluent English and have made friends for life. The openness and calmness of Australians have changed my perspective on many things. I would recommend anyone to spend a semester abroad.
