Application process
The application process was very simple and straightforward. All the necessary documents and forms were submitted via MicroEDU and within a few weeks Griffith University received the acceptance.
Studies & courses
Studying at Griffith University is quite different from the usual course at Eufh. Tests, mid-exams, assignments, presentations and the like were due right from the start of the semester. As a result, you were very busy right from the start, but the learning curve for the final exams at the end of the semester wasn’t too great.
I chose the courses “ Human Rights in World Politics ”, “ Social Marketing – Applying Social Change ”, “ Business Ethics and Corporate Governance ” and “ Intermediate Microeconomics ”. I enjoyed all the courses very much and in some cases gave me a good “look beyond the margins of economic operators”. In my case, the course forms were mostly seminars or lectures with small groups, workshops or tutorials, so that I never found myself in a “mass lecture hall” with 1000 other students. The learning atmosphere in Griffith is very pleasant and relaxed. All lecturers are muted and are very committed not only to conveying the mandatory content, but also to let the events deviate from the topic so that constructive discussions can arise. All courses are attended by local as well as international students, so that you feel very integrated into “normal” student life. In general, the Gold Coast Campus is very modern and well organized. Much has been renovated, renewed and expanded in recent years,
On-site support
Since the proportion of international students is relatively high, the Griffith International Office is very well organized. Even in preparation for the semester abroad, I never had an open question, as mostly everything was answered before I could even think of it. A detailed brochure for all incoming students provides you with all the important information at the beginning. During the orientation week, an introductory event ensured that everyone had the most important information ready. If you had any questions, the International Office was always available personally, by phone or email. Regular reminder emails for upcoming deadlines, events or the like were also sent out quite often.
- Visit healthvv to learn more about country of Australia and continent of Oceania.
Accommodation
The easiest way is to find accommodation search locally. Of course that always sounds a bit strange and everyone would like to know where they will be spending the next few months when they leave, but the Australian housing market is very spontaneous. In addition, it is always better to personally take a look at the apartments advertised online. Most of my fellow students booked into a hostel for the first few days and then went looking either online or in person. Really everyone found something relatively quickly within the first few days, as it usually became easier when those looking for something got together and the “holiday apartments” expired together. Personally, I didn’t really want to believe the previous experience reports and would prefer to make something arrested beforehand. That’s why I “visited” an apartment via Skype and moved into it straight away. Unfortunately, this 6-person flat share in Broadbeach Waters was a bit far from the heart of Surfers Paradise and my Australian roommates didn’t quite have the cleanliness requirements (difficult to see via Skype!) That one might wish for, so I started my apartment search via flatmates.com and found two shared apartments in Q1 within a few days. My advice, therefore, is to book a hostel for the first few days, search online or run through all possible “high-rise buildings” and ask personally or join up with like-minded people who you can definitely find easily in the hostel or via social media will. I can highly recommend the Q1, as the apartment was great and was also rented out by a private person, So that we didn’t have to pay any horrendous electricity / water / internet costs, cleaning costs or a deposit as was usual with most other apartments. As in most apartments, there was a gym, swimming pool, two outdoor pools, sauna, steam bath and a jacuzzi for free use. Compared to other housing options (On Campus, Student Villages, Nexus Parc etc.pp.), some of which are even much more expensive,The quality of life in Surfer Paradise is extremely high, as you usually only live a few meters from the beach, all shops for daily needs as well as restaurants, clubs and bars can be reached on foot and generally you will find the greatest density of international students.
Leisure & excursion possibilities
Surfers Paradise is an extremely artificial vacation spot, but it is fun to live in for half a year. After that, it would probably be too annoying to live in the middle of tourists. Since the beach is practically the center of surfers, all kinds of outdoor activities can be pursued in your free time.Many bought a surfboard at the beginning of the semester, but the waves in Surfers Paradise are not really suitable for surfing, so that often long distances had to be taken into account. Personally, I bought a bike, which I only used about five times, as some of the road traffic is only geared towards cars and it can often be relatively dangerous as a result. The Gold Coast is an ideal starting point for weekend or day trips to the nearby leisure and national parks, as well as city trips. In general, I traveled a lot because I only went to university two days a week (Tuesday and Wednesday) and was therefore able to go on long weekend trips. Highly recommended are: Burleigh Heads, Fraser Island, East Coast Roadtrip from Brisbane to Cairns, Uluru Tour, Melbourne, Sydney, Bali.
