Hey mates,
yes there we go! I finished my semester abroad at Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus) in Surfers Paradise a few weeks ago and
am still enjoying the last few days I have Jin this wonderful country please follow me if I haven’t structured the whole thing very strictly… just write freely off the liver (sorry for all of the ue etc., write in The Australian keyboard does not produce a well-groomed ΓΌ).JI will describe to you as best I can everything that I should have experienced here I have forgotten something or do you want to know more about something, just ask
First of all, a big thank you to MicroEDU for the great support and answering all the questions I had!
At first I couldn’t decide whether University of the Sunshine Coast or Griffith University (and there Nathan Campus vs. Gold Coast Campus). My (happy) choice fell on the Gold Coast Campus (GCC)… simply because it is cooler to have beach for several months and to go to Brissie at the weekend than the other way around. Also because I surfed a lot. And I haven’t regretted it for a second, some of the people we got to know from the Nathan Campus.
But after all, everyone has to decide for themselves whether they prefer the bigger city of Brisbane or the beach. I haven’t been to Brisbane that often myself. It’s a cool city, not that huge either, criss-crossed with a river and a cool skyline, and there are great clubs too!
Surfers Paradise
Here where the GCC is located is already tourist-heavy, and we are also marketed as a tourist destination. There are numerous bars, pubs, clubs and more. It never gets boring! All kinds of water sports are offered. You can enjoy the Q1, the second highest building in Australia, and a wonderful view of surfers and the surrounding area. The beach in Surfers is really nice and clean, as is the sea! Dreamlike! The promenade is also quite nicely designed and well attended. There is a street in Surfers where most of the clubs are located. Everything within easy walking distance. Food stalls everywhere. As a girl you almost without exception have free entry and often free drinks if you are in the club until 11. As a boy, you often have to drink ten. The student ID card can be used on certain days for free entry to certain clubs. In Broadbeach, a quarter south of Surfers, also within walking distance, there are also some clubs that are more popular and appear a bit more upscale. Just as many nice restaurants etc. It was really worth it, I realized too late.
- Visit sportsqna to learn more about country of Australia and continent of Oceania.
At this point one of the most important tips: Find a place to stay in Surfers. Even if it may take you a little more time, it’s worth it. I didn’t live directly on the beach myself, but still close by.
The University Village right next to campus is expensive at $ 235 a week. Lots of internationals for that, and always something going on. For the money you get an absolutely great flat rate in Surfers (from $ 160 a week to about $ 200 for a shared apartment). So rather spend surfers and money on the bus to the university than the other way around! Depending on where you live, at certain times of the day you may have the problem that there are no more buses and you have to take a taxi home from the club. You get to know people so quickly, with whom you can then possibly look for something together. If you are lucky even a shared house in a good location will jump around. I lived with 2 locals of the same age, which was good for my English, as you hang out with Germans a lot.
When looking for an apartment, gumtree.com.au and au.easyroommate.com are ideal.
I spent my first 2 weeks at Surf n Sun Beachside Backpackers which was absolutely cool.
In Surfers there is a Dominos Pizza, on cheap Tuesday there is a pizza for around $ 7! Also in the cinema in Australia Fair (this shopping center in Southport) there is a film on cheap Tuesday for $ 7.50.
Definitely (the not cheap) Byron Bay Orientation Trip. We had it in July (July 18th – 20th) and unfortunately the weather wasn’t so nice. Byron Bay is a really nice spot. And just perfect in cool weather. Great beach, great for surfing and PartyParty is also possible! You will get to know the other internationals there, learn to surf, kayak, and have your first BBQ. Highly Recommended. Of course you will get to know enough people later in the university. But the basis that is being laid in Byron is paying off! You will meet such awesome people, look forward to it!
I really wanted to learn during my time here. The basics were on the orientation trip. Then I bought all the new equipment in an outlet in Surfers. But it is better to look out for used ones at gumtree.com.au… you can even make a profit on reselling!
The name Surfers Paradise is literally incorrect. It is a huge beach and great water, but for surfing there are better (and unfortunately very overcrowded) spots like Burleigh Heeds, Coolangatta, Kirra, Byron Bay etc.
Here in Surfers you can surf and you don’t drive over each other the pile.
On the promenade you can do your workout after a run on the beach, many public devices are accessible there.
Griffith Univerisity GCC
The university is well equipped and has nothing to complain about. There is free WiFi. Printing costs are not insignificant. I chose 4 courses from the 2nd and 3rd year. So far with everyone, including the lecturers, very satisfied, and the exams weren’t a thing either. Will be a change again in the coming semester in Germany. I had no problems with the English either. No worries! What surprised at the beginning are the many Aisats and a few locals, but you get used to it. There are really a lot of internationals represented here. Lots of Germans, Norwegians, and from the rest of the world.
I would not recommend buying the textbooks for the individual courses. You can easily cope with the scripts (at least in my courses).
The campus is very confusing: D but after a while you can see through there too!
Courses
- Business logistics
- Managing People in a Global Economy
- International Marketing
- Corporate Communications & PR
In any case, do not stress yourself with workload or something. Everything easy goin!
Costs
The cost of living really surprised me… okay the Euro / AUD $ exchange rate contributed to that too.
The good old Aldi (so 5x in close proximity) has to serve for the basics, everything else you can get in Coles and Woolworths or IGA.
1 liter of milk $ 1, eggs 12 $ 3, toast $ 1. So everything is already more expensive than in Germany.
In terms of alcohol, I mainly ate the good Goon. in the club you can lump 8 $ for a corona.JThese are 4 liter cheap wine canisters, very popular because affordable So there was always busy predrinking at someone, with BeerPong etc. Very cool and always really funny. Beer and spirits are very expensive even in the bottleshops.
With the GOCARD (bus and train card), which you can get for 5 $ and your student ID on campus, you can get from a to b easily. Don’t be surprised about delays … that’s the way it is here. Even 30 minutes: D. If you have made 9 trips within a week, you drive the rest of the week for free. A ride to Brisbane Airport, on the other hand, costs $ 20 in any case.
I can recommend prepaid from dodo.com for cell phones. Good network, better than Vodafone and well priced.
When you land in Brisbane, you can take a free shuttle from Griffith Uni, which will take you directly to your hostel or apartment.
During the spring break (September / October) we did a road trip with many others from Brisbane to Cairns, and were among other things. About the Whitsundays Skydives (skydive airlie beach) (best spot). Also a short road trip in New Zealand and soon down from Brisbane to Sydney.
If your student visa expires (for example on December 30th, 2012) before you fly back to Germany, you can extend it to include a tourist visa. That usually costs a few dollars. That’s why we flew to New Zealand (we put the money into the flight, so to speak) and from there we were able to apply for the e-visitor visa online and thus re-enter Australia (we are no longer students, but tourists) for 3 months! This of course also changes the conditions attached to the visa… http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/evisitor/.
Just as a tip.
To fly. Check out deals at Jetstar and Virgin Australia… you can get around for little money.
I could also have written 5000 words, but that is beyond the scope. I only touched on a lot of things, if you want more information, email me or write to me on Facebook. Please help yourself! J
Take Care!
