Orientation and First Weeks
I loved orientation, I could not recommend it enough. The university had organized many international/exchange student specific special activities so I would highly recommend looking into them beforehand as I am so glad I signed up for them all. In doing so I was shown around the area, received free meals, went on a day trip to Byron Bay, and had many opportunities to meet others in the same situation as myself (new to the area and also looking to make friends), it was there that I made the majority of my friends.
Accommodation and Living
I opted for living in shared housing because I was going to be traveling abroad with my partner. I’d recommend student housing if you can so you can best be around your peers, but it was nice being able to connect with people outside school through shared living which was also a bit cheaper. Many students opted for shared student housing nearby the university which is an excellent option to live with others studying at the university.
Learning and Adaptation
The schooling structure of Griffith University was similar to Simon Fraser and therefore wasn’t overly difficult to adapt to. Griffith University also uses canvas and a similar lecture & tutorial format. The main differences were, fewer assignments worth more, smaller class sizes, and more focus on experience instead of theory.
Accomplishments and Challenges
I was surprised to find a number of political differences in some of my classroom settings and found myself alienated at times, however overall the discussions we had lead to further insight for both sides. I'm glad I remained outspoken and learned a lot.
Social and Extracurricular Activities
It was great having the opportunity to experience a different lifestyle while in Australia. I joined the surfing club, Serotonin an Acapella choir, and joined the gold coast rowing team. In the first weeks of your stay, please do yourself a favour and put yourself out there as much as you can to meet people, you will be surrounded by others who are also away from their normal social circles so everyone is eager to make friends and you can do so quite easily as long as you put yourself out there.