[SFU OLC Experience] Discovering Independence in the Sunshine State

Program:

Study Abroad › Exchange

University

Queensland University of Technology

Location:

Brisbane

Australia

Experience Faculty

Beedie School of Business

Gold Coast

Sunshine Coast

Forster Beach

Saying goodbye to my best friends for 5 months

Sydney Opera House

My exchange semester in Brisbane, Australia was without a doubt the best university experience i’ve had thus far. I am a fourth year Beedie student and chose to attend the Queensland University of Technology for semester 2, 2022. I am beyond grateful to have had this opportunity and would encourage all students to take advantage of their university’s exchange program.

Experience Details

Semester

Summer

Year

2022

Introduction + Preparation

The preparation involved with moving across the world for 5 months is inevitably stressful. Luckily, SFU held many information sessions and assigned students with study abroad officers to contact if any issues arose. There were many important preparations that I hadn’t thought of when applying for an exchange semester such as acquiring a student visa, opening an Australian bank account and arranging an Australian phone number. Also, I did not know any other students going to Brisbane on exchange during the summer 2022 semester so I was on my own when preparations arose that SFU could not help with.

Packing

When it came time to pack for exchange, I tried to bring as much as possible from home to avoid spending unnecessary money. I brought some household items that could easily fit in my suitcase such as towels, cutlery and bedding. It was also helpful that I didn’t need to pack any jackets or winter clothing which saved a lot of room in my suitcase. One thing that I packed and found extremely useful was wall adaptors. Before leaving, I purchased a pack of adaptors on Amazon that allowed me to use my electronics with the Australian outlets.

Travel and Transportation

I booked a direct flight from YVR to BNE through Air Canada. For one way, it was about $1,600 CAD at the time of booking which was a relatively good price considering the high demand.

Preparation Tips for Future Students

In terms of researching and registering for courses the process was fairly easy. Beedie provides students with an exchange credit database containing pre-approved courses for each destination. Using this database, I was easily able to choose courses that would interest me while also earning credit towards my undergraduate degree. Course registration was also straightforward; QUT provides exchange students with priority course registration dates to ensure they are able to get all the classes they want.

Although I was overwhelmed with excitement and looking forward to my next adventure, the hardest part of my exchange preparation was saying goodbye to my friends and family for the next 5 months.

View from the goodwill bridge

Road trip to Byron bay

Some aussies I met along the way

During my Experience

Orientation and First Weeks

After arriving in Brisbane, I got an Uber from the airport to my student accommodation and spent the first day preparing for the start of the semester. I was amazed by the Unilodge when I first arrived and got a small tour of the building and all the amenities. The property was located near many other student accommodation buildings, making it easy to meet new friends and other exchange students. The location was also ideal because all necessities such as grocery stores and public transit were only a short walk away. I took advantage of all the amenities my building offered and really enjoyed my stay at the Unilodge. QUT was also only a 10 minute walk over the goodwill bridge from my student accommodation. I really enjoyed walking to school everyday and seeing the beautiful view of Brisbane City.

An orientation session for exchange students was also offered by QUT a few days before the semester began. I found this orientation extremely informative and I was able to meet many other students studying abroad at QUT.

Accommodation and Living

I also pre-arranged for student accommodation at the Unilodge South bank which was about a 10 minute walk from campus. Unilodge required a deposit of 2 weeks rent to reserve my room and a rental bond of 4 weeks rent. The cost of living was fairly expensive in my opinion but was somewhat similar to the cost of living in Vancouver. I had a small studio apartment and paid $404 a week in rent. Although it was a bit overpriced, the location was perfect and the building included amenities such as study rooms, a gym, rooftop deck and game rooms.

Day to Day

I opened an Australian bank account at Westpac because their branch was located right around the corner from where I was staying and was extremely convenient. A bank account was a necessity because everytime I used my canadian debit and credit cards I was charged international fees. I also purchased a sim card from the grocery store and was able to set it up online and begin using my new phone number fairly quickly.

Learning and Adaptation

In terms of academics, QUT was fairly similar to SFU when it came to lecture content and schedules. My classes were all taught in the same format as SFU and didn’t seem much different from the Canadian curriculum. One thing that was very different and new to me was the grading system. At QUT, students are graded on a 7-point scale, with a 4 being a passing grade and a 7 being a high distinction.

Cultural and Environmental Observations

Australians are also some of the kindest people I’ve ever met.

Wrap Up

During the semester break, I was able to travel to Sydney for a week which was an amazing experience. We chose to go on a road trip rather than flying so that we could experience all the beautiful beaches and small towns on the way. My favourite stop on the way to Sydney was a small town called Forster. Although without a doubt Australia has the nicest beaches I’ve ever seen, Forster beach was the most beautiful and pristine of the ones I experienced. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to meet so many amazing people and create lifelong memories.

Reflection & Tips

Reflection

Throughout my exchange semester I learned a lot about independence. Travelling across the world on your own can be really scary, but this experience helped me get out of my comfort zone and made me realize that I’d love to do more solo travelling in the future.

Connection to Academic Studies or Career Goals

It was also interesting to see the similarities and differences between the academics in Australia and Canada. I hadn’t expected it to be so similar to the teaching methods at SFU and am grateful that my courses weren’t too challenging.

Advice for Future Students

Some advice I would have for other students would be to enjoy every moment of your exchange and take advantage of all the beautiful places Australia has to offer, 5 months will go by in what feels like 5 minutes.

Tags:

International