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.