RMIT University (2)

By | September 21, 2021

For me, Australia was never really on the list of “to-dos”: Too far away and well, with a lot of Germans… But after my 7-month stay in Asia, I wanted to enjoy a little western culture for my semester abroad and then I just liked the offer from RMIT University so much that I decided on Melbourne relatively spontaneously, which I haven’t regretted for a second and which I can recommend to everyone.

The studies

As a foreign student you can choose from a large number of courses. The university is spread over two campuses, with most of the courses taking place on the City Campus right next to Melbourne Central Station. I was amazed how many foreign students were in each of my courses, but don’t worry, you almost only speak English because the fellow students come from many different countries. It is incredibly exciting to get to know all the different cultures and discover their differences.

There are huge differences between the lectures: some take place more frontally, ie the professor presents his lecture slides; others take place on a very small scale, ie the students are continuously integrated into the lecture and discussions often take place with the whole group. The number of students ranged from several hundred to just 25 people, which has both advantages and disadvantages. It is of course possible to attend a trial course first and then decide two weeks after the start of the course. See more student reviews of universities in Oceania on andyeducation.

The level is a little lower than in Germany, but you learn useful and new things. In addition, in almost every subject there is one or more group work that takes place together with fellow students and sometimes in cooperation with companies. Sometimes it was a bit annoying, but looking back it was fun and it was also a great opportunity to get to know more people. The RMIT University has an excellent support network that can solve any problem, including IT questions, language and study issues as well as all aspects of studying abroad.

The free time

There are so many great leisure activities that you can’t even decide which one to take advantage of: The range of sports at RMIT University and in Melbourne itself is huge: from the gym, over 25 different team and individual sports to dance courses and shared activities Jogging is all there. There are also many student associations that you can participate in, even if only for one semester. On the part of the university alone, events such as free breakfast and barbecues, parties, Oktoberfest, lectures, etc. are offered every week. Not to be forgotten are of course all the excursions in and around Melbourne as well as all over Victoria, which in my experience are all great and at the same time inexpensive.

Melbourne

It is not for nothing that this city is “the most livable in the world”: it is simply so diverse. The sea with a sandy beach, the different districts, the city… There are an unbelievable number of sights, museums, restaurants, clubs … I was particularly impressed by the variety of cultures: In one week a “Mexican festival”, then a French street festival, Australian film weeks Etc.

An apartment is not particularly difficult to find, but you have to expect slightly higher expenses for rent than is the case in Germany. Finding a job is also not difficult and is great fun, although here you get to know the country and the people in it even better.

In general, the cost of living is a bit more expensive than in Germany, but maybe only 10-20%, which I found okay. But what is really special is the atmosphere: although Melbourne is a big city, things are usually not as stressful and hectic. People are generally more casual and try to enjoy their life as much as possible. You help each other and don’t just live side by side.

Personal

Anyone who intends to go abroad should be aware that you are responsible for it yourself and you decide how much you can draw from it: It is possible, like me, to meet many, many incredibly great people, to study, to study work, travel the country and just get to know yourself better and develop yourself. Dare to face all challenges openly and make wishes come true. In Melbourne at RMIT University this is at least possible for everyone!

As a tip: try to do as much as possible, the course is really not that difficult and you also have two weeks of lecture-free time within the semester. Almost nowhere is attendance required. I’ve done quite a bit and still got good grades, so anything is possible!

RMIT University 2