The decision to do a semester abroad in Australia was made two years ago when I was traveling there. When I was there, my enthusiasm was so great that I immediately started researching after my vacation. That means I’ve invested a lot of time and made plans well in advance.
Two cities came into question for me: Sydney and Melbourne. I decided on Melbourne because I have friends and acquaintances there and because the city appealed to me because of the clarity of the urban structure. There are also a lot of students there who you can meet almost anywhere.
After the choice fell on Melbourne, I had to look at various universities and decide. Since I had already looked at the most important universities on my last vacation (Monash University, RMIT University, University of Melbourne), it was easier for me to decide. It should be the RMIT University because the tuition fees are a bit lower and the location is very central.
I then used experience reports on MicroEDU to find out what life is like there as a Study Abroad student. The testimonials helped me to find the recruitment agency MicroEDU, which was a great help in applying and enrolling. Thanks to MicroEDU and the professional advisors, everything went very quickly and smoothly. Within one month of submitting the application, I already received the confirmation for the first semester. Now the (unfortunately too high) tuition fees had to be paid in order to be able to enroll. As mentioned before, everything went very quickly and I couldn’t really notice that I will soon start my semester abroad. Thus the most important university affairs were done. Shortly afterwards, I applied for my student visa, which went very quickly because you do this online and you get the visa within a week. Then I bought my plane ticket and started the preparations on the side. I clarified my accommodation before I started my trip. Since I knew people there, this wasn’t a big problem. See more student reviews of universities in Oceania on existingcountries.
When I arrived in Melbourne, I was able to see the first kangaroos on the way to my accommodation. The time of year when I arrived was summer, so it was a little difficult for me to get used to at the beginning. But with all the excitement, it wasn’t so tragic. By the official start date of the semester, I got to know Melbourne better and dealt with a few formalities. I also familiarized myself with the very high cost of living.
I had already chosen my courses in Germany, so I was saved the effort. All courses started in the same week and they were spread over individual days, so I attended university on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The courses were very relaxed until the “Easter Break”. Shortly after the holidays, we had to work out and hand over the complex submissions and presentations. That is why we were in the library or in the computer rooms with our fellow students almost every day. In 2 out of 3 courses there were slight deviations in terms of the study content at my home university. But I got along well and found a lot in common. In addition, the professors and tutors were very helpful.
The university in general was right in the heart of the city, which was very beneficial for us students. The “State Library of Victoria”, the large shopping center “Melbourne Central”, various theaters, museums, various cafes, diverse restaurants for all tastes, parks, botanical gardens and of course public transport were not far away. RMIT University has two other campuses in other Melbourne neighborhoods. What I personally found very good about the university was that you could meet a lot of international students from all over the world. Another point is that there were different activities and festivals every week.You either went there to meet new people, expand your hobby, or just to have fun. But you could always find something appealing. I also really enjoyed the voluntary, weekly professional support for assignments. The relationship between professor and student was much more relaxed and the learning atmosphere was much more relaxed.
Other key activities included large student-priced excursions that covered Melbourne’s top attractions and helped make new contacts. Rooms such as meditation rooms, prayer rooms, “ladies only” or “men only” rooms as well as large courtyards with lots of seating and green areas ensure that you can relax during the stressful everyday university life.
Due to exams and submissions / presentations it was a bit more stressful at the end of the semester. Fortunately, I only had to take a written exam in one class. The remaining final services were submissions / presentations. At the end of the semester, all Melbourne universities occupied a large event hall (or several event halls) for taking written exams, so that we all wrote exams in one place at certain times.
After successfully completing the exams, I was allowed to start my internship in the architecture office. There I had the opportunity to take a look at the world of the Australian world of work. I was particularly inspired by the multiple meetings with the star architect Glenn Murcutt. He worked with the office so I could benefit and learn from him. The time in the office was a lot of fun, especially since my colleagues were very nice and open-minded and because the work was very varied. Immediately after finishing the internship, I traveled to Australia for the last time and we visited cities like Adelaide, Sydney and Gold Coast. There, too, I saw a lot of people again and also got to know new people.
In conclusion, I can say that what I am writing here is a fraction of what I have experienced there. Nonetheless, I hope that through this report I can encourage other students to consider studying abroad in Australia. Because I can say with full conviction that it was worth it in every respect.
