I heard about Griffith University through my home University in Germany. After doing some research it became clear to me that I really wanted to go to Griffith. The beautiful campus and the city of the Gold Coast, where my campus would be located strengthened my decision.
After my arrival I had some free weeks until University was due to start. I enjoyed the good weather, the beach and nature. Meanwhile it was cold and almost winter in Germany.
When University started, I felt very welcome at Griffith. I attended orientation events for new students, where everything important I needed to know was explained and former study abroad students shared their experience.
It was very easy to meet other students from all around the world and to make new friends. Griffith made it especially easy through a lot of events and trips in the first few weeks. I highly recommend attending the orientation week and to not miss any of the activities offered. With Griffith Mates I went on day trips to Coolangatta, where we did a surf course and to Noosa. Further events offered are trivia nights and a global connections networking night.
Make sure to use your free time wisely to see something new in Australia. Once uni has started, you barely are able to travel for more than 2 days on the weekend, especially if you have intensive courses. You may consider planning some extra time for traveling after your study abroad trimester or before it starts. Especially as all the best sights are located quite far away from each other and it can be time consuming to travel between each destination.
All in all, I had an amazing time living on the Gold Coast, gained a lot of experience and learned the “easy going” lifestyle. I am sure that this has changed my personality in a positive way, and I would recommend everyone who has the opportunity, to not miss this chance!!
-Andre
