GlobaLinks - Study Abroad at Griffith University

Studying Abroad is one of the most amazing opportunities and I'm so glad I got to experience it. Living in a foreign country has opened my eyes to so many possibilities, and made me realize the world is a lot bigger than we think.

Gold Coast is the perfect climate and ideal location in my opinion. It was rarely cold during the day, cold being lower than 65 degrees, even in the winter. During the winter nights it can get chilly, but you'll get by just fine with a sweatshirt and jeans. I would highly recommend living at the Griffith University Village if you can. They aren't the nicest apartments and you'll probably find better one along the beach. However if you want to meet Australians and other international students this the best place to live.

Something I didn't realize before going was that Australia is about the same size as mainland US. It's unlikely you'll get to see the whole country because you have to all the major cities; however the cost of airfare is usually pretty reasonable. I would suggest planning out any trip in advance, that way you can find the best deals on cheap flights. You can save a lot of money that way, especially if you're trying to budget your money. There are so many amazing places to see, and you'll want to see as many as you can. Australia tend to be more expensive in almost every way when compared to the US, so budgeting if very important.

What I really like about going through GlobaLinks was how much the staff genuinely cared about the students they send abroad. They are willing to answer any questions you have from starting an application to how to make the most out of your experience. The safety and education of the students is most important to them. There are GlobaLinks staff on site in every country, and you can call there office if you have any problems while abroad. They also check up on you thought the semester, just to see how you're doing. Another awesome perk about choosing GlobaLinks is the Bridging Cultures Program that you do at the start of your trip. You spend 5 day up in Cairns, Queensland where the Great Barrier Reef is. You have the option to go on a boat tour of the reef or white water rafting, you also spend a full day on the reef, snorkeling and diving and a day at a wild life sanctuary where you learn about Aboriginal culture, hold a koala and get to play with the kangaroos. It is definitely one of the highlights of the program. I would recommend this program to anyone thinking of studying abroad.

Critical Feedback:

The accommodation was not really worth the price we payed for it. Also we payed to live there for the month of January, when we weren't even in the country. I would have liked the option of living there during January.

Studying abroad has given me a completely new and fresh perspective on life and other cultures. I have been bitten with the travel bug 100%, and have made it a priority to incorporate traveling and trying new experiences into my everyday life, even if that means just a short trip a few towns over. There are SO many new opportunities out there, and you'll never find them if you don't go looking. Studying abroad has opened my eyes that there are MILLIONS of different combinations of people out there, so don't limit yourself to just the familiar. Once you step out of your comfort zone, the possibilities are limitless. Take advantage of every opportunity and adventure you can while you can!

Academics
The school system was definitely different in Australia compared to America. Australian courses tend to have more condensed assignments in the form of a few papers or exams for the entire semester, as opposed to American classes that have many smaller assignments throughout the semester. Australian courses are also more independent, and classes are more 'optional', with the implication that you will complete much of your coursework outside of class. I felt that the grading was harsher, although the assignments seemed easier compared to the work I do at my home university. Teaching methods were definitely different, as most of my classes were considered 'tutes', and it was more like an informal question and answer session than an actual class.
I didn't feel as if there was much 'support' to students from America, and my opinion was that professors abroad seemed to think Americans didn't care much about the education we received in the class. I had met with one of my professors a few times, and it wasn't much help to me in learning how to complete the assignments. The classes I took were primarily general education courses, so I wasn't too concerned with really absorbing the knowledge, but it would have been easier if I had felt more welcome in the classroom.

Housing
For my housing, I was placed into apartment housing at the Griffith Uni Village. Some students lived with all Americans, some only lived with Americans from the AustraLearn program, and other had a mix. I lived with two Australian girls, an Australian guy, and a Norwegian guy. I liked the fact that I had diversity in my living arrangements and was able to experience more of the culture right in my own home.
I never felt as if safety were a problem, I never felt unsafe and was usually with my friends all the time. The Village is right next to campus, about a ten-fifteen minute walk to get to my classes. It's also about a fifteen minute walk to get to the bus stop, which we rode into town to get groceries, catch a train or plane when we were traveling, and how we got downtown to go out if we didn't take a cab (about twenty minutes from Surfer's Paradise).
Since I was living with people who had already been settled in to the Village and who were also locals, housing basics such as cook wear were already supplied and my roommates welcomed me to use whatever was theirs in the apartment. The apartments themselves were furnished, so there was furniture, dressers, beds, a desk, etc. Australearn supplied sheets a pillow, so my expenses to live in the apartment were few. I ended up buying basic things, such as a few hangers, a small mirror, toiletries, food, etc.

Food
Food is SO expensive in Australia!!! I'm a frequenter of Dollar Stores here in America to get basic supplies, so to find that those don't really exist in Australia was such a letdown! There are no Wal-Marts either, although their K-Marts are similar, only more 'high quality' and of course, more expensive. If living near Griffith Uni in Southport, go to the Ashmore City Shopping Centre, only a few miles away and definitely within walking distance. They have a 'Crazy Clarks' store, which is about as close to a dollar store as I ever found over there-we found cheap crafts, toiletries, kitchen supplies,food, snacks, etc. There's also a Chemist (pharmacy), fruit market, and IGA (grocery store), along with a bank (ANZ) and Liquor Store right around the corner. If we were saving our bus money or just wanted to grab a few things or take a walk, this is where we went to get groceries. IGA is definitely a little more expensive than Coles or Woolworths (located in Southport at the Australia Fair shopping centre, both grocery stores similar to WalMart) but if you didnt want to take the bus 30 min away it's a nice alternative. Also remember, there aren't 'superstores' in Australia like in the US-it's going to be wayyyy more expensive to buy everything at the same store than to go to the separate specialty stores for supplies, and most grocery stores don't even sell alcohol. One of the nice things about Australian food is that there are no preservatives and nasty crap like we have here in America, so that contributes to prices as well. My diet while abroad consisted of lots of stir frys, rice, meat & veg combinations, specifically revolving around what was on sale that week. Australia Fair also has a cheap produce market that we would try to get to about every 2 weeks or so.

Traveling & Safety
I did a ton of traveling throughout my stay in Australia, including visiting multiple places throughout Queensland, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Sydney, Cairns, and the Outback. Each place had their own unique style and I loved everything about it! My trip specifically included a trip to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef before arriving at our abroad unis, which was a fantastic way to network with other students and make friends before getting settled in with school. Traveling was my favorite part of the study abroad experience, by far.

Australearn included many seminars about abroad life in our orientation before we headed to our different unis, and safety was stressed. We were provided many resources and information about who to call and what to do if we were in an emergency situation. I never felt unsafe or worried for my safety at any time throughout the trip.
I did have to visit the doctor several times for a bad sinus infection, and it was MUCH simpler than visiting a dr in the states...AustraLearn has student health insurance included in their package, so you just get a card when you arrive and can use the clinic on campus. I barely had to wait for my appointment, and the cost was extremely reasonable-even better than the healthcare I have in my OWN country. There is a cap on medications too, you only have to pay up to a specific amount of money. I did not need any specific vaccines prior to going abroad.

Words of wisdom for anyone thinking of going abroad with Australearn is to TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL and make sure you come with enough money so you don't have to find a job once you arrive! So many people immediately got jobs from my program once we arrived in Southport, and it seems contradictory to live the same life abroad as you do at home, when this experience is truly once in a lifetime. Make sure you construct a budget as well, so you're making the best use of your money and not just blowing everything on alcohol and partying. Most importantly, say hello to everyone and don't be afraid to initiate a conversation! Most of my friendships, whom I still am in contact with now, began with a simple smile & "hello" :)

We had such an epic time while attending Griffith! We lived on the beach (although we were left to attain our own accommodations) in a great Holiday Apartment and loved the nightlife in Surfers Paradise.

The Campus was very nice and always updating classrooms to stay up to date. My classes were challenging, I was a part of the theater troupe and participated in student government. I really felt like a part of the community.

The Gold Coast is a resort town... well, make that resort city. It's lots - sorry, heaps of fun, but it is definitely geared towards tourists. On that note though, there are plenty of great places to shop and dine, and the beaches are amazing. It's mid winter as I write this and I'm laying on the beach and swimming in the ocean regularly. Also, the nightlife in the downtown areas of the Gold Coast is a lot of fun, every night of the week. There are plenty of bars, clubs, and late night munchy eateries.

Griffith University Gold Coast is an awesome campus, I couldn't be more happy with it. The campus itself seems brand new. It's very clean and well-landscaped. It's compact enough to get around quick without feeling claustrophobic. The teachers are also very good. I took mostly film and music production/business classes while here. Since the teachers actually come from backgrounds in the areas they're teaching, they're very passionate and knowledgeable in a practical, real-world sense. Many of them will teach a class, then go to a gig.

I live in Griffith University Village, which is an unaffiliated apartment complex near campus. It's only about a ten minute walk to campus, which is really convenient. It's a lot of fun, but can be loud at times. Basically you can always party when you want to party, but if you want quiet study time you might have to do it on campus. I have no problem with it, everyone is really friendly and down for anything.
This is a great location for travel if you do want to get out of the Gold Coast and see some 'real' Australia. Brisbane is a $5 bus/train ride from campus and from there you can get anywhere else. I just booked a trip to New Zealand pretty cheaply for spring break, flying out of there.

The only downside to Australia in general that I've found is that it is extremely expensive. The minimum wage here is almost double what it is in the US, so everything is pricier, relative to that. It also doesn't help that our dollar isn't very strong at the moment, but that fluctuates. It's still worth coming, just plan ahead for that kind of budget. I would say about $5,000-6,000 of additional spending money would get you through the semester very comfortably, going on a few trips and going out regularly. Since I only planned for around $3,000, this was a bit of a wake up call. If you plan ahead, this will be one of the best times of your life.