Degree programme at FH Aachen: Bachelor of Engineering Mangement (discipline: Mechanical Engineering), Faculty 8
Start and end of the stay abroad: 15.07.2023 - 05.01.2024
The semester abroad took place in: 5th semester
Assessments
Quality of the programme content: 1,7
Study conditions / facilities at the host university: 1.3
On-site support and assistance: 1.3
Campus: 1.3
Transport links to the campus: 1.7
Food on campus: 3.0 (no refectory, but many fast food restaurants)
Sports facilities: 1.0
Leisure activities: 1.3
Bars / discos / nightlife: 1.7
Quality / cost of living: 3.3 (student residences are very expensive, goods in supermarkets are a little more expensive)
Contact with locals: 3.0
Preparations
Why did you choose Australia for your semester abroad? - Firstly, the weather. I didn't want to go to a country where it was even colder than in Germany. - Many of my friends had spent a year there after their A-levels and had nothing but good things to say. - To be honest, I also wanted to be very far away and find out what it feels like.
When did you start preparing ? I slowly started preparing in January 2023. I did it through the INAC organisation. But I wouldn't do that again afterwards. Communication was good at the beginning but got steadily worse. I would do it directly through the UAS next time.
How does the application procedure work? INAC did it, I only had to pay documents and of course tuition fees + health insurance.
What formalities had to be completed before travelling? - Health insurance is included at Australian universities or has to be paid for in advance. You are then insured for the whole semester with the respective partner of the university (Allianz, Medibank and others). - You must apply for either a student visa or a work and travel visa. The advantages of each visa can be found on the Internet. Student visas are approved much faster (in my case within 10 minutes)
Do I have to pay fees at the host university? Yes, you have to pay fees. The fees are per course and a maximum of 4 courses can be taken per semester.
Did you receive a scholarship to finance your stay abroad? Yes, I received the PROMOS scholarship from the UAS.
Which route to the host university do you recommend ? Many of my European fellow students from Brisbane flew via Singapore to spend a few more days exploring the city. Unfortunately, I had exams in Aachen a few days beforehand, which is why I flew directly from Hamburg to Brisbane via Dubai. Flights to Brisbane vary greatly and it depends on whether the ticket for the return flight is booked directly. I paid around 2300 EUR for a flexible option and a return flight. But it can also be cheaper.
Formalities
Do I have to pay fees at the host university? None as an exchange student, as a study abroad student 10,900AUD.
Did you receive a scholarship to finance your stay abroad? Yes, the PROMOS scholarship from FH Aachen or the DAAD.
How do you recommend travelling to the host university? What are the approximate travelling costs? Flight, return flight approx. 1000€.
Did you have to take out additional health insurance? Yes, OSHC-Worldcare (compulsory health insurance for students in Australia and a requirement for student visa applications), costs: 210AUD for 6 months. The OSHC-Worldcare health insurance is only valid with a student visa, not with a tourist visa. The health insurance could therefore expire if you change your student visa to a tourist visa after your studies. This means that additional health insurance may be required after your actual studies. (With most German insurers, such health insurance must be taken out before leaving the country).
Is further insurance necessary? No, but possibly useful as a supplement to the OSHC.
On site
Where is the best place to live and what are the average housing costs ? The campus where I had my courses was in the centre of the city. That's why I looked for a hall of residence in the city centre. The halls of residence are expensive, but you live with a lot of internationals and make friends quickly. The hall of residence cost around EUR 1200 per month, but there are other ways to live much more cheaply, such as renting flats together or organising groups on Facebook.
How did the search for accommodation go (are there any contacts for this) ? As far as I know, QUT also helps with finding accommodation when you are there.
What is the average cost of living ? Compared to Germany, I would multiply most things by a factor of 1.5. However, you do a lot more because you want to see a lot of Australia.
What is cheap/expensive : Everything is actually more expensive, but fast food such as McDonalds, BurgerKing (Hungry Jacks there) and KFC is cheaper.
Climate / situation on site: What items of clothing or other paraphernalia should go in the suitcase? It's warm, very warm. You can safely leave your winter clothes at home. It is important to bring lots of short, airy clothes and perhaps a transitional jacket, as it can drop to a terribly uncomfortable 15°C at night in winter.
About the host university
Briefly describe the host university! - QUT is one of two large universities in Brisbane. It is much closer to the city centre, but also has two campuses. - The university is full of international students, which is why there is always a mix of different people and cultures in the lecture halls. - As the name suggests, the university has a strong focus on technology. Everything is therefore ultra-modern and a lot of things are digital. - Attendance is not compulsory in most courses, but it is advisable to attend as you get to know new people and don't have to revise the material.
What was the overall quality of the courses and lectures ? The business administration lectures were good, but also very dry. The more technical lectures were very interesting and therefore much better attended. Everything was very practical and almost every week experts from industry came to the lectures in person or via Zoom.
How are the facilities at the host university? Very good, everything is available.
Are thereany special features on campus or anything that should be mentioned? Brisbane is subtropical, which is why the campus is set up that way. It's a little oasis in the middle of the city.
How many hours per week did you have on average ? Each course usually had one lecture and one tutorial of 2 hours each. I had three courses, so about 12 hours a week.
Did you have personal contact with the professors? Yes, you address the professors by their first names and they always make time for you. They are also very interested in our own experiences in our countries of origin.
Did you have specific contacts at the foreign university? No, but there is an office for international students who always helped you directly with problems.
What are the transport links to the campus like? What do you need to bear in mind ? The transport links are good as the university is centrally located. If you don't live in the CBD, the journey can be longer as everything in Brisbane is by bus or ferry. The river means that you sometimes have to make long detours.
What is the range of sports on campus like? - Very extensive. There is everything from football to swimming and even gaming. - I myself played football on a small pitch every week.
Do youhave to pay for some of the sports programmes? I paid around EUR 25 for football for the semester.
About the courses and lectures attended at Queensland University of Technology
Course attended: Financial Markets Lecturer: Peter Course duration & scope, form of teaching: 12 (7.5 ETCS) Form of teaching: On-site Form of assessment: Homework, written examination Is the course recommended? Rather not.
Course attended: Microeconomics Lecturer: --- Course duration & scope, form of instruction: 12 (7.5 ETCS) Form of instruction: On-site Form of assessment: Homework, written examination Is the course recommended? Rather not.
Course attended: Energy Management and Sustainibilty Lecturer: Richard Course duration & scope, form of instruction: 12 (7.5 ETCS) Form of instruction: On-site Form of assessment: Term paper, written examination and project Is the course recommended? Yes.
Leisure activities
What leisure activities does the study location offer ? The weather is always great for swimming and there are numerous pools in the city, and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are only an hour away. The hinterland of Brisbane is a volcanic landscape and therefore mountainous. You can hike there very well, but you should take enough water with you and stay on the paths (snakes etc.).
Namea few local sights in the city! - Southbank, a mile along the river with many restaurants, bars and the City Pool. - The numerous cafés in the city centre. Australia has very good coffee at comparably good prices. - Botanic Gardens - Fortitude Valley, a particularly good place to party.
Which tourist attractions in the surrounding area should you have visited? - Gold Coast - Sunshine Coast, especially the small town of Noosa - Byron Bay - North Stradbroke Island (Straddy)
Where do you go in the evening (pubs, bars, discos, cinemas) and what do you recommend ? Fortitude Valley is the right place to party, as the town quickly becomes very quiet in the evening.
Are there anyspecial features of the local cuisine that you should be aware of ? Hardly, Australia and Queensland in particular are still very meat-centred. You can compare it with the state of Texas in the USA.
Are there anyspecial customs/customs among the locals or any taboos? No
Final considerations - Conclusion
How would you rate your stay abroad overall ? It was one of the best experiences of my life and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Did you choose the right time for your semester abroad? Yes, I was never a fan of the German autumn and was able to do my homework on the beach in the sunshine. It also fitted in well with my studies, as most of the difficult things were already done.
Highlights and low points of your stay? - there were hardly anylow points . The first few weeks are a bit of a sensory overload. So many new things, new people and then when you slowly get into the calmer everyday university life, you have to find your routine. - There were plenty of high points. What I liked most were the roof top dinners at our student residence and all the travelling.
Did you make new friends? What will you never forget? - I made a lot of new friends. Almost all of them Europeans, though, because you stay in such a small bubble. But I'm still in contact with most of them. - The road trips will definitely remain unforgotten. I don't think I've ever slept in so many different places in my life. Whether it was a hostel, camper or tent, the main thing was that we had somewhere to sleep.
How did you cope with the local language? Are there 1-3 terms that spontaneously come to mind when you think back to your stay abroad? "Mate", "G'day", "Breakky" (breakfast)
What advice would you like to give to other students on your degree programme who decide to spend a semester abroad at this foreign university? Do it! Several people in my study group went abroad with me. Of course, we all had the usual worries. But in the end, it was one of the best decisions of our lives, especially for mechanical engineering students, who often want to stay in their comfort zone. I also had this feeling, but I knew that I would probably be annoyed afterwards that I hadn't taken this opportunity. Whether the degree programme takes a semester longer because of this would not be an argument for me not to do it.
Any criticism or suggestions ? It would be cool and probably also more attractive for many students from Faculty 8 if more modules from FB8 could be credited. I have the feeling that many subjects are looked at very closely. It is hardly possible to find exactly the same module abroad, which is why many subjects are not recognised. At FB7, modules are credited much more easily.
