77 reviews
4.50 / 5 based on 77 reviews
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Malcolm R
Student life
Describe host city:
Student life dominates the city
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Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel, Nightlife: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Brisbane gets boring! Its fun but its not a Big city like London. If Edinburgh was 10/10 for nightlife, I'd give Brisbane a 6/10
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Malcolm R
Housing
Type of housing: Apartment/House
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Personal comments
Use an estate agent. Be VERY cautious about renting from a Unit Manager. Check with Accommodation Services at the University about ROUGE/BAD Landlords/Unit Managers (they have a LONG list) before you singe a lease. Unit Managers are very intrusive and know the system. This is particularly true if English is not your first language. Be meticulous with the Entry Report. This is VERY important otherwise landlords/unit-managers can extract money from your bond/deposit very easily and there is little you can do about it. Real estate agents are much more professional, in my experience. You can get good deals on Queenslanders (big houses). Often, you get a higher standard for your money if you can get 3+ rooms.
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Malcolm R
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Family
Work opportunities:
I didn't explore any work options
Personal spending habits
Food is cheaper as is eating out.
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Travel, Overall, Nightlife, Housing, Telephone:
was the same price as at home.
Food:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
For travell, go to Virgin Blue/ JET STAR web site and put your email in. They send you up to date internet deals. VERY CHEAP FLIGHTS...A MUST!
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10
Malcolm R
Academic
Course recommendations
Try to avoid any courses which have only been running for 1 or two semesters.
They will probably be very unorganised. Also, be weary of courses which have the word 'International' in their name. It's only branding to attract a higher fee. Lastly, make sure you complain if the course sucks. If you're international, you're paying big money. I don't think the Uni has realised that it has to deliver to the international students, and many courses I did were just frankly badly organised and badly taught. Some of the CORE courses I did were a joke. But, if they are Core/compulsory courses, it's hard to get out of them…even if you think you would learn more in elective courses. I would ask other students about their experiences with specific courses before you finalise your subjects.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
There was a SERIOUS lack of guest speakers/ guest lecturers (zero in two years). I am doing a masters course in business economics yet there were no 'big shots' from the business world speaking to us about REAL issues as apposed to academic theories. I found this to be most disappointing.
The university is marketing to international students and claims to be a centre of excellence, but its not delivering. I found my undergraduate degree at the University of Dundee substantially better in terms of organisation and content; there were frequent guest lecturers.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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5
Malcolm R
Overall
I wish I had known...
How far Brisbane is away from the Beach! Its not as close as I thought.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
Good fun and the weather is great. Australians are easy to get on with and generally very friendly.
The University is highly rated and there are some very good lecturers in the economics department, some are world renowned. However others are very poor and it is reflected in the courses. I would not advise someone to go here (economics) only on academic grounds, but if you consider everything UQ is a good place.
Having experienced this University, I now realise how high the standards are at Scottish universities. Very high.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
Firstly, try and book a flight which lands in Australia in the EVENING, around 18:00-19:00. That way, you can go straight to bed and jet lag will not be a major problem. If you arrive in the morning, you will probably be so tired from travelling you have to go to bed, and it will prolong the jet lag.
Secondly, if you can, arrive AT LEAST two weeks before the start of courses. I thought I would find a flat very quickly but there is allot of competition to find flats at the beginning of semesters.
A 2/3 week buffer gives you time to acclimatise to the hot weather, get your bearings and discover good places to stay. Also gives you time to look for job/go to beach and party before your studies.
If you have a bike, DEFINETLY TAKE IT! Great place for a bike.
Lastly, if I did it all over again, I would have saved up some money for a 50cc scooter or a small car before I got here. You can get a good/newish scooter for about $1200 and an OK car for about $2500. Australia is a big place and Brisbane is a sprawling city. You will have MUCH more fun if you have motorised transport.
Good Luck!
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Malcolm R
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
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