Brisbane, Australia: Studying Abroad as an HMC Undergraduate
I spent the
spring semester of my junior year studying at the University of Queensland in Brisbane,
Australia. I decided to study in Australia based on the fact that I didn't have
any competency in any foreign language and I'd never been to the southern
hemisphere. Australia was also recommended to me as a study abroad destination
by other students who had previously been there, and Brisbane in particular was
seen as a good spot to live. I had also heard good things about the Computer
Science department at the University of Queensland. At the University of
Queensland, I took two computer science courses and two humanities courses
(which is the standard load). I also participated in the local ultimate disc
league and the rock climbing club.
Academics The approach to academics in Australia is very different
from what I had become used to at an american college. I was used to having
weekly assignments, small classes, and close relations with my professors. In
Australia I found large lectures, few assignments, and busy professors. It
meant that more of my motivation had to come from within, and that each
assignment counted for a large part of my grade. In the IT department (what they call computer
science), I found one room of Sun workstations, and 5 or 6 labs of windows
machines of various usability. Coming from the terminal room, I felt most
natural in the solaris lab. I also brought my laptop, so that I could work
away from school. While the internet connection was extremely slow, it was
very handy not to have to make the half an hour trek to campus whenever I
wanted to check email or course newsgroups.
Personal Life I found that living in the Australian society wasn't
as different as I thought it would be and that it was easy to adapt. I lived
in an apartment complex next to the Brisbane River with two American girls. On
one side of us we had Australian neighbors, and on the other students from
Singapore. The housing was arranged by the study abroad program that I used,
which greatly reduced my stress upon arriving two weeks before classes
commenced.
Traveling I spent a great deal of my free time traveling around the
country. I didn't have a car, and wouldn't recommend buying one, as the public
transportation in most large cities is adequate. But I would recommend hiring
a car to travel out of the major population centers, and into the real
country. While the experience of living in a foreign country is incredible in
itself, it is also a wonderful opportunity to explore the country itself from
the eyes of a tourist. A few spots near Brisbane that I would recommend
visiting are Moreton Island, Fraser Island, Noosa Heads, and Byron Bay.
Farther afield, I would highly recommend the Great Barrier Reef (from Cairns
or Port Douglas), Broome, the Kimberly, and Kakadu National Park.
