From November 2016 to February 2017, I completed a semester abroad in the third trimester at Deakin University in Melbourne (Burwood Campus). At that time I was in the third semester of my master’s degree in business administration. In the following I would like to share my experiences with visas, the housing situation, life at Deakin University and in Melbourne and many other experiences.
Visa
If you decide to spend a semester abroad at Deakin University in Australia, you must first apply for the Australian visa. It should be noted that there are two different types of visa: the student visa and the working holiday visa. The former, which I decided on, expires four weeks after the last exam or after the end of the trimester at Deakin University. If you plan to travel to the country for a longer period after your studies, you should consider a working holiday visa. The student visa allows you to work 20 hours a week, entry is allowed immediately after receiving the approval. The Working Holiday Visa is limited to one year and allows full-time employment.
Housing situation
During the application are given at Deakin University has to whether to opt for student housing or on their own property would like to search. Deakin University has multiple campuses. All of my courses were taught on the main campus in Burwood, a suburb of Melbourne.
Although it takes at least 45 minutes by tram from the city center to Burwood (Deakin University has its own tram stop), I decided to look for an apartment close to the city. I would make this decision every time. Burwood and the surrounding area have little to offer apart from a few shops and cafes. For the same reason, a fellow student who was studying at the Geelong Campus also moved to the city after a short time. The student apartments on campus should all be in good condition, have large common rooms and were inhabited by many Americans. In Australia, dormitory living is usually more expensive than off-campus life and costs around AUD 300 per week. In addition to On Campus Housing, there is also the possibility Find your own accommodation in and around Burwood. There is a large supply here. You should plan around two weeks to look for an apartment near the city. Various Facebook groups and the Flatmates. com. au website are helpful platforms. Many Australian students rent their rooms over the summer (most students have summer vacation) through Airbnb. Accordingly, many rooms or apartments can be found in Melbourne for the first time. Some fellow students even had the opportunity to stay in these for the entire trimester on favorable terms. Many Australian students rent their rooms over the summer (most students have summer vacation) through Airbnb. Accordingly, many rooms or apartments can be found in Melbourne for the first time. Some fellow students even had the opportunity to stay in these for the entire trimester on favorable terms. Many Australian students rent their rooms over the summer (most students have summer vacation) through Airbnb. Accordingly, many rooms or apartments can be found in Melbourne for the first time. Some fellow students even had the opportunity to stay in these for the entire trimester on favorable terms.
Deakin University
I chose Deakin University because I was able to integrate a study abroad in Australia perfectly into my studies at my home university thanks to the Deakin trimester system. Most semesters at Australian universities start in July. According to this, most Australian students have vacation in the Australian summer (November to February). At Deakin University, Australians also use the third trimester for vacation or work. While students study full-time in trimesters 1 and 2, a maximum of individual courses are taken in the third trimester. International students completing their entire Masters at Deakin (more and more Indians and Chinese), on the other hand, they often take courses in all three trimesters. The huge campus therefore often seemed deserted.
The highly advertised sports activities only take place in the first two trimesters. The same applies to the multi-day surf program to get to know each other or the buddy program. The range of courses in the third trimester is also very slimmed down compared to the other trimesters. Accordingly, the course offer and the crediting at the home university should be clarified before the semester abroad. Studying in Australia can hardly be compared to studying in Germany. Instead of a final exam, as is customary in Germany, I had to write a variety of term papers and group work in addition to a final exam. Accordingly, the effort is relatively high, but the level is not too difficult with a fair grade. The size of my courses varied from 15 to 100 students. The university’s equipment is state-of-the-art and the professors are always ready to help. A large number of the other 20 or so “Study abroad” or “Exchange” students who had come to Deakin for a trimester also came from Germany. For us, a few individual events were organized by the Deakin to get to know each other better.
Living in Melbourne or Australia
Melbourne itself extends over a huge area and has a large number of districts. You can get almost anywhere by tram, but this takes a certain amount of time. The city has a wide range of cafes, restaurants and bars, but also parks, festivals and other events and is therefore not without good reason the most livable city in the world. Furthermore, Melbourne is a sport-crazy city and is, for example, the venue for the Australian Open or the Australian Grand Prix (Formula 1). Melbourne reflects very well that Australia is an immigration country. Melbourne is multi-cultural and you make friends with people from all over the world. Melbourne weather is overestimated by most people. Melbourne, like Germany for example, has a temperate climate and the expression “four seasons in a day” is no coincidence.
Costs
The cost of living in Australia should not be taken lightly. The largest cost block is the tuition fee. There are different costs for three or four courses. For a single room in a shared apartment, budget AUD 180 to AUD 270 per week. Shared rooms are significantly cheaper. The cost of living is also a bit more expensive than in Germany. Beer, alcohol and going out in general are very expensive, even by Australian standards. A beer in Melbourne costs between AU $ 8 and AU $ 13. However, it has to be said that Australia is not “expensive” in the strict sense of the word because of the high wages. A small part-time job should therefore be considered.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed studying abroad at Deakin University. There are pluses for the city of Melbourne. The otherwise very good Deakin University unfortunately died out in the third trimester and is desolate. A semester abroad in Melbourne is particularly worthwhile if there is still time to travel to Australia before or after the trimester. The lecture-free time over Christmas only offers limited opportunities for this, as Australia is simply too big. The financial aspect should also not be disregarded.
