Australia - #BIMdannmalinAustralien

Antonia: Hello and welcome to our THWS podcast #Bimdannmalweg. In this podcast we talk about experiences of students who have been abroad for a semester and today I have the lovely Jessica visiting. Hello Jessica.

Jessica: Hello.

Antonia: It's best if you just introduce yourself, where you've been and when you've been away.

Jessica: I am Jessica. I'm 22 years old and I'm studying International Management in my seventh semester and I was in Australia for my semester abroad. At least one of them, the other one didn't work out. That was at the beginning of this year until June, then I came back to Germany.

Antonia: If I understand it correctly, you did a double degree and one part worked out and the other didn't?

Jessica: Yes that's right.

Antonia: Why did you choose Australia, or specifically the partner university?

Jessica: Actually, the double degree program was the reason, that was already a factor in choosing a major at the time. There were many universities in Eastern Europe and also in Asia for the double degree, but Australia simply fascinated me because it was so far away. That's why it chose Australia.

Antonia: Ok, fine. I think you were one of the only ones who went to Australia, is that right?

Jessica: Yes, I think I was the only one who went to Australia from our study program. The Corona obstacles put most of them off.

Antonia: Okay. So, let's start from the beginning: your first semester didn't happen. Because of Corona I assume?

Jessica: Yes exactly, I was supposed to go to Australia in the 3rd and 4th semester, which would have been in the beginning of 2020 when Corona started and therefore it was cancelled because Australia had closed the borders. We then postponed it again and again and found alternative solutions, which threw my whole studies pretty much out of whack. In August 2021, I couldn't postpone my semester abroad any longer, so I started online, listening to the lectures in Australia online from Germany. At the end of the year, I got the good news that I could go to Australia at the beginning of this year to start my second semester.

Antonia: It's nice that you had the opportunity, even though it wasn't possible for you to be in Australia because of Corona, you were still able to attend the lectures, online.

Jessica: Definitely. And the university really put a lot of effort into making it interesting for the international students and presenting a relatively normal experience, even if it wasn't the same as being there.

Antonia: Then let's focus on your second semester, the time you were actually there. How was the university? How did you like it? And what courses were offered there, or what courses were you able to take?

Jessica: That was a lot of questions at once. I'll just start with the university. I don't know who of you has already dealt with it a little bit, but you immediately see the grandiose picture of the university, the ICMS, the International College of Management Sydney. They also always call the university very sweetly "Castle on the hill", because it looks a bit like an old castle. In fact, it is an old monastery, which is still owned by the church and rented by the university. Simply an ingenious location. In this building are then most of the lectures and the accommodation if you want. The university is in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, which is surrounded by many beaches. So, it's really a great location. Now to the courses I could take. I was relatively free in my decision. The university offers different management directions, so it is a management focused school, so there were different directions like sports, event or even hospitality. Because of the double degree and the contract, I had the security that all my courses would be credited. Of course, I had to clarify with the International Office here whether my choice of courses was okay, but basically, I had a relatively free choice. This allowed me to take courses such as Events, Tourism and Sports, which is more in the direction of sports in terms of management. In addition, something like experience Management, which came more from the hospitality direction. But I also took some normal courses, like Accounting, Ethics, CSR and so on, which are normal management disciplines, but I also had the freedom to try things out a bit.

Antonia: Wow. So, first of all about the location: that sounds breathtaking. I can well imagine that you are motivated to study when you are in such a beautiful place.

Jessica: Indeed. After the two years of Corona here, where there were only online lectures, it was very nice to dress nicely again to go to the lectures. A special feature of the university is that you actually have to dress chic and smartly, so business attire is not only desired, but must be worn. Everyone walks around in suits, dresses and high heels. That creates a completely different atmosphere for studying.

Antonia: Definitely. I think it also gives a much better picture of the university and what is taught there. I've never done it, but I'm already attracted to going to university in sweatpants, just for comfort reasons. I think the difference is big, the FHWS is in the middle of the city, a concrete building which then maybe does not have the charisma as the building in which you studied in Australia. In such a beautiful building I think you are more motivated to dress accordingly, so no matter if it is mandatory or not.

Jessica: Yes, definitely. You have relatively little lecture time there, usually only 3 days a week, so you then also only dress up these 3 days of the week and on those days you're really looking forward to it in the morning. Straighten the hair, apply a little makeup and put on high heels. But the funny thing is, on the other days you walk around the building in sweatpants, because actually most of the internationals, like me, lived in the building.

Antonia: Yeah, it's like two worlds collide there. Monday to Wednesday like this and the rest of the week like that.

Jessica: Yes, that is true. But on those days, you also took the elevator upstairs right after the lecture, took off your fancy clothes and put on your swimsuit and went to the beach and that's where we were for the rest of the day. So, you could enjoy the rest of the day even on university days because the surroundings were so beautiful.

Antonia: Fantastic. Again, back to your courses. It's really cool that the double degree program gave you the chance to take courses there that might not have been relevant to our degree program here, International Management. I think it was great that you had this chance, and it was probably also great for you to break out of our study program a bit and get some different input.

Jessica: Yes, exactly. It was great to just try things out a little bit and to think outside the box to see what management can do. It doesn't just have to be the classic disciplines, but you can really do a lot with it, more than what we are provided with here at the UAS. It was wonderful that everything was credited to me without any problems, even if it went in a completely different direction, such as hospitality or events or fashion design. That was then credited as micro- or macroeconomic.

Antonia: That sounds great. You just mentioned that you also lived in this building. Did you come across this accommodation through the university or was it if you study there you automatically get a place to live there? How did you find out about it?

Jessica: If you are interested in the ICMS or the double degree in Australia, you will get in touch with the International Student Office relatively quickly. This is nothing from the FHWS or the ICMS, but it is simply an office in Darmstadt that represents several universities abroad. They help you with the whole process, which is a bit time-consuming, with the visa application, the English test and so on. They also have an information page for accommodation and advertise this directly at the university. In my opinion, this is the best option for foreign students who don't know anyone there yet, just to get to know people and experience the whole situation. I came to it through the International Students Office. They also have an application process for that, so in addition to the university admission again extra for the accommodation because the rooms are very sought after, because most people really want to be there on site. As an international student who is there for the first time, you are preferred, and it is easier to get a room. So, for me it was relatively easy to get in.

Antonia: Lucky! I can absolutely understand that the accommodation there is so sought after, if it is really as beautiful as you told us, with the beach right around the corner. And having the lectures right in the same building is also a bonus.

Jessica: Maybe you have to mention again: it's still an old monastery. So, the location itself is really cool and nice but there are some disadvantages. The rooms are not the newest. The furnishings are ok, I was very surprised. It was relatively clean. But there are always 20 rooms shared, so not 20 people but really 20 rooms because some of the rooms have multiple occupancy, one bathroom with a couple of showers, a couple of toilets and a couple of sinks.

Antonia: Wow, I thought at first moment: one bathroom. So a toilet, a shower and a sink.

Jessica: No, no. Actually, a little side story: in the meantime, the guys had the problem that due to Corona some rooms were set up as quarantine rooms, and then the guys' wing actually only had one shower and one toilet for those 20 rooms, so that was really difficult. We girls were more fortunate. You have to come to terms with the fact that it is not a highly modern building, the windows don't close properly, the air conditioning doesn't work that well either and there is no heating for the winter semesters. You have to share the bathroom and the carpet is not the newest. You have to put up with things like that, but then you have this cool location and the proximity to the university.

Antonia: That's definitely an advantage. How did you live? Did you also have a room to share, or did you have one for yourself?

Jessica: In my semester there were still special rules due to Corona, which means the rooms were all single occupancy. So, everyone, whether it was a double, triple, or quad, had the room to themselves. Funnily enough, one of my friends got into a quadruple room alone and then had a huge, dorm-like room to herself. Of course, all the parties then always took place there. But actually, I had a single room right from the start but I can go into that later when we talk about the finances because I got a scholarship that was for a single room.

Antonia: Nice. Yes, in itself it is an advantage to have a room for yourself, especially in relation to Corona, but if you end up alone in a kind of dormitory, you probably feel a bit alone. Then it wasn't so bad that you had a single room! Then let's jump ahead, you already mentioned that the beach is right around the corner, maybe you can tell us a little bit about the surroundings there and what kind of recreational activities there were, so in general what you did in your free time.

Jessica: Yes, I would love to. Manly is, as I said, a part or a suburb of Sydney in the north, so if you want to go to the city center of Sydney with the opera and the bridge, you have to take a ferry. But it's really nice, you go 20 minutes across the ocean from Manly over to Sydney. In Manly itself there was a lot to do, it's like a small town and a little vacation paradise. It has, if I remember correctly, one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia, which I can also confirm. That's where we usually went in the afternoons after lectures and sat in the sand. The boys usually played soccer or volleyball, we drank our iced coffees and enjoyed the afternoon there. Otherwise, there are many nice opportunities to walk along the coast in Manly. Right behind the ICMS is a nature reserve called North Head from where you can see all of Sydney and the bay in between. From there you can also see the sunset perfectly, which we did very often and with pleasure. Otherwise, Australia has a really fancy coffee culture, and they are very proud of the many different and individual coffees they offer. Therefore, there are quite a lot of small independent cafes in Manly. There it was our favorite activity to taste our way through the menu, to sit there, to watch the people and of course to meet there with fellow students and friends. That was really nice.

Antonia: That sounds great. You used the word "we" quite a lot now, how did you make your friends there? Were they people you had classes with or lived with? Were they people from Sydney or just internationals?

Jessica: Since I was ultimately the only one who went to Australia from here, I really didn't know anyone at the beginning, which was very challenging. But the situation that everyone lives together on campus and also all arrive together at the same time really helped to get to know each other quickly. We were also a very diverse group: Australians, Americans, a Pole, Germans, Austrians, Spaniards and a lot of French. In the evenings, we always sat together on the university grounds, played cards, helped each other with assessments, or went to the beach together. Those were usually the people I lived with. There were actually fewer people from my courses, because they were almost all Australians or Asians who then lived in Sydney, with whom I haven’t such a close friendships. My friends with whom I was always on the road, were then really rather the people with whom I lived there together.

Antonia: Yes, I think so. If you already live together anyway, it's also natural that you spend a lot of time together.

Jessica: Exactly, we were together 24/7. You get up in the morning, you go to breakfast and you immediately meet these people. Then you go to lecture or work on assignments for a bit and meet in a study room for that. Later, you get changed and everyone goes to the beach together. Then you come back to the university and have lunch together, then maybe you go into town together to run some errands or have a coffee, then of course you go back to the university together for dinner and afterwards you sit down together and play card games or something like that, so it was really always the same people the whole day. But we really got along amazingly well. That was also a crucial point that made my semester abroad especially nice compared to my other experiences abroad, because the people were really great. It was a really good fit.

Antonia: Yes, I think that when you are always on the road with the same people over such a long period of time, very deep friendships are formed that are not superficial, like the typical vacation acquaintances with whom you maintain a pen pal relationship for a few weeks at most. Was that the case for you? Did any really deep friendships develop there? Are you still in contact with anyone?

Jessica: Definitely. With quite a few! One is back in America now, she was in Singapore in between, I write to her very often. I even visited an Austrian at home. A friend from Germany is still there at the moment, I write with her every day. So, there are really many friendships that will last.

Antonia: Super nice. You have really taken something for yourself from your semester abroad. If you did everything together anyway, did you also go on bigger trips together?

Jessica: A lot, yes. I was the reason for that. Originally, if everything had worked out as planned without Corona, I would have had just under 1 ½ years in Australia and had accordingly already prepared many travel plans. Of course, this had to be adapted to the 4 months that I was finally in Australia. I squeezed as much of my original plans into these 4 months. We actually went somewhere else almost every weekend. We did a road trip from Sydney to the Blue Mountains. Those are mountains there in the hinterland, so to speak. Or we took a plane to the other end of the country. We really tried to do everything we could. For that we were very busy on the road, as I said almost every weekend. During the week we mostly stuck to Sydney, which means we just took the ferry over to Sydney and there is already enough to see and visit. The weekends and free days we have then used for somewhat longer trips.

Antonia: Super nice. I have to ask you directly, what was the best trip or the trip that you remember the most?

Jessica: That's a mean question, I can't answer it like that.

Antonia: Okay, how about the top 3? Is that better?

Jessica: Yeah, that's better. We were in Tasmania, there were four of us with a camper on the road for a week and drove around the whole island. That was very exciting, just something spcial. To see the nature there and also to be so close to nature was exciting. There is always a kangaroo somewhere in the bush looking at you or a Tasmanian devil running across the road. There we really had a real adventure because we had partly also no Internet or somedays we didn’t even see a single person because we were literally in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the hinterland of Tasmania, that was really very impressive! Second highlight would be probably Uluru, the middle of Australia, red center so to say. There we looked at the huge rock in the middle of the red sand and actually also had close contact with indigenous people. They explained us the art, history and culture there, that were really a few very special days. We only went there for four days because it's really expensive there because it's in the middle of nowhere, but it was very impressive. And the third one I would say was Melbourne, just to have another kind of trip in the top 3, a city trip, although we also added a little road trip along the coast afterwards. I don't know who of you listeners know a little bit about Australia, but the great ocean road was it. So, we flew to Melbourne, a very beautiful city and very intercultural, you can find all of Europe in one city, that was really fascinating. And then we drove along the coast by car, saw penguins and took a look at part of southern Australia. That was brilliant.

Antonia: That sounds breathtaking! I'm really happy that you had the chance to do most of your travel plans despite Corona, which was probably still very present in Australia at the time, even if it was unfortunately only limited to one semester. Super nice, especially if you then also have the right people around you for such trips. That's a very important point.

Jessica: Yes, definitely a very important point.

Antonia: My next question would be insider tips, but I think we've already checked off some. Are there any more insider tips that you would like to recommend here?

Jessica: Actually, my biggest tip would be, it's not very secret, but just dare. Try something out, do some research, ask people, go on adventures because Australia is such a great country and there is so much to explore there. There are so many experiences, feelings and impressions you can get there, it's incredible. So just do it! This is not necessarily an insider tip but definitely an important recommendation! Go for it.

Antonia: Exactly, just go for it. That definitely sounds good. Have you had any experiences traveling alone? Have you ever been there traveling alone and did you feel safe, I mean alone as a woman?

Jessica: We always did bigger trips together, there were always at least two of us. But I wouldn't have had a problem doing that alone, it was more the cost point for us why we traveled together, then we were able to share a room. That was actually the main reason why we always traveled together, that you could share a room, because it was much cheaper. But basically, Sydney was very safe, I never had the feeling that I had to turn around on the way home or something like that. I was more surprised the other way around, so when I was back in Germany. I landed directly in Berlin and then took the train home alone, which was rather scary, so more than in Australia in any case. In Australia I really never had a problem with insecurity or hearing scary stories, so really not. That was very positive.

Antonia: Super. That actually comes as a bit of a surprise to me.

Jessica: I think it was due to Sydney, because we lived close to the city there or maybe rather Manly, it was always very safe there. I also spent two weeks on the west coast with a camper, that was also very fascinating. I have now unfortunately forgotten in my top 3. Well, no matter, in any case, there are several small towns and also many indigenous people, where it then often happens that you meet a man alone on the street, if it is then dark in the evening, it may be that you feel perhaps not so comfortable or safe. I never had a problem with it, because there we were actually always at least two people on the road. I can imagine that it sometimes happens that you feel a little uncomfortable, but generally nothing happens there. But in Sydney everything is really safe.

Antonia: Top, very nice. What cultural differences did you notice? Also, like general differences, so climate and everything.

Jessica: OK, yes, the climate definitely. We were a little bit unlucky with the weather to be honest. Everyone said it's such a shame that we're there at this time because it's just been raining all summer. I think you could see it on the news here, too. There was flooding. Fortunately, none of us was badly affected in any way, but it was actually a bit difficult to enjoy the Australian summer there. Nevertheless, we walked around only in shorts, even if it was only 20 degrees, it was actually relatively warm and you could enjoy the summer. But you definitely notice the difference to Germany or Europe. Also, culturally, there is of course the topic of indigenous people. That doesn't exist in Germany and there in Australia it also has a special meaning. Shortly after my arrival in Australia was Australia Day, which is a national holiday there, but it is also very controversial in the sense that on this day they actually celebrate the oppression of the indigenous people. They have been trying to come to terms with this issue for decades, but you can see that it is definitely still a very topical issue there. It's a topic that people there don't like to talk about, but they need to talk about it. So, I would compare it a bit with the Second World War and Judaism here. You just have to come to terms with it. On the flip side, it's not an issue at all in Australia. World War II doesn't really exist there. There are a few memorials to the First World War, because 50 Australians died then, and that was quite interesting for us Europeans. I talked to some French and Spanish people about it, because it is much more present and worse for us. But because of the distance to Europe, the topic is somewhat lost in Australia. Yes, those were the main points concerning culture.

Antonia: As far as cultural differences are concerned, I can also think of the topic of food. What did you eat there?

Jessica: Very good point. We had made it a bit of a mission to find Australian cuisine. But they don't have it. What they do really well is breakfast, so brunch. We went to brunch quite often, even though breakfast was included with our accommodation. We tried out a lot of cafés. Therefore, I would say: really good brunch is Australian food, of course with really delicious coffee. Otherwise, it is a colorful mix of everything you can imagine in terms of food, all sorts of Asian, all sorts of European. That's because the population there is very mixed, the whole world comes together in Australia. Of course, you could eat kangaroo somewhere, but for that you would have to go to a very upscale restaurant and that is also more of a tourist thing. They really don't eat that there every day. Accordingly, there was less difference in the food, but the brunch we have always enjoyed very much. What comes to my mind right now: the way of life is very different there, the people are very open and happy, everyone is in a good mood and gets up at 6 o'clock in the morning to go for a walk on the beach and talk to friends. Everyone has an incredible amount of energy, and everyone is just very full of life. It was nice to be infected by that.

Antonia: That sounds really nice. To be honest, I probably wouldn't get up at 6 a.m. in Würzburg to go for a walk, especially when it's cold and dark in the morning. In Australia, however, I'm sure it's very nice. I don't know when the sun rises in the morning in Australia, but I imagine it would be very nice to go for a walk in the morning when the sun is not yet very high and the ocean is maybe still calm.

Jessica: Yeah, the ocean is one of those things. The surfers are actually in the ocean at 5 in the morning surfing because that's when the waves are the best. We watched the sunrise and sunset a couple of times. In the easter the sunrise is of course more beautiful and the sunset you get more on the west coast. Sometimes we really had to get out of bed in the morning to watch the sunrise and we were surprised how many people are already outside, in the water or on the beach. Australians are crazy about sports and like to get up early. The stores sometimes also have very curious opening hours, for example, from 5 in the morning until noon at 2, but sometimes we would like to have a coffee in the afternoon, that is a little bit difficult then, you have to do that earlier.

Antonia: It could be that Australians have gotten used to doing everything a little earlier because of the hot Australian summers. Especially if you know that it might be too hot to do anything from 12 noon onwards, then just move everything forward a bit. To come back to the food: you mentioned earlier that there was food in your accommodation, was that part of it?

Jessica: Yes, exactly, that was part of the accommodation. The food was included with the housing which was in the ICMS. We got breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and lunch and dinner were both warm meals so you really always had more than enough to eat in a day. On the weekends we had brunch from 9am to 12pm and then dinner. This fit quite well though because we were usually out during the day anyway to see something, and we could always grab some fruit and sandwiches at brunch for a little lunch on the go. The food quality was debatable, I would say it just wasn't very good. Some had a little trouble with the food there, especially if you are a little more susceptible, or vegetarian or even vegan. I'm a very unpretentious all-eater, so I didn't have as much trouble with the food. It was not my favorite food, so I also liked to go out to eat, but the thought that the food in the accommodation is already paid for and eating outside is really expensive, made us eat mostly at the university.

Antonia: Okay, to summarize everything from my point of view: the food, the accommodation, your excursions, the university, did you have any expectations or fears beforehand?

Jessica: Because I had such a long lead time before Australia, I really dealt with it in detail. I wrote to people who had already been there, and I saw a lot of photos on Instagram and so on. So, I had a relatively accurate picture of what to expect there, just because I waited 2 years to go there. I was really looking forward to it from the beginning, there was actually little fear involved. Of course, there was a bit of nervousness at the beginning because of the whole Corona situation and how it would develop, because a few people actually got stuck there because they couldn't fly home. But apart from that, as far as the university and so on, everything was very positive and it also all matched my expectations and therefore there were neither good nor bad surprises.

Antonia: Nice, that's very good! In the last 4 or 5 podcast episodes, everyone also said that they actually had no fears, only uncertainties about Corona. Can you enter, can you leave? And of course, living abroad has often been affected by Corona as well. But that didn't tend to have a negative impact on you now.

Jessica: Yes, everything was fine. In the first few lectures we still wore the masks but otherwise everything was normal. We all dealt with each other normally. At the beginning there was a mask requirement in public transportation, but that also dissolved relatively quickly. You could go anywhere you wanted, go partying anyway from the beginning, leisure attractions like cinemas and theaters were also open all the time, restaurants too, we basically forgot that Corona existed. At the beginning of this year there were some more restrictions in Germany, but in Australia we could just get on a plane and fly to the other end of the country without even having to do a Corona test. That was very comfortable.

Antonia: Yes, I believe that. Well, I'm glad that all worked out. It would have been a shame if you waited so long for it and then it didn't meet your expectations because there were so many restrictions. Great! Now we come to a big important topic and that is finances. You don't have to share everything with us if you don't want to, of course. Were there any study costs? How much did housing cost? And public transportation? The trips and travel, the food, all kinds of stuff.

Jessica: First of all, Australia is expensive. And university is also very expensive. You have to be aware in advance that you're going to spend a lot of money, but you can finance it. If I have it right in my head, the double degree program cost around 20,000 Australian dollars, which is about 70% of it in euros. That's a lot, especially for someone who is used to FHWS student fees. The accommodation came on top of that, which was 6,000 dollars for the semester, which also included the food. Then of course you have to fly there and fly back, those aren't the cheapest flights in the world either. And on top of that, I was so crazy to travel somewhere else every weekend, so of course there were a lot of costs again. I financed the whole thing in different ways. Originally, it was planned that if I had been in Australia both semesters, I would look for a job, which is allowed with the student visa. But since I finally only had the 4 months and was lucky enough to get different scholarships, I didn't want to work during the time there, because I wanted to enjoy the time there to the fullest. To go into more detail, for those who are interested, there is a scholarship from the ICMS, which covered half of the study costs. I'm also with the Studienstiftung Deutschland, they also offer a scholarship abroad, I got that too, that then covered the second half of the study costs. Then I got a travel scholarship from the DAAD for the outward and return flight. The International Student Office that I mentioned earlier, which is what got me into housing in the first place, also offers a scholarship, which I also got, which then covered the costs for the housing.

Antonia: Wait a minute, interim status: no tuition.

Jessica: No. No housing, no flight, no food. And then I got a lump sum from the Study Foundation every month for living expenses. That came on top of it as well.

Antonia: All right, okay.

Jessica: Nevertheless, I spent a lot of money. I don't want to go into it any further, just this: the credit card limit had to be increased several times because it wasn't enough. But that was also planned by me so, or I have counted on it, because I obviously already planned on traveling a lot when I am there. Who flies 3 times a month somewhere must not be surprised that a some money falls by the wayside.

Antonia: Of course, but if you're already there, you want to do everything possible. Especially if you've been looking forward to it for so long. Then it would be a shame to have to make any sacrifices because of financial aspects.

Jessica: And I knew in advance that it would be very expensive and that I definitely wanted to travel there. I know myself, I didn't invent this system there in the first place, I've done it that way for my other stays abroad already. Accordingly, I also worked and saved in advance so that I didn't have any money worries at the end. There was one or the other who then said at some point, he's sorry but he can no longer go on the trips, because he simply ran out of money at some point. For this reason, many of my friends also looked for a job there. It was very easy to do that. In Manly there were many cafes where you could work and also the university actually hires many students for marketing or student support. That's how most of them financed their stay there.

Antonia: Now I have to come back to all the scholarships you got. What were the criteria for these scholarships? Could you apply for them, or was it more based on your grade point average, or were they drawn by lot?

Jessica: Very different. I'll have to go into more detail about that. The housing scholarship from the International Students Office was an application where you had to be a bit creative and describe what you expect from Australia. The international scholarship from ICMS was a form to fill out and an interview, at 3am of course, but that was enough. The DAAD wants a very long form and also a letter of motivation, but the grades are not that important. And with the Studienstiftung, it's all about grades at first, you only get in if you have a certain grade point average and then you also have to apply for it again, but that's more of a formality, the grades are the main thing.

Antonia: All right, exciting.

Jessica: I can really only recommend it. Most of the others from ICMS got a scholarship as well. Many of the national organizations, such as the DAAD, also provided financial support. So you can really cover a large part of the costs through the scholarships. And I really want to encourage everyone to try it, it's really not as hard as you think!

Antonia: I think so too. It definitely can't hurt to try. Of course, it can also happen that you don't get a scholarship after all, but in the end it can work out like it did for you, you got every scholarship you needed. It was definitely worth the effort to try it out. It was worth it! We've already checked off a lot of my questions, but now I'd like to talk about public transportation again. We have already learned that there was a ferry from Manly to Sydney. Were there also bus and train offers?

Jessica: Sydney is basically a normal big city, even though Australia might seem a bit different than what we are used to here. The distances in Australia are much longer, so flying is often the best option. From Sydney to Melbourne we just drive - no, because that's over 12 hours of driving, so we fly. In Sydney itself there are trains, similar to the regional train, so less streetcars but rather trains that go to the various suburbs, just not to Manly, because there is water in between, as I said. There is then just the ferry, which is a special feature for us, because we know that from the German cities rather not so. The ferries are also part of the normal public transport, which you can use with a card. There are also buses, but they need a little more time. You can imagine it like this: the buses have to drive a C to get from Sydney to Manly, around this huge bay. The ferry can of course go straight across, so it is much faster than the bus in this respect. In the city center, there is also a metro that covers a few stations, just like ours in Würzburg. So, you can get from A to B really well, even without a car. I would also say that a car in Sydney would be more of a hindrance, because there are hardly any parking spaces. When I landed in Australia, I took an Uber to the university or to my accommodation. Uber is really big in Australia and also accessible everywhere. I would say that Uber is also quite okay in terms of cost, especially if you compare it with the prices of public transport, because they are unfortunately a bit more expensive there. You can use the public transport there quite normally with a credit card when you enter the vehicle. So, you don't have to buy tickets all the time. That's why it was the best option for us most of the time and then we mostly took public transportation when we wanted to go somewhere. For longer trips we rented a car there, which also worked out really well.

Antonia: That sounds good. Then we can check off this topic already and then we have actually discussed everything about your semester abroad as far as my questions are concerned. Then we come to the follow-up: 3 words in which you would describe your semester abroad.

Jessica: The first one I think I've said several times now: fascinating. I was totally overwhelmed by Australia and my semester abroad there. It was a huge adventure. I got out of my comfort zone in many situations and tried new things and got to know new things. Therefore, definitely an adventure for me. The third word I have to think about for a moment, I would say impressive. Impressive in the sense that it leaves an impression for a long time. I think that I will carry those memories with me for a very long time and also continue to maintain the friendships that I made there. So, it really left a long-term impression.

Antonia: That all sounds very positive. Then the question of whether you would recommend a semester abroad in Australia to others has probably been answered.

Jessica: That's a clear yes, without any doubt.

Antonia: Great! If you had the chance to do this or any other semester abroad (again), would you do anything differently?

Jessica: Of course, I would find it exciting to get to know another country, but I would also definitely go back to Australia in a heartbeat and do another semester abroad there. Would I do anything differently? No, I don't think so, because I really did everything, I set out to do and was able to take away so many great impressions and experiences. I told myself every day, "no, you don't stay in bed now, go out and experience something!", there are so many unique opportunities there that you shouldn't miss. Accordingly, everything went really well, and I would not do anything differently.

Antonia: Great! Did you get anything for yourself from your semester abroad? Of course, besides all the travel, experiences and friendships. Did you learn anything?

Jessica: Of course, I assume that I learned something at the university, in the sense of professional learning. But I also learned a lot for myself. I have developed further, especially in the sense that I now have more orientation about what I want to do after graduation. Before my semester abroad, I was still a bit disoriented, but now everything has become a bit clearer to me. So, it has definitely helped me a lot.

Antonia: That's great. Then I just have one final question now. On a scale from 1 to 10 how would you rate your semester abroad?

Jessica: 10 is the best? Then it's 11. Little spoiler, I'm already flying back to Australia in January because it was just so great, so I have to go right back there. It was just incredibly beautiful.

Antonia: It must have really captivated you.

Jessica: London used to be my favorite city. I spent a year there as an au pair. But I think Sydney has definitely overtaken London for me by now.

Antonia: I think you are the first one who is 100% satisfied with her semester abroad, where everything worked out, apart from the double degree, of course, of which unfortunately half was more or less cancelled, but where the part of the semester abroad that actually took place abroad went as well as it did for you.

Jessica: In retrospect, it's not so bad that it was so short. But you're right: the people were awesome, the location was awesome, the university was awesme, everything was just wonderful. We never had any problem with any formality, everything just fit. Hence this very positive rating.

Antonia: Wonderful, yes, that sounds really fantastic. That's it from my side, is there anything else you would like to share with us? Maybe an experience, a funny story or a practical trick on the side?

Jessica: A funny story maybe. In college, everyone always left their door unlocked because there were still very big old-fashioned keys for the doors and no one felt like lugging those keys around, especially on the beach or something. So, there were some situations where the room door just opened when people got the wrong door. So, if you go to ICMS and you want to do anything private in your room, it's best to lock it. That maybe as a little fun closing tip.

Antonia: It can't hurt to do that. Then, thank you so much for being here and sharing your experience. It was really informative, especially about the scholarships. It's been really great to listen to you. I'm glad you were here today and of course that you had a great time in Australia.

Jessica: Thank you so much for having me, it was really nice to talk about it all again and review it.

 

Antonia: Also thank you to the dear listeners. We hope you were able to take some things away from Jessica's stories, especially about the scholarships. You can see here with this positive example that it is possible and it is even possible to get several scholarships. So, I'll hear you next time, see you then. Bye.