Matthew Mitchell

Host institution: Griffith University
Year spent abroad: 2010-11

Where did you live? Would you recommend it?

Campus Living Villages. It's the most convenient for the university and it provides fantastic opportunities to make plenty of friends from all over the world, not just Australia. They organise many activities like bushwalking, barbecues and visits to the beach. The only drawback is that it's rather a lot more expensive than the houses and flats you can rent that may be in more desirable places to live - Surfer's Paradise. Also, they don't have a proper oven in the flat, so get used to frying things.

Which department(s) did you study in?

Business.

How does the workload/classes/teaching styles vary to Sheffield?

I feel the workload is less, but obviously that depends on how much time and effort you are willing to put in. The teaching style is very similar with large lecture halls and smaller tutorial groups.

What did you do for fun at the weekends and during the holidays?

I went to Sydney a few times, which is amazing and I took part in a road trip from the Gold Coast to Melbourne. A very long but amazing experience. A lot of my friends went skydiving and scuba diving. I liked to hang out on the beach, play rugby and surf. There's a very big drinking culture in Australia that they embrace whole-heartedly, I certainly found myself becoming accustomed to that culture. Beware though to stay out of trouble because the police are very strict and have no patience if you're too drunk.

Did you join any societies or clubs?

I was involved with the local rugby club but didn't join any of the university societies. There was little choice compared to Sheffield.

Describe the University/City/things to do

Surfer's Paradise is very much catered to holiday makers so there's a lot of clubs and bars, nice restaurants and amazing beaches. My personal favourite was Main Beach. Go up to Brisbane though if you can, it's only an hour on the train and is relatively cheap if you buy a GoCard from the student guild. There's loads to do in Brisbane.

Could you give any travel or immigration tips?

Take a book. No, two. It's a long flight. Also, be aware of what you can take through customs. I saw a man with a shopping trolley full of alcohol and he pretty much just got it all taken off of him because he failed to realise you can only take 2 litres of spirits through.

Could you give any advice or tips to a student preparing to go or tell them anything you wished you knew in advance?

It may not sound very appealing if you're really excited to get to a new country, but it's quite expensive to live in Australia so if you can get a job it's incredibly handy. I worked at Lacoste as a sales assistant and got paid 18 an hour and 28 an hour on Sundays. It really makes a difference if you want to buy domestic flights or buy a surfboard.

Would you say it is cheaper or more expensive to live than Sheffield?

Excluding flights etc. I think the living cost in general is more expensive. Fuel is cheaper though. I found that the exchange rate changed to my detriment when I was over there so pay attention to the value of your money.

Any other information or comments

The best year of my life. Take every opportunity you can!