Australia: Gold Coast or Brisbane - Undergraduate & Graduate Courses

I studied abroad through USAC at Griffith University in Gold Coast, Australia! USAC helped me feel prepared and offered a ton of resources to help me, whether it be my individual contact who I could email with questions, housing information, pre-trip booklets with information about the area, etc. They recommended I live in the Griffith University Village, where I met some amazing people from all over the world! USAC also offered an early weekend excursion which also helped me make friends at the very beginning of the semester. I truly had the best four months of my life, and USAC helped me with every step along the way! I always felt supported and they were there with all the questions and concerns I had throughout my time in Australia. The social scene was also so fun in Gold Coast! During the day there's the beach and surfing, boutique shopping, and lots of restaurants with delicious food! At night, the bars and nightclubs are a fun place to dance and hangout with friends! There's always some sort of deal for college students, so it's pretty cheap to go out and have a fun night. I always felt very safe in Gold Coast, whether it be walking around Surfer's Paradise late at night or traveling on the tram. Speaking of the tram, it's such an easy way to get around! There are two stops that are basically on campus, and you can take the tram/train system to Brisbane, Burleigh Beach, Snapper Rocks, or even the Australia Zoo (it's pretty far -- but doable!). The tram system also has a student deal so it's very cheap to get around. 10/10 would recommend going to Gold Coast -- there's the beach, nightclubs, shopping, restaurants, and easy transportation! What more could you ask for! You won't regret it :)

If you are considering study abroad in Gold Coast, Australia... do it! You will not regret a thing! Griffith University is an amazing campus that is well organized and does everything for and by the students. The academic professors are very involved in their lectures and they are very concerned whether or not their students have learned the material or not. My suggestion is to study abroad early, so you can take the easy courses and not stress too much about the grades. Unfortunately, I did not do this and had to take some more difficult engineering courses. I spent a lot of time studying and going to classes everyday, but I don't regret it. Overall, Gold Coast is a great little city that has plenty of activities for anyone. It has several beaches and outdoor activities to take part in (i.e. surfing, snorkeling, camping, hiking, climbing, etc.) and the city life is pretty nice as well. Public transportation with the Translink Tram is great and affordable for all students, eliminating the need for a bike or car. The accommodations for Griffith University Village was good because of its proximity to campus, but for better housing, you may want to search elsewhere. The GriffithMates club on campus did several day trips to explore the city and its surrounding areas. People in the Gold Coast are very casual and laid back, they dress comfortably and many people are just looking for a good time. I have met so many students from other countries aside from Australia. Gold Coast is really a large mixing pot of other cultures and backgrounds that you can have the chance to meet. Australia is very similar to America in its set-up and culture and modernism. If this is your first time traveling alone and you aren't looking for too much of a change in culture shock, Australia is a great place to start!

Studying abroad in Gold Coast, Australia was the absolute greatest experience of my life. Before my time abroad I had never really traveled before. I had only seen the ocean once, and I had never even been on a plane. I was extremely nervous to travel alone and be so far, for so long. But, you learn very quickly that so many others are in the same position as you, and you are all just excited to make new friends and embark on this incredible journey. Experiencing life in another country is a wonderful opportunity. I’ve learned and grown so much as a person. I went on incredible adventures. My favorite being scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. I remember thinking before I left that the hardest part of studying abroad was going to be leaving my family for 4 months. I soon learned that the hardest part of my journey was leaving my new home away from home and all the amazing people I met along the way. I think my biggest tip would be to always be yourself, and don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.

This place was amazing. I loved every second of this program. Not only did I get to learn how this country teaches, which is completely different from the US, but I also got to experience the beautiful land. Everyone is super friendly and wants to help you better yourself in any way. This place is one of my fondest memories. I would highly recommend going to study abroad in Australia and/or at least visit. You will never be the same after experiencing this culture. Also, other countries are so close and highly recommend traveling to them as well.

The Gold Coast is a beautiful place to study and you have the opportunity to find your own housing and live right on the beach. There is something to do for everyone, from nature lovers to party animals and the Gold Coast is also a good starting point to travel to other parts of Australia as well as surrounding countries so that you really have more than enough things to do while you're studying abroad there. That's why you'll hopefully gain some very good time management skills.

As of the classes and the actual studying, the academic level is not as high as I expected it to be but in some classes it is still difficult to get good grades since there are a lot of group projects where everyone gets graded the same no matter what they controbuted to the group work.

The Gold Coast is the ideal location for any study abroad student looking to explore all that Australia has to offer. From nightlife to beaches to academic settings, the Gold Coast provided it all. The opportunity to travel is also very present: whether it be renting a car and driving down to Byron Bay or booking a flight from Goldy to Sydney for the weekend, student travel is very common and VERY easy.

Studying abroad had to be one of the best experiences of my life!
While it was a little interesting getting everything organized, as when I studied abroad in 2004 it was the first year they did the program at Griffith - so everything was new & unknown in a sense for everyone.
But once it was all organized & over the mini home-sick feeling in the beginning - it was amazing!
The Gold Coast is gorgeous, always something going on & the people are super nice!!
Australia is super easy to travel - there is so much to see, very diverse, so try to see as much as you can!
You only live once!