Ashley Dudill

Host University: University of Queensland
Year of Study Abroad: 2010-11

Where did you live? Would you recommend it?

I lived in Union College at the St Lucia campus and I would definitely recommended it, I had the best time there!!!

Everyone there is really friendly, and it is so easy to settle in and feel at home. There are weekly social events which other colleges also go to, including college balls and recoveries! Definitely try and go on as may social events as possible!! The colleges also have sports teams which you can get involved in, including football, hockey, rowing, basketball, and a lot more!!! There is also beach trips which are lovely! The food can be a bit variable, but overall it's okay! They provide you with three meals a day, seven days a week, so you never go hungry!

The location is fantastic, it is about 200m from campus, right next to the main University bus stop and near to the 'Ville' which has lots of restaurants, food shops, post office etc.

Living in Union College made my year abroad so so memorable!! It is very expensive, but I think it was worth it for the experience!!!

Which department(s) did you study in?

Civil Engineering

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

At UQ you take four modules a semester, but each module has more content.

The class sizes are much much larger than they are at Sheffield, and they also start at 8am and can finish as late as around 7pm!

The teaching style is fairly similar for Engineering. They have 2 hours of lectures a week, then a tutorial for most modules, and then some lab time.

The big difference is the flexibility in the module choice, there isn't a strict academic program like at Sheffield. You are able to pick your modules so you are able to take what interests you most from a rather large list!!

There is also 'Lectopia' which most classes use. It records your lectures and puts them online for you to watch at any point!

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

Brisbane is so easy to travel from, I managed to do quite a lot of traveling with my friends during the weekends and holidays. We went to Stradbroke Island, Mooloolaba, Noosa, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Hevery Bay, Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, Airlie Beach, The Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays within Australia, and also over to Fiji and New Zealand.

Did you join any societies or clubs?

I went sailing with the UQ sailing club! It was great fun!! We went to Moreton Bay and spent the day laid in the sunshine, occasionally doing a bit of sailing and eating fish and chips!! Brilliant!

If you are serious about sports, you can join the University Sports Clubs, and if not, the college sports teams are just a lot of fun and very social.

I played Ozzie Rules football for Union and it was hilarious! Just get involved and try new things, even if they are rather embarrassing!

Describe the University/City/things to do

Brisbane is a brilliant city!!! It is so lively and everyone is really friendly, it is also a very safe city! There are lots of clubs, pubs, bars, shops and restaurants, and one of the main ways to get around is on the CityCat on the Brisbane river!

There is a farmers market at the North Quay on a Wednesday, an Open Air Cinema in the summer, and the fake beaches in South Bank are amazing (where the is also a chocolate cafe!!!)! There is also River Fire once a year, where there is a HUGE firework display over South Bank, the city is full of people watching, it was fantastic! There are two main stadiums in the city, the Suncorp and the Gabba where there is always cricket, rugby, soccer or football on! And of course, there is the EPIC Queensland weather!!! I can't recommend living in Brisbane more!!! As soon as I graduate, I am really hoping to move back!

Could you give any travel or immigration tips?

Apply for your visa online. Once I applied, it only took about three hours to come through, no problems at all! Sort your bank account out when you arrive, and I'd advice Commonwealth. I had no problems at all with them all year and they were always very helpful and friendly. There is a branch in the centre of campus, and ATMs near the campus bus stop. In Australia, if you take money out of a cashpoint which belongs to another bank, you have to pay a charge, so it is helpful to find a bank which is near you!

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

Don't be scared, you will have the BEST experience of your life!!!!

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

Transport is cheaper, but that is about it. Australia as a whole is much more expensive than the UK, especially for alcohol, food and clothing!

Any other information or comments

While we were studying in Brisbane, the city flooded over Christmas. I was asked by someone who wanted to go to UQ how badly the city was damaged because it was putting them off wanting to go. The city recovered so quickly and within a few months, apart from a few walkways by the river, the CityCat was back running, the fake beaches were open again, all the flooded shops and restaurants were re-opened, so don't let it put you off going to such a fantastic place!!