Matilde Guala Molino - Italy, 28 September, 2023
It has always been one of my biggest dreams to come to Australia and study at university. When I found out that I was selected to spend my exchange semester at QUT I was so excited and I couldn’t wait for my adventure to start.
My exchange experiences
Being on exchange at QUT was an amazing experience. I did many extracurricular activities that I have great memories from. Thanks to the business units that I was doing, I had the opportunity to volunteer as a Ground Crew member at the AIB Oceania conference. This event was hosted by QUT with speakers from around the globe presenting innovative business concepts and discussing their insightful studies and findings. Furthermore, I participated in some video and photo shoots organised by the international marketing team at QUT. It was a lot of fun shooting and filming with, and it was fantastic news to discover that I was on the 2024 Study Abroad guide
The study highlights
I enjoyed the unique way of teaching, my lecturers, and the campus itself. The teachers had a direct approach and made difficult topics easy to understand. They were very kind to everyone and paid special attention to me and the other exchange students and provided more help if we required.
I took four courses: advertising, bridging cultures, managing strategy, and marketing communication. My favourite course was managing strategy - very useful for a business career-oriented path as well as advertising jobs, and very interesting with valuable content. One of the assessments for this unit was a group presentation related to the Metaverse. It was such an interesting topic where my group and I put in lots of work which paid off in the end with the top grade of 7.
Given the fact that my university degree program is in international business management, I gained many international skills and knowledge which are a relevant part of my university and personal life. If I look back, I would have made the same decision again, it was such a great experience.
I really enjoyed the QUT Gardens Point campus since it’s close to the Botanic Gardens and the riverside. There are many different facilities and things to do in between lectures and tutorials such as the gym, the swimming pool, the food court area, and the rooftop. My favourite place is D block at Gardens Point campus, a great location for studying and relaxing in between lectures.
Student life
I joined the Surf Club and BAMSA (Business and Management Student Association). Both are amazing clubs, highly recommended, especially the business club. The latter hosted a business conference where there were a range of large companies such as Ernst and Young, Deloitte, and SAP, etc. Thanks to this event I decided to apply for a student position at Deloitte, and I was selected to participate in the Deloitte Insider Program, one of the best achievements of my life. I spent one month at Deloitte working on a project providing solutions and strategies. This was such an unforgettable experience.
Living in Brisbane
The first month was a bit difficult as Brisbane is quite a large city compared to Edinburgh, where my home university is located. The distances were mind-blowing. To travel from one side of Brisbane to another could take thirty minutes or more. However, this was something that I got used to as Australia is a big country hence the long distances. Meeting many new friends at the start helped me to settle into my new life and it was a really good experience.
My home country is Italy and as an Italian, I have to say that food is one of the most different things. In Australia, there are a lot of Asian restaurants or steak houses that I am not used to. It was a good opportunity to experience new cuisines and cultures.
Exploring the country
Along with my studies, volunteering activities, and work, I had the chance to travel around Australia. I love the Gold Coast with Surfers Paradise and Noosa in the Sunshine Coast; you must visit these destinations. I also really enjoyed the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and Tasmania, some of my favourites. I love the beautiful beaches, the wide-open spaces and the amazing nature; it’s so different from my home country.
Step out of your comfort zone
My best advice if you are thinking of going on exchange and you are feeling scared you should do it, you know it’s going to be a valuable and positive experience in the end but of course it can be daunting and overwhelming at the start. Great things happens when you get out of your comfort zone. I suggest you start researching about your destination, Brisbane and QUT at an early stage, then you are prepared for what to expect and it won’t be as scary.
Enjoy the moment, step out of your comfort zone, try something new (food, adventures, travels, initiates) and trust yourself, you won’t regret it.
