Robert Stifter

“First of all, I decided to study in Australia in order to improve my English skills. Secondly, I have ever been impressed with the way of life in this country, the friendliness of its people, the amazing and very diverse landscape and the permanent good weather (at least in Brisbane). Moreover, the fact that Australia is a country where many different nationalities and cultures come together was also a reason I chose to study in Australia.

“Apart from the excellent facilities on campus at UQ, I was very pleased with the quality of my courses. Furthermore, during my semester as a study abroad student I had the opportunity to make lots of new friends from all over world.

“The most interesting aspect of one of my courses were field trips to North Stradbroke and Heron Island where I had the opportunity to experience Australia’s marine environment by snorkelling, diving, etc. These field trips offered a practical change in comparison with the lectures in class.

“Studying an entire semester on another continent helped me to become more independent. I think in meeting new people from different parts of the world I became more aware of the cultural differences. I also experienced how the educational system in Australia works and I will probably come back for a masters degree.

“Compared with Europeans, people in Australia are far more easy-going and much friendlier. Also the perfect weather and the beautiful campus at UQ made studying much easier and more interesting for me.”