Gregory Vande Mark

“I was looking at studying in Australia because of the warm climate. I’ve been here before so I knew how wonderful Australia was, and I knew how friendly the people were, so that was a big plus for me – I love friendly people.

“I chose to study at UQ because out of everywhere in Australia, UQ and Brisbane seemed to be the warmer places and UQ has a good reputation – it’s part of the Group of Eight (Go8) – so the prestige of the university and its reputation was an added bonus.

“I’d say that most of all, I’m impressed with the quality of the lecturers here. They’re full of enthusiasm and very articulate and keep the students engaged.

“I’ve always had an interest in International relations, so I’ve been furthering that study here. Courses can only do so much, but actually coming on an international exchange across the world makes a world of difference. You’re able to study and learn with many other international students from all over the world, and this has been an incredible opportunity for me to learn from different paradigms and perspectives, so that could help with my future career in international relations.

“What I like most about Australia is the weather and the people – it’s a friendly environment. I’m actually amazed time and time again how friendly Australian people are. People are so willing to go out of their way to help you and you never really feel lost. And I guess they try to ease your culture shock as much as possible and people are really accommodating to people here from all over the world.

“I’d definitely recommend studying at UQ – it’s a once in a lifetime experience and I promise you’ll never regret it. I would just advise that you reach out to this opportunity with an open mind and a willingness to jump into new experiences and meet new people.”