UQ Program: Bachelor of Engineering/Commerce (5th Year)
When I was initially deciding on an exchange destination, I decided not to choose one of usual places for students such as Canada, US, or the UK. Instead, I wanted to go somewhere Australian students and tourists do not usually travel. Gothenburg was the obvious choice for a location off the ‘beaten track’. The second largest city in Sweden (pop. 480 000) and unheard of to many Australians, this was the perfect destination.
Living in Gothenburg was a great experience. To be honest I knew very little about this city and I was intrigued to find out as much about this region as I could. The city is positioned nearly equidistant from the three Scandinavian capitals, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. I would recommend any future exchange students to try to travel to each of these three cities whilst on exchange, as each of them are quite different from one another and offer their own slice of the Scandinavian lifestyle.
The business school was well resourced and the class sizes were smaller and more engaging than courses at UQ. There is no language barrier as classes are taught in English and little stress near exam times as the four courses each semester are taken in two blocks, an ideal situation for any student wishing to travel whilst studying.
A helpful suggestion would be to buy your winter clothing over there—they are better made for the conditions, usually cheaper (even in Sweden) and have a much larger range. Plus, you don’t have to lug the heavy items halfway around the world.
In closing, I would recommend any student to consider a semester abroad. It allowed me to travel and explore northern Europe whilst still completing my studies.