After a long journey to Australia, I had a warm greeting at the airport from representatives of my host university, Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The 33 degree sunny weather was also a welcomed change from the rainy cold weather back in Vancouver. Within the first few moment of landing in Australia I knew I made the right choice of choosing Australia as my exchange destination.

Australians are great people to be around and their positive and outgoing attitude towards life is contagious.

QUT is located in Brisbane, Australia and has two main campuses with a complementary shuttle between the two locations. There is a strong student community at QUT that often organize different adventures and social gatherings. The classes I have are smaller in size, usually containing 30-60 people depending on the unit (course). The professors are easy to understand and are keen to help you if you need any assistance or clarification. The assessment of the courses are similar to SFU which include a final exam and several projects throughout the semester. There are only two semesters a year at QUT and begin at different times than SFU.

Brisbane is located on the East Coast of Australia and is an hour drive from Surfers Paradise. The city itself is beautiful, the streets are very clean, safe and there is a ‘small-town’ vibe even within the city. Brisbane is located inwards from the coast but the city has built a man-made swimming lagoon that is open 24/7 so you can always head there to cool off.

The people within the city live a very active lifestyle and are always keen to enjoy the outdoors. Being centrally located here in Brisbane allows for easy and cheap travel to other major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns and other smaller towns along the East Coast.

Brandon Jackman is a fourth year Business student pursuing a concentration in Finance and Operation Management. He has always admired the active Australian lifestyle and beautiful beaches. He loves being outdoors and experiencing new locations, people and culture. Brandon was able to explore numerous areas of Australia and proceeded to travel Fiji and Southeast Asia after finishing his semester at QUT.