What people say

Kurt's Story: From Australia to Austria

It's hard to know where to begin. When I got back to Australia people excitedly asked me 'Kurt! How was Europe?' I'd always fire back 'awesome!' with a big grin from ear to ear.
There are too many incredible experiences and events from my eight months away to jam into a five-minute conversation. So today I will tease you with just a few!

Prior to the trip, my knowledge of Europe was very limited. Most of what I knew about Austria was from watching 'The Sound of Music' as a child. It certainly lived up to the scenic beauty of the film. Snowboarding the Austrian Alps, bicycle riding between castles in Lower Austria, milking dairy cows at a friends farmhouse, trekking in the scenic mountains and swimming beneath a waterfall (in water that had just melted from snow above….brrrr!) are some of my fondest memories.

But of course there was so much I was unaware of when I flew into Vienna. To begin with, the language. Though it seemed very strange to many of my European friends, it is quite common to learn only English in Australia. My knowledge of German (Deutsch) extended about as far as 'guten morgen' and 'gesundheit'. This was definitely the most daunting barrier I experienced on arrival. How to read signage, catch a bus, or even order a sandwich was something I had to learn quickly to survive in Vienna. In retrospect life would have been a lot easier had I enrolled in a beginner German course in Australia or even upon my arrival in Austria. I soon realized after learning the very basics that most people would be much more helpful when I spoke to them in my broken German. Most Viennese could actually speak English or were polite enough to at least bare my attempts at their language. But of course being emersed in the culture, living and studying there, the rewards were far greater than the small barriers I had to overcome.

I found the culture and history extraordinary, exploring places that I had only seen on the discovery channel or in books! During my free time I perused the museums and galleries of Vienna. Roamed the ruins of Rome, and the unearthed city of Pompeii. Explored the streets of Budapest, Prague, Madrid and London to name a few. Ran with the bulls in Pamplona (not sure if my travel insurance covered that one!). Trekked through Italy's Cinque Terre, and relaxed on Spain's beaches. This may sound like a holiday, but it was indeed a university exchange program!

Please don't be mistaken and think that it was all fun and games. The studies were very challenging, yet rewarding. So I will refrain from my boasting anymore and talk about a very important part of my studies abroad, and that is of course study. I was only starting the 2nd year of my bachelor at the time, and the courses that were offered in English were all masters' courses. I guess you could say I was really dropped in the deep end! I quickly learned how resourceful I could be, always asking questions and consulting the Professors (and my peers) when I was having difficulty. Some units were very theory based, with old Austrian professors talking and writing on old blackboards for hours on end. In contrast some units were extremely practical, with lab work or field trips. In one unit we were fortunate enough to spend a week in the mountains learning about forestry. We participated in some research and learnt methods of calculating the carbon storage capacity of differing forest stands.

Living and studying overseas was an incredible life experience for me. It was like I got to live in someone else's shoes for a semester. I feel now that I could take on anything. My advice to anyone considering studying overseas would be: What are you waiting for? This is your opportunity to experience something extraordinary... just do it!

Moa Ek, visiting MQ from Linköping

Moa Ek came to Macquarie on exchange for Semester 2 2007. At the end of her six months here, Moa felt that she hadn't experienced enough of Australia and decided to stay for a further six months. She has been working at Macquarie as a research assistant and has seen more of Australia than most Australians.

Most significantly, Moa worked as a volunteer at Macquarie University's fauna park where she was able to help feed and care for the wallabies and get close to the kangaroos. As a research assistant, Moa has taken part in field trips around outback Australia. She has recently returned from a trip to remote parts of the Kimberley to conduct research on the spread of cane toads and monitor the resultant decline of the native reptiles, such as monitors and frogs. During this trip, as a member of the Toadbuster Team, she reports that she spent most nights sleeping under the stars while keeping an eye out for nocturnal predators, such as snakes and crocs.

While here in Australia, Moa experienced her first hot, sunny Christmas and helped maintain tradition by eating seafood and drinking beer on the beach. She has also managed to take in a trip to New Zealand, where she explored the beautiful national parks of the South Island.

Verena Hell, visiting MQ from BOKU

"I really enjoyed my exchange semester at Macquarie. It was a great chance to meet people from all over the world and to improve my language skills. The subjects I chose were all very interesting and it was a great opportunity for me to know a completely new environment and to apply the studied theory during fieldtrips.

A great advantage of the semester at Macquarie University was that I learned how to do proper scientific research and how to compose papers and reports; this will be very useful for the thesis and research work I am planning to do the ongoing semester.

I consider my exchange semester at Macquarie University as an important part of my academic and personal life. To conclude, Macquarie University is a great place to study and Australia in general a great place to live and travel, especially for environmental scientists!"

Harald Fragner, visiting MQ from BOKU

"As I arrived here in Sydney in the middle of July my feelings were really mixed up not knowing what will happen in the next month. Fortunately you and your colleagues invited us to the morning tea and the first fear was taken away because of you nice guys.

I did a full study load with 11 credit points and I have to say I was really busy over the whole semester. The system you have here is really different in comparison to ours back home in Austria. But it was possible to manage it!

All the experiences I have had in the last months will stay forever in my life and the friendships I developed will surely last for a long time. So I can just say the exchange here in Australia at Macquarie University was the best time in my life I ever had!
Now I'm really looking forward to meet up with the exchange students in Vienna."

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Online forum

We now have the online forum we have been promising for a while. If you are on exchange, have applied for exchange or if you have returned home from exchange, visit the forum and get involved in the discussion. Find out about the different universities from current students. You'll be able to exchange all the information you need before taking a semester-long trip overseas.
One of Macquarie's students, Kurt Sorensen, is managing the forum to kick it off. Kurt is studying the Bachelor of Environmental Management and spent Spring Semester of 2008 at BOKU. He is happy to talk about his study, the places he visited and will let give you all the good advice about what you should organise before you go on exchange.

Visit the forum here.