Education Abroad Student Blog

Only about four weeks to go and then the semester is over. It is unbelievable how fast everything has gone by. But this probably means that I am having a good time here! As exams are approaching everyone is getting a bit worried about studying and the library is getting busier. I am taking four subjects this semester and I really like three of them.

The system here is quite different from what I was used to in the Netherlands. There the main focus is usually on the final exam which is a substantial part of your final grade (about 80% to 100%). Here there is a much greater focus on presentations and assignments throughout the semester. For one subject I don't even have an exam at all!

I am quite looking forward to when the exams are over because there are some nice trips that I have planned. First I am going to Tasmania for a week. After that my parents and sister are visiting me and we are going to take a trip towards Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney and the Great Ocean Road.

Time flies when you're having fun! As I am writing this, it is the last day of my mid-semester break. This means that I am already halfway through the semester! It is amazing how fast time is going by.

My semester break was awesome. I took a trip to the Great Ocean Road which was really beautiful. Although the weather was a bit disappointing the day I visited the twelve apostles (it was raining the whole day), it was still very impressive to see everything. I could have stayed there watching it all day. But there was more to see: I also visited some rainforests (in the rain!), some pretty waterfalls and some old volcanos. There was so much beautiful nature! Also it was amazing to drive for a long time without meeting any other car. This country is so big!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Let me first introduce myself quickly before I tell you all about how great it is to be an exchange student at Swinburne! My name is Kirsten and I am 20 years old. I am an exchange student from the Erasmus University which is in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. There I am studying International Bachelor of Economics and Business. I will be studying at Swinburne for one semester, taking courses at the faculty of Business and Enterprise.

I have been in Australia for about six weeks now and time is flying! Probably because I enjoy it so much here! After a very long journey of more than 30 hours, I finally arrived in Australia. But I can tell you, it was worth it! In my first weeks I discovered Melbourne and its surroundings and of course I have visited all the touristy places. Nevertheless, there is still so much left to see and to do in Melbourne. Moreover, I am really lucky that I have got family living in Melbourne so they could show me around here.