Kathryn Lising - Philippines, 4 October, 2023
It has been my dream to study in Australia since I was in high school and as soon as I had the opportunity to go, I took the plunge and applied to QUT. I chose QUT because I wanted to study education and I liked the course and the structure QUT offered. I used to live abroad so that wasn’t new to me but in Australia I didn’t know anyone, so it was a way to get out of my comfort zone and get a wider understanding of the world and other cultures.
Getting ready
As I had never been to Australia or Brisbane before I ensured I researched the location well before I travelled here. I find that doing advanced planning and getting to know the destination well before you arrive is important and it’s easier to settle in. I booked my accommodation in advance and choose a location that was close to university and the city centre.
Why I love QUT
I have really enjoyed my experience here at QUT and there are so many things that has been amazing. I especially love the way the units were taught by industry lectures coming from diverse cultural backgrounds and with very wide experience. They shared their learnings from their professions as well as challenges and why they were doing certain things. I liked that they were very encouraging towards the students, supportive, and motivated us by providing guidance and advice. I feel that they gave me great confidence and prepared me for the real-world.
Living in Brisbane
I really enjoy living in Brisbane because of its wonderful weather, nice balance of nature and city living. It’s a very multicultural city which I love as I used to live in Singapore and it’s very similar to that. You meet people from all over the world and it’s easy to strike a conversation with people on the street if you need to ask for directions, everyone is so friendly and welcoming.
There are great options for public transports to get you around the city such as ferries, buses and trains. I also love using my push bike a wonderful way of getting to places and enjoy the city.
If you want to have do a day trip or weekend getaway, Brisbane is so close to national parks and beaches if you want to explore some different scenery. My favourite place is Noosa Heads, the beach and nature are so amazing. If you enjoy hiking and nature Mt Coot-tha is close to the city centre and has several great hiking tracks as well as a lovely lookout spot at the top. South Bank Parklands is another beautiful place to just take a walk along the river or get a scooter or bike, enjoying the calm atmosphere of the place and the water. If you feel like it, you could also take a swim at the South Bank Streets beach.
My future plans
When I graduate, I will apply for a graduate visa so I can continue working at my current job at Scape South Bank, building on my skills in customer service as I really enjoy it. I work as a Customer Experience Officer helping students settle in as they are new to the city and providing them with any other help if they are struggling with university, living in a new country, finances, budgets, time management and many other issues that might arise. I would also love getting into teaching primary or secondary school children and use the skills that I acquired at QUT.
My advice
If you are thinking of going but are hesitating, I would say go for it. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone, live on your own or with other people in shared accommodation, a fantastic way to mature and grow up. If you have the opportunity, take the chance and study overseas. Take the risk, you owe it to yourself to try new things, be brave and take a leap of faith. You never know what lessons you will learn and what people you will meet.
