Ender studied at Queensland University of Technology

My name is Ender Tugsuz I am 24 years old and I come from Drammen. I have been on a Study Abroad stay at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.

I wanted to go on exchange to experience new cultures, find inspiration for my master's dissertation, network building and to develop as a person. I am pursuing a master's degree in industrial economics (now called Innovation and Technology Management) at the Kongsberg campus and have never been on exchange before. I recommend other students to take the chance!

Brisbane is a dynamic city with countless activities to take part in. It is almost mandatory to take an "east-coast trip" to explore the east coast of Australia in a massive road trip. Make sure you order an international driver's license from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration before stepping down. Standard Norwegian driver's license is certainly not good enough, something I have learned the hard way.

The city itself offers many social events and not least nice weather. Unfortunately there are no beaches located directly near Brisbane, however there is an artificial beach and swimming area in the heart of the city, but many prefer to travel to the Gold Coast to enjoy their free time.

The days are relatively short and it takes some time before you get over the jet lag. Furthermore, the surrounding areas outside Brisbane city center (suburbs) can feel lonely and boring at times. Fortunately, public transport is fine so you can get to the city center whenever you want. - It is very simple and affordable public transport system here, and it is a paradise for cyclists. The culture in Australia is amazing and there is exciting and beautiful scenery.

The subjects I have taken at QUT are "Self-leadership", "Negotiating across borders" and "Employment relations". There is a clear difference that the master's level in Australia feels much more practically oriented than in Norway. There is less academic focus and more focus on workshops and discussions within the class. In Norway, we usually have long lectures with little disposition for interaction between students and lecturers. Here at QUT, we rarely have more than 2 hours of teaching per week per subject. The teaching in my subjects consisted of workshops, seminars and tutorials, which promoted discussions and teamwork. Furthermore, we get number grades instead of letters, but the ranking system is otherwise quite similar.

It is easy for Norwegian students to adapt to the Australian school system, as it is similar. As in Norway, he has experienced good dialogue with lecturers, an online school platform, similar requirements for the curriculum, and more.

Exchange to Australia gives you the best of both worlds: Teaching is directed differently than at home and it complements our "shortcomings". Once you have done your homework, you can enjoy your time as if you were on vacation. Since teaching and the holiday feeling go hand in hand, I feel, personally, little stress and can use the excess energy back to school work in the form of creativity and innovation.