There are many pieces of advice I could give to a student going on international exchange, and I probably will share as many as possible by the end of the semester, but I'll start with one of the most fun and tangible things you can do. If you're coming to Brisbane, join QUEST. (click on links like that one for any extra info you might want to see!)
- All stunning photos with Quest logo taken by Jordan Condon. Click this photo for his webpage!
QUEST (cleverly named for Queensland University Exchange Student socieTy) is a student-run society based at UQ that brings together international students, as well as Australians, and gives them countless opportunities to explore Australia. These activities include:
- a bar crawl and pub nights (where you get to know the city and hang out with other members of the club a.k.a. "Questies")
- a day trip to the Steve Irwin Zoo (because I haven't seen enough koalas yet)
- a 1 day sailing trip (great excuse to try sailing)
- a weekend trip to a popular beach or island along the coast (Byron Bay, Moreton Island, etc.)
- a weekend camping trip (because Australia's beautiful beaches need to be complemented by the "bush"; next weekend we'll travel a little bit inland and camp out in the woods!)
- the ever-popular East Coast Trip over mid-semester break (a tour of adventurous activities from Cairns back down to Brisbane)
- and more...
Every event I've been to so far has been filled with fun people and exciting activities (and, considering the fact we're in Australia, let's be real- you will always have the chance to drink if you're in the mood for it.)
Even though QUEST is based at UQ, you don't even have to be a university student. You just have to be interested in a little adventure and a lot of fun times socializing with other exchange students. I guarantee it will be worth your while (and your $10- only 10!) to become a member of this cool club. Then, you choose which events and trips you want to go to and pay separately for each, and all the trips are discounted with group and student rates. As much as I love to peruse over travel sites and plan trips, it's pretty nice to have a trip completely planned for you once in awhile.
If you're going on exchange to somewhere else in Australia, or anywhere in the world for that matter, try to find their version of an international/exchange student social club. I would love if we had something like it at USC. (the closest thing we do have however is OUTDOOR REC! They're great. Check them out here.)
If I haven't convinced you yet to join an international/adventure club, I'll give you a nice realistic picture of what QUEST is like by telling you about my favorite event so far: our weekend trip to Moreton Island.
QUEST Moreton Island Trip
April 15-17, 2016
I loved this trip so much. This is one of the times that you look at your savings and think "Do I want to spend money on this or something else?" and when you do decide to spend the money, you go on that trip and you don't look back. It's all worth it.
Our weekend tour was booked with Sunset Safaris. They pretty much run the tourism of the beautiful, sandy, wild place that is Moreton Island. And they cooked all of our delicious meals for us, which was a pleasant surprise, so island life was pretty good that weekend.
Day 1:
- 4 Wheel Drive tour on a bus with everyone (pretty much the only way to see the island)
- Swimming in the lagoon and beach (even though it rained, it was fantastic)
- Sand boarding (hilariously fun)
- Shipwrecked theme party (self-explanatory)
Day 2:
- Day kayaking (so clear and easy to see around the Tangalooma shipwrecks)
- Snorkeling (I didn't do this but it looked awesome)
- Night kayaking (LED lights in the boats, out around the same place we day-kayaked; would strongly recommend)
- Bonfire and party on the beach (the most Australian thing I've ever done: sat on the beach around a bonfire drinking boxed wine, looking up at the gorgeous stars and listening to a band play)
Day 3:
- Beach day (the best thing to do after a long and busy weekend)
- Ferry back to Brisbane (a great time to blast some music, bond with old and new friends, and watch the sunset)
According to the QUEST exec board, their organization has grown a lot over the past few years. It's been very well recognized and esteemed at UQ's campus, and the number of non-UQ members is growing as well. I actually saw it on Facebook and heard about it from the USC students I knew who went on exchange to Brisbane. They were all very enthusiastic about the good memories they had with and because of QUEST people.
If I was back in the states right now and you were a prospective student for the University of South Carolina, one of my biggest points of advice would be to get involved. I've given you a similar suggestion here if you go on exchange, but I just picked one organization that I've really loved so far this semester instead of showing you a big list of options. However, most schools you go to, there will be lots of options.
Most people who know me at USC will say "Jo Jo's so involved." That is very true, and I love that about myself, but over the past 2 1/2 years at USC, I've learned to balance and prioritize what I want to spend most of my time doing. As I prepared to come to Australia, I knew some of my biggest priorities (besides passing my classes of course) were traveling, meeting a variety of people, and trying new things. QUEST is a great combination of all three.
I am really looking forward to my last year at USC full of participating in the organizations I've become so passionate about over the span of college so far. However, being on exchange has been a nice change of pace. I've mentioned before that I saved some easier classes to take abroad, and I only have class 3 days a week- I'd be crazy not to take advantage of that. As we've learned, there are countless things to see and adventures to find wherever you visit, work, or live. In the brief time that I get to live in Australia, I'm glad QUEST has been a big contributor to the experiences I'm having here.
- Every day, do one thing that scares you.
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