ExCHANGE your life! – Ethan in Hong Kong (Guest Blog)

by the Study Abroad and Exchange Office

Want to enhance your Griffith study by completing a part of your degree overseas? With the Griffith Exchange Program you have the opportunity to combine study with travel and add an international experience to your qualification.

Spend one or two semesters studying at a partner university or participate in a short-term or study abroad program.

Most programs will earn credit towards your Griffith degree while enabling you to immerse yourself in a different culture and gain invaluable international contacts.

 

Check out Ethan’s experience in Hong Kong:

In Semester 2, 2012, I participated in the Griffith Exchange Program for my second time, travelling to Hong Kong to study at the University of Hong Kong … It was an incredible experience to walk down the streets and hear no English and always be the ‘odd one out’. Meeting other exchange students and exploring the new university and city together made the whole process a lot easier. Although I did meet some local students through the Buddy program, I most spent time with other exchange students. I find that this is a good way to learn about a range of cultures, and other exchange students also want to do the same things as you compared to the local students.

Study tips: preparing for assessment

It’s that time of semester! Assignment deadlines are approaching, and exams are just around the corner. There are heaps of great tips and resources to help you manage your assessment so you can do your best on the day. We’ve included just a few of these below!

Win a Gold Class double movie pass!

There’s more to studying abroad than study! We want to find out more about your life outside of study. What do you do in your spare time? How do you spend your weekends? Do you travel, have hobbies, volunteer, or even just love trying out new cuisines?

For your chance to win a double movie pass send 1-3 photos depicting your life outside of study to gi-communications@griffith.edu.au along with:

• a short description of each photo
• your full name
• student number
• campus
• program of study
• nationality/home country

Competition closes midnight Friday 31st May (Week 13) and is open to current Griffith University international students only. Photos will feature in the next international student newsletter as well as on the Facebook page and blog.

Griffith rewards high achieving international students

Earlier this year, Griffith International offered more than 60 merit based scholarships to eligible international students who had obtained a cumulative grade point average of 6.0 and above in their Bachelor’s Degree. The one-off scholarships were offered in recognition of the commitment needed to achieve and maintain such a high grade point average over the term of the students’ degree programs. These merit scholarships have allowed a number of outstanding students to continue their studies in either an Honours or Postgraduate degree program. Recipients were from a range of countries including: Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Kenya, Korea, Norway, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Griffith International congratulates all recipients and wishes them success in their future studies.

 

Sponsored Saudi students achieve academic excellence

Three Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission sponsored students were recently awarded the “Griffith Award for Academic Excellence” for their studies in 2012. Jubran Sahli, Absulmohsen Folos and Bandar Gohal consistently achieved a GPA of 6.33 or higher over the course of their studies in 2012, placing them in the top 5% of students.

Congratulations to Jubran, Absulmohsen and Bandar (who achieved a perfect term GPA of 7 out of 7 for semester 2, 2012!)  for their outstanding achievement!

Below: Jubran, Absulmohsen and Bandar with their award certificates during a visit by Dr. Abdulhadi Mansour Al Ahmadi, SACM Director for QLD and Dr. Amjad Saleh, Academic Advisor for SACM on the 18 April 2013.

Homestay: welcome to multiculturalism

by Penny from China - Master of Education, Gold Coast campus

Penny with her homestay family

More Australian families open their house to hundreds of thousands of international students who are coming here for further education. As an option of accommodation, immersing in an authentic Aussie family is definitely a great method for settling in and offers numerous benefits.

Homestay is a full-board accommodation offered by a family, where a weekly fee is charged for rent. It is seen as an ideal way for newcomers to adjust to Aussie life and customs as well as enhance their English. However, like any new adjustment, students can face challenges – especially when they are living in a new place with people they barely know.

Personally, being an international student living in a homestay, I have experienced stages of getting to know Australian life and culture.

Great Aussie Outdoors

by Stacey from Australia - Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery, Gold Coast campus

Last week was the mid-semester break and with some spare time to rest and relax, I’ve come to realise how lucky we are in Australia. Just looking around, we have the magnificent blue sky, beautiful beaches and nice weather here in Australia. Amidst out daily lives and hectic university schedules, it is easy to take for granted what a lucky country we live in.

How often do we take a moment to take a breath and have a look around? When do we take a step back and see where we are now? By simply slowing down and taking a moment to reflect, we are able to see things that we would have normally skimmed past during our daily activities.

AFL Multicultural Program at Griffith

Previous AFL Multicultural Program participants from Griffith University

Australian football is becoming a sport of choice for diverse communities, with up to 25% of current AFL players coming from culturally diverse backgrounds. In 2013, the AFL Multicultural Program will be offered to students enrolled on Griffith University’s Brisbane campuses.

This program aims to introduce Griffith University students from all backgrounds to Australian Football by giving them the chance to watch, play and umpire AFL games in a fun, friendly and social environment.

There are two streams through which students can take part in this program in 2013: The Umpire Education Program and the AFL 9s Competition.