Experience report
ANR: 180525
Name: Francis Ostermeijer
E-mail: f.j.ostermeijer@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: 1
Academic year: 3
Host University: The University of Melbourne
Country: Australia
TOPIC: Admission, arrival, housing
How was your arrival organized? Did someone pick you up from the airport/station? Was an
orientation or introduction activity organized? How was accommodation organized? Does the
university provide you with accommodation? What kind of accommodation does the
university provide? Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to
search for a place to live after you arrived?
During the exchange open days when we got together with all the other outgoing students
from UvT going abroad to our same destinations I met both Ruud and Xu Ben, my fellow
Melbourne uni exchangees. After postponing housing decisions for quite some time (because
I was a little frightened by the high prices…) I teamed up with Xu Ben to rent a 2 persons
apartment at UniLodge, Lonsdale Street.
Melbourne University offers a free airport pickup and drop-off service, but do remember to
organize it at least a few days in advance (I would suggest 1 week before arriving).
I went straight to our new apartment that me and Xu Ben had organized already in advance
from Tilburg, the accommodation was acceptable, it was nice as the location was very central
so perfect for pre-parties with friends and chilling + everything is walking distance which is
excellent. The room was small but as I was only planning to stay 4 months and I was out and
about most of the time, it wasn’t a large concern.
Personally, if I were to do this experience again I would stay in a hostel for the first few
weeks, meanwhile looking for a room – this way you can save a lot of money, stay together
with locals and find the perfect room. In retrospect, it was awesome to be able to arrive with
everything already organized and it was easy to invite people over etc.
TOPIC: Location of university/city
Please describe the city you lived in. Where is the university located in the city? What is the
best place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? What are interesting things to see and do in
your host city? What was different than in Tilburg?
Melbourne is probably one of the most active and busy cities that I have ever lived in, I really
liked the vibe and the University was located very centrally – only a 20 minute walk from my
place. Around the university there are many places to do sport; football, basketball, etc. (for
free) and you can also purchase a gym pass but I decided against it.
Melbourne is first and foremost a hipster city with many attractive bars, clubs, restaurants and
everything else. Personally, for students I would advise a visit to New Guernica (not sure of
the spelling…). As for other places, I usually never frequented a venue more than once as
there were so many places to go so all I can say is go out with some of your mates, be
adventurous and explore what Melbourne has to offer.
TOPIC: Academics
Which courses did you take and why? Which courses would you recommend? What did the
courses add to your program at Tilburg University? How does the university compare to
Tilburg University concerning the level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English,
workload, etc.? Overall, were you happy with your academic achievements during your
exchange? Please describe the campus of your host university.
I was absolutely happy with the level of studies in Melbourne University. I felt that the
courses were taught very well by experienced and motivated professors. Furthermore, the
tutorial sessions are very helpful and interactive. Of course it is important to keep up with
studies so we had several assignments due throughout the semester which I thought were
good to get involved in the course and extended your knowledge/ put into practice what you
learnt in the lectures. Its also important to do with tutorial work, which is normally
mandatory - giving some extra incentive to study and keep up with the study load.
Courses at Melbourne Uni:
Economics of Food – for me this was a very inspiring course that I would like to persue in the
future. A lot to do with the agricultural trade between countries and analysis of the current
situation in the world with a focus on the political agendas relative to the counterfactual
theoretical model. Nice essay at the end which allows you to delve into one part of
agricultural economics that interests you – I chose food security which im currently doing
further research on in my BSc thesis.
Principles of Marketing – very well taught, the course is really well organised and Simon is a
really good lecturer. I really got into this course and think it’s a good start for any budding
entrepeneur. As I normally study economics it was a nice bredth course to expand my
knowledge and understanding of the real world and it really changed my mindset about
marketing/advertising.
Sports Economics – the first year it was taught and the lecturer was very motivated! A lot of
examples in real life and some nice assignments to go along with the course giving me
freedom to explore what I liked in sports – like football/basketball. Many examples of
Australian sports like Aussy football, but I thought it was nice to gain a better understanding
(even though at times I was completely clueless about what was being talked about). We
looked at many econometric studies (and it would have been nice to analyse the econometrics
but of course it required some background that not everyone had so was mostly ignored) that
really gave value to the course but were a pain in the neck to read so I usually just got the
summery version from the tutorial teacher during tutorials.
Business Consulting – an excellent course but also very demanding. The experience you will
have greatly depends on your group and the group dynamics, I had a good time but my group
was highly motivated hence it was very time consuming (of course an important
consideration when on exchange!) and at times I had to forgoe partying or trips to work on
the project. Our project involved finding new sponsorship opportunities for Zoos Victoria
(which was really cool because we could go to the zoo’s for free!) but also very challenging
because we initially had no clue what to do. We had very good guidance from our
experienced lecturer, Austin, who really helped us to see the in’s and outs of consulting in the
real world. A lot of guest speakers from industry came as well which was cool and insightful.
TOPIC: Social life
Which social activities organized by the university or students? Did you have contact with
local students? Did you have contact with other exchange students? How did you get along
with the local students and other exchange students? Did you travel to other places/countries
during your exchange?
Contact was mainly with other exchange students as those are the people you tend to spend
most time with and who are most interested in travelling, adventuring, exploring. Meeting
other students (aussies etc) in class is easy but I didn’t end up hanging out with many Aussies
from uni outside the class environment.
Of course travelling was one of the main agendas of my exchange. I took most of the
opportunities I had: travelling within Melbourne and the surrounding areas during the
semester, hiking, hitch-hiking, campervan trips, strawberry fields music festival (the best
party and vibe you can find!) and beach trips during my free time. I then finished my australia
trip with a bang; doing a month and a half long adventure down the east coast with friends
from Melbourne, starting at Cairns and ending in Sydney.
TOPIC: Living costs
How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg
University? What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? What did you
spend most of your money on? What would you advice future students to spend their money
on? Please outline your approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange: housing, food,
textbooks, etc.
I didn’t receive any grant from Tilburg University so I funded my exchange with the normal
loan from DUO while getting supplimented partly by my parents. I ended up spending most
of my money on rent, 950AUD pp.month, but travelling isnt too cheap either so be prepared!
Overall, I probably spent around 1600-1700AUD per month (around 1100-1200euro).
Didn’t spend too much on food, Aldi is a top budget place to visit (and conviniently on the
way home from university) but victoria market is also a must – especially the hour before
closing time as you can pick up some excellent cheap fresh food.
Alcohol is pretty expensive, so if you drink you’re probably going to get used to goon boxes
(and pretty sick of them after 6 months!). A pint at a bar will set you back at least 8-9AUD
unless it’s a student night (10 dollar jugs sometimes) or happy hour so keep your eyes peeled.
I would definitely suggest a visit to the European Beer Café on a Monday evening where you
can pick up the best brews, like erdinger, (50cl) from around the world for only 5 dollars
(half the normal price!).
TOPIC: Culture
Did you experience culture shock while on exchange? How would you compare your host
culture to your own culture? What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange?
What was different about your host culture than you expected? What did you like and not like
about your host culture? Do you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not,
what would you like to learn more? How would you describe your host countries culture? If
you travelled to other cities/countries during your exchange, were they different than your
host city/country, and how?
I was brought up around the world and as Melbourne is a multicultural metropolis, fitting in
was pretty easy. It’s a very “gezellig” city and people are really fun. The culture is great, but
of course as I was mainly hanging out with internationals I didn’t fully get a taste of the real
Aussy experience until my trip down the east coast.
TOPIC: Personal development
What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange? Would you do things
differently if you had the chance, and what would you do differently? What was your best
experience, and what was your worst experience? What will you remember for ever about
your exchange period? What was the most important lesson you learned about yourself
during your exchange period?
I learnt so much about how I want to live life but also what I want to persue in the future. I
think exchange effects everyone uniquely and indefinitely, but it had a very positive effect on
my outlook.
My best experiences where undoubtably the unforgettable experiences spent with my friends
while travelling down the winding roads of northern australia, hiking on the great ocean walk,
chilling at the beaches and partying it up at strawberry fields music festival.
TOPIC: Tips for future students
Would you recommend an exchange period? Would you recommend your host university?
What should prospective students bring with them/leave behind? What preparation is
required for going on exchange to this destination? Was there anything you should have done
in preparation that you didn’t do?
Melbourne University is a top choice, highly recommeded. I would recommend bringing a
good pair of shoes and a hiking bag. Also save up some money for travelling before you
arrive.
TOPIC: A picture is worth a thousand words
If you took any pictures or made any videos that you would like to share with future
exchange students, please include them (or e-mail them separately). Pictures that show your
daily life or symbolize your exchange period are especially interesting for future exchange
students.
Classic – Campervan travellers
Floating down the Yarra River in rubber dinghies
The Great Ocean
The Glass house mountains, Brisbane area
Wearing “stinger suits” – protection against dangerous jellyfish at the Whitesundays islands.
After the completion of our business consulting final presentation