G’day mate,

and hi to everybody! I am Tiina (yes, with double i) from Finland, and I would like to share a few of my experiences here at USC and on the Sunshine Coast with you.

I am here on exchange; my home university has a bilateral agreement with USC – which made it possible for me to make one of my wildest dreams come true! I had always only dreamt of going to Australia, seeing all the sunny beaches, kangaroos and koalas, learning to surf and experiencing the famous Australian ‘no worries’ lifestyle. When I found out I could now actually do all that and combine it with high quality education… you can imagine the excitement.

Even now, after being here for a month, it still amazes me every time I walk on the beach, or sit on the bus on my way to the university, how incredibly beautiful it is here. Even the campus area is green and relaxing.

I appreciate the high quality teaching along with a full range of different activities USC offers, and I enjoy the possibility to experience a university system different from the one I am used to. Even if lectures and separate tutorials seemed a little confusing at first, I am actually starting to enjoy it greatly. Tutorials offer a great possibility to clarify possible problems and to deepen your knowledge about the topics covered in the week’s lecture. It is also, of course, a great way to meet new people and make new friends!

In my next post I am going to tell you about my first lectures and my first visit to a fruit & vegetable store (and the entertainment I provided for my Australian friend by getting excited about different types of pumpkin and other unfamiliar vegetables in the store…). So stay tuned!