Motivation
I had 2 key motivators; learning topics (from experts) that I could not learn at UQ, and experiencing different cultures to expand my life experience and employability.
Personal Development
I met many people from many cultures, expanding my network as well as my life experience and mindset regarding others. Multinational group projects highlight how cultural differences impact things like work and socialising, so experiencing this has made me more capable of dealing with potential conflict with an open mindset. Being aware of the different influencing factors in a conflict beyond negative intent is applicable in many situations.
Academic Development
I loved the fast-paced learning environment offered new content every few hours, and the assignments were much more manageable given the short timeframe.
Professional Development
I believe the knowledge gained will prove useful as the topic is directly applicable to my intended future job. It was a course in transport modelling, which is my intended field.
Costs
The trip I took lasted 5 weeks, of which the learning experience lasted 2. I had a significant existing fund to support this trip, so most budgeting occurred in transport planning for activities outside of the learning experience with accompanying accommodation. Day to day I aimed for affordable foods and cost-savvy in-city transport, but was not obligated to count dollars, and occasionally splurged on experiences and meals that seemed fun.
Funding
The funding provided helped greatly in that it covered the cost of travel to and from Europe, accommodation during the stay, and about two weeks worth of food.
Accommodation
As I was travelling to this experience with my boyfriend, we opted not to go with the provided on-campus accommodation, as for two people it was the same cost as a nice room at a very nearby hotel. We did some light research on booking.com and went with the nearest hotel as it was also very affordable.
Highlight
The best parts of the experience were the day spent exploring Vienna and the day spent exploring Montenegro. Both places were a joy to explore, Montenegro on a planned trip & Vienna unplanned on foot.
Advice/Top Tips
Have funds set aside for it. You do not want to go somewhere amazing and spend time turning down opportunities or eating cereal. If that means waiting a year or two and working, or even taking a semester off to save, do it. It is not worth it to go somewhere amazing when you spend the whole time stressed about expenses.
