Benefits of Exchange

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Student exchange offers you the opportunity to study and live in another part of the world, to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself in a place where people may talk, walk, dance, eat, drink, think, and generally live in ways you have never known in Australia.

While that thought can be daunting, it is also exhilarating. Studying and living overseas are a rush of new sights, sounds, faces, and places.

Here are some of the reasons you should consider participating in overseas exchange for one or two semesters:

Unique experiences

The first time that you step into a London Underground station, try crunchy bacon in a greasy American breakfast diner, or ask for street directions in France, you'll know you're a long way from Australia.

Each of the 100+ partner institutions in QUT's Student Exchange Program offers its own unique experiences and a chance to live in a part of the world very unlike Australia.

If you don't go, you'll never know

It's a great big world beyond the borders of Australia, and until you head overseas for the first time, you see the world only through Australian-coloured glasses. Student exchange is not just travelling abroad as a tourist, but living abroad, becoming part of the daily life of a new country and experiencing it firsthand.

Appreciating home

When you return to Australia after six months or a year overseas, you'll probably know the country better than you did before you left it. Living abroad and experiencing new cultures and customs will help you to appreciate the differences of the Australian way of life you temporarily leave behind.

Communicating in a new language

There's no better way to improve your high school French, German, or Japanese than by practising it with native speakers while overseas.
Even if you're learning to speak a new language for the first time, a few words or phrases in the local tongue can help you to make a more meaningful connection with your hosts.

It looks good on the resume

Participating in an exchange program requires initiative, commitment, and flexibility. These are all qualities which employers value highly, so the skills you develop while overseas should give you an edge in the job market.

The time of your life

Student Exchange will give you stories and memories for a lifetime ... but don't just take our word for it! Check out what previous exchange students have to say about their overseas adventures....