William Crookall, 3rd year MEng Chemical Engineering
I’m now (sadly) coming to the end of my overseas research project at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and what a few months it’s been! The project has been interesting but more importantly, it’s been a great chance to live in a different city, meet new people and enjoy some nice weather!
My project in the Hydrometallurgy Research group has focussed on removing radionuclides during the copper production process and it has been very interesting learning about something completely different to anything we’d covered back in the UK. Everybody in the department is also really nice and the supervisors are all helpful. The only bad thing is we aren’t on the lovely main campus (a 10 minute bus away) but we all still travelled through it every day and the campus we were on was still nice. As interesting as the project was though, the time outside of uni work (which was mostly 9-5) is what has made this semester so great.
I’ve been fortunate to stay with some cousins I have who live in Brisbane so I’ve managed to see all the best places Queensland has to offer. I’ve spent weekends at places like the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Byron Bay, which makes every weekend feel like a mini holiday, particularly at the start of the semester. I will also be travelling to Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne once the project finishes, as they are now only short flights away. Brisbane is also a great city with plenty of stuff to keep you entertained including loads of cool bars, shops and lime scooters (you have to try them, so much fun). If you’re lucky you may also see a wild koala! Another huge benefit of Brisbane is the weather. In February it’s pretty hot but even now in the “winter” it’s still 25 C - perfect.
If you are still debating whether to go overseas, do it! It’s a unique opportunity to experience a new country and meet loads of new people, while also studying at a different uni. And if you are going overseas, I’d definitely recommend Queensland!
Respond
