Learning geography the painful way – Kirra Loh talks about studying International Business and Advertising in France

Kirra (centre) with fellow AIM Overseasers

Kirra Loh is currently completing her final semester of a Business and Commerce degree at the University of Newcastle. Kirra recently chatted to us about what it was like to experience French culture and hospitality whilst studying AIM Overseas’ International Business and Advertising Program as well as sharing a hilarious story highlighting the importance of paying attention in geography class!

Hi Kirra! Tell me a little about yourself and what you’re doing at the moment.
I’m currently studying a bachelor of Business and Commerce at the University of Newcastle, majoring in marketing and accounting. I’ve got this semester to go and then I’ll complete my degree. I’m hoping to find a marketing job once I’ve finished.

Congratulations on almost finishing your degree! Could you tell me about the AIM Overseas program you completed earlier this year and why you chose it?
I completed the International Business and Marketing Program in Tours, France. I chose this program because another one of my friends got accepted into AIM Overseas’ Health Care in Mexico Program and she suggested that there might be a program for me. So I looked up the website and saw the International Business and Advertising program and I thought, “This looks really good!” I think I ended up applying really close to the cut-off date but luckily I got accepted – so it was all really exciting!

Was this your first time overseas?
I’d been to other countries before but not Europe. Also, I’d never travelled without my parents before so it was a little bit daunting when I first left the airport in Sydney, but it ended up being fine.

What was a typical day like for you during the course?
We got a schedule at the beginning of the program and at first we were all like, “Oh yeah, no problem!” but actually it was really demanding and we didn’t have that much free time! We had different modules to complete with different teachers so it was not boring at all because it wasn’t as if we were doing the same thing everyday from 9 to 5.

On a typical day we’d go to ESCEM [the business school] and the school would provide us with lunch. We’d have our classes: half the class would be the AIM Overseas students and the rest were French students, so we’d mix with them. We’d usually do heaps of group work with them and the mix of Australian and French students meant that we got a wider perspective of marketing. In addition to the classes, ESCEM also organised cultural activities for us such as a cooking class, field trips and some survival French lessons, so it wasn’t all just academic stuff.

We had a few free weekends during the program as well. One weekend I went to Bordeaux with two of the guys on the program. Then the next weekend I went to Geneva in Switzerland with the girls from the program. I think most of the others went to Paris and a few of the boys went to Lucerne in Switzerland one weekend as well.

What was it like working with local French students?
It was a bit challenging at times because of the language barrier. I mean, the classes were all in English, but sometimes we’d have difficulty understanding the other students! The French students in our group were quite good and I discovered that some French people don’t like to speak English because they don’t think that they speak well enough. I found this really surprising, and of course we reassured them that it didn’t matter! So I think it was good for us to work with them as it gave us a wider perspective on marketing, and it was good for them as they were able to improve their English by speaking with us.

Did you gain any insight into French culture?
I guess a lot of people think that French people are rude – but in my experience they weren’t at all! Everywhere I travelled, the French were really friendly and it really surprised me. I’ve studied some French before in high school but I’ve forgotten most of it and I was too embarrassed to try to speak it; but it turns out I didn’t even need to speak French because everyone had really good English and was extremely helpful! And as I said before, I found out that the reason why a lot of French people don’t like to speak English is because they think that their English isn’t good enough.

I liked how the French really enjoy their food and their cooking and lunchtime is always a massive, drawn-out affair. They just seem to enjoy life and take it at a slower pace. No one is in a huge rush. Even in Paris, I had expected to see more hustle and bustle, but they had a really relaxed lifestyle. And of course, France really lived up to the hype of having beautiful food, wine, and so on!

Do you have any funny travel anecdotes you’d like to share?
Well during the trip we planned a trip to Geneva, Switzerland. At the time, we didn’t realise that Geneva was so close to the border with France. So we got off the train in Geneva and there were these two signs: one sign for ‘France’ and one sign for ‘Switzerland’; we were a bit confused but we just walked on anyway and had lunch. After lunch, I asked the waitress, “How do we get to our hotel?” She replied, “Ummm... it’s in France. You have to go back over the border.”

At this point we’re all panicking and thinking, “WHAT??!!! We got a train all the way to Switzerland and we’re in the wrong country! Oh my God, WHAT DO WE DO???!!!”

We were so stupid, we didn’t realise it was that close to the border! It didn’t end up taking that long at all, we just had to walk over. *laughs*

So your knowledge of the geography of Europe has definitely improved through this program then?
Ooooh definitely! *laughs* I really love how the countries in Europe are so close to each other and it’s great to go travelling anywhere!

How has this program has changed you?
It’s been really good – I’ve made some great friends and we’ve stayed in contact. Some of the girls from Adelaide have come and stayed in Newcastle and a bunch of us are going to spend a weekend in Melbourne together as well. There was one girl on the program from my uni and I didn’t really know her before but now we’re really good friends and hang out a lot. I think it was a great experience to stay in one country for a longer period of time. In one month in France we were able to truly experience the culture and get a perspective of marketing that I found really different to what we usually learned at uni. We also got to work with French students, which was great.

Lastly, what would you say to someone who’s thinking about participating?
I definitely think it’s a great experience: you meet so many people; it’s a different form of learning compared to just a normal tutorial or lecture in university; it allows you to work with students from a different cultural background; and, you get to experience the culture by living there for a month.

It’s also sparked some interest from employers; for example, I had a job interview recently and during the interview they mentioned, “Oh, you did a short program in France! What was that like?” – so doing a program like this is something you can add to your CV. I think that this was a really good experience and I tell everyone about it!

Thanks Kirra!



In Cheverny doing a wine course (for educational purposes, of course!)


Doing a French cooking course


Just your average, run-of-the-mill building in Tours, where Kirra lived for a month


Kirra and the AIM Overseasers at the conclusion of their farewell dinner

Life after uni: Katie talks about working full-time and how studying overseas has shaped her

Now that Katie's had a taste of travel she's never looking back!


Katie Elsick attended AIM Overseas' Teacher Education and Practice program in the USA while she was a student at Charles Sturt University. Now working as a secondary school teacher, Katie found some time in-between report-writing to talk to us about the transition from uni to full-time work and how AIM Overseas' course has strengthened her desire to work overseas.

Hi Katie, tell me a little about yourself what you're doing these days.
Originally from Bathurst, I have recently graduated from Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga Campus and have been posted at Mudgee High School as an English and History Teacher. At CSU, I completed my Bachelor Teaching (secondary)/ Bachelor Arts double degree and fulfilled my practicum requirements at Murrumburrah High, Kildare Catholic School, Yanco Agricultural High School (where I also completed my internship), as well as a week-long internship at the Carolina International School in North Carolina, USA. I have always had a passion about history and reading any book within my reach. When I started to apply for universities, I only applied at one and in only one course. I was accepted into CSU through their early enrolment program and haven’t looked back!

How are you finding your new role and the transition from uni to full-time work? Honestly, I am still waiting for it to all hit me in the face, so to speak. During our last year at uni, we had first year out teachers some in and talk to us about it was like once we stepped out the front gates of university holding our pieces of paper. Generally, we were informed that you are constantly tired and that it can feel like you are always working and that your social life can sometimes become a thing of the past.

I have yet to experience this. I have a full time job that isn’t just nine to five, a new car, a house, I pay all my own bills and insurances and I have moved into a community where I know no one, despite the fact it is only an hour and a half away from where I grew up. But then I realise that it probably has something to do with the fact that I really do love my job. I am doing what I enjoy doing: reading, researching, being creative and having random but insightful discussions with a broad range of people every day. Fortunately I also get paid to do it all!

Yeah, there are some rather intense times, like our school was recently broken into and my
classroom was one of the ones that were trashed, posters I had painted for the kids were ruined,
our TV was thrown down stair and textbooks torn to pieces. But that is not something I am going to dwell on, there are so many other aspects of teaching that override these lapses in judgement.

Compared to my university days, where I had face-to-face classes maybe fifteen hours a week, at the maximum, working full time is vastly different. But I don’t mind and I look forward to the next 30-40 years of my future as a teacher.

Tell me a little bit about the AIM Overseas Teachers Education and Practice course you did last year.
I am one of the many recipients of a DET Teacher Education Scholarship, which entailed the DET paying my HECS for my course, providing me with money each semester for equipment and for a guaranteed full time position in a DET school for three years at the conclusion of my course. This was fantastic, but unfortunately I was unable to study overseas for any part of my course. When my friend stumbled across the AIM website and pointed me in that direction, I was rather cautious at first; but once I confirmed it with my university and the DET I was over the moon!

I applied for the Teacher Education Program, which was the first of its kind with UNCC [University of North Carolina, Charlotte], which would allow me to study overseas during my university holidays, therefore not interfering with my course. America is one place I have always wanted to travel to and attend school there. I had applied and went through a school exchange program during high school but had to pull out at the last minute due to family illness, so this was my chance.

This course lasted for three weeks in Charlotte North Carolina. For the first week we attending
seminars and sessions led by the university lecturers, educational board members, other pre-service teachers etc. During these sessions, we discovered much about the American education system and how it has evolved, about issues that face urban schools and students, what challenges they face as well as looking at various teaching methods. During my studies at CSU, we used a lot of textbooks that used American research, and seeing it in practice was brilliant.

The second week saw us moving around the Charlotte and Mecklenberg and surrounding counties, visiting an array of schools - charter schools, religious and public schools, elementary, middle, high schools and a community college. During these visits we were given tours of the school, discussed the student population and what was taught at each school.

During our third and final week we were at Carolina International Day School for a week-long
internship. We were each assigned to a teacher who we followed and assisted in daily tasks. I was
assigned to the only English teacher, whose name was also Katie, and sat in on all her classes and assisted teaching when requested and then on the final day I taught each class unassisted. It was such an invaluable experience, and I will never forget it.

Throughout the program we were taken to a variety of social activities, many with other
international students studying at UNCC. We went line dancing, a dorm gathering, went to an ice hockey game, basketball game, coffee sessions, shopping trips, amongst many other things.

How has doing the course affected your life since coming back? Since returning from the States, I have continued my research on teaching overseas, building my
knowledge of teaching from a broad range of teaching sources as well as adjusting my preconceptions of America (which existed thanks to the media). I have firsthand experience of international education and I don’t think I will ever look back, as clichéd as that is to say.

Do you still keep in touch with people you met through the program? Yes, I have two of the organisers, Maureen and Jessica from UNCC as friends on Facebook, as well as our driver and Southern Friend, Matt. I returned to the States for two months at the end of last year and unfortunately was unable to visit Charlotte due to weather, but I kept them posted of my whereabouts. The lecturers and other educators all provided us with their contact details for the future and
encouraged us to keep in contact.

Do you see yourself teaching in the US or anywhere else abroad in the future? Yes. I honestly believe that I will always travel and teach, whether it would be for a term, semester, a year or eight. I want to experience the world and not only on a superficial ‘touristy’ level, but I want to develop an understanding and empathy of the cultures and societies that create our world. My first taste of international travel was when I was 16, when I went to Japan with my school. I don’t think that I am able to live in Australia and teach for the rest of my career when I know and have experienced life beyond the boarder.

What would you say to a student thinking about doing this course? Do it. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Not only do you get to travel to an amazing country,
but you get to experience it and learn from it in a way that will benefit you immensely socially,
professionally and intellectually when you return. The teachers, lecturers, students (of a broad
selection), hotel staff and many others are all people who will go out of their way to make this trip something to remember. Take the chance to expand your knowledge and understanding, to increase your perspective on international education training and practice. As a teacher you need to prepare students for their future outside of school, so why not give yourself one of the best tools out there - experience.

Thanks Katie!


Katie and the other AIM Overseasers about to watch a hockey game


Katie standing outside one of the schools she visited as part of the program


The Americans certainly don't disappoint when it comes to fast food! Katie confirms that this veggie burger was one of the best meals she had in the US.

La Vie Francaise: Cynthia Makokha on life in France and embarrassing moments in French bakeries

Cynthia Makokha is an international student from Kenya, currently completing a double degree in Business and Commerce from the University of Newcastle. Cynthia chats to us about accomplishing something on her Bucket List… doing AIM Overseas’ Intensive French Program in France!

Hi Cynthia! Tell me why you chose this course. I chose to do the Intensive French Program in Vichy, France because I’ve always wanted to study French in France. Although French was being offered as a subject in our university, I thought it would be great to do it in France. I was introduced to AIM through a leadership program in my school called iLEAD. AIM Overseas helped me with all aspects of getting there – they were very helpful!

How long had you studied French prior to this program? I had studied it in high school in Africa for five years. I didn’t study French for A levels though because I had to take other subjects to help me get into university. I only managed to get a new fresh start again with my French studies when I went this year in January.

Was this your first time in France? Yes, this was my first time in France. I had always wanted to go there – it was on my Bucket List. Through this course, I got to go and travel and I also got to learn French at the same time – it was like killing two birds with one stone! And I got to meet new people and learn so much about French culture – it was more than just an experience!

What was a typical day like for you on the program? I don’t think I had a typical day because every day there was something new and different! I guess I’d start the day by going to classes from 8 to 12, then there’d be a break for two hours, then classes would continue from 2 to a quarter to 4. After that I’d get a coffee with some friends, we’d chat, then I’d go back home and go on Facebook and catch up with people back home. Then I’d have dinner with friends. During the week there were also all sorts of excursions that the school organised, which was great!

Tell me about something that you discovered about France or French people that you found interesting or surprising.
The fact that they were all so friendly! I mean, you often hear people saying things like, “French people are mean,” or “French people don’t like English-speakers.” But I found this to be a big lie because, from the moment I arrived, I felt very welcomed by the French people.

I had some problems at the beginning of my trip: my flight had been delayed so I didn’t end up leaving home the day that I was supposed to. I couldn’t get in touch with CAVILAM [the French school] because it was the weekend, so I sent an email to Jooliet from AIM Overseas who passed onto CAVILAM that I’d be late. Then when I got to France, it turned out that the workers at the airport were on strike and my bags had not arrived! So I had to contact the lady at CAVILAM to let her know that I’d be late again! And then I didn’t know where to go to take the trains – it was all so crazy! But every single person I asked helped me out. At one point, someone actually helped me carry my bags to the train station. Even on the telephone, when I was trying to fix my SIM card, the lady on the phone was talking to me in a really friendly way, asking me how long I was going to be in France and so on.

That’s when I just realised that a lot of what you hear about countries are just rumours. You have to experience it on your own. I think, so far in my life, French people have been the most polite people I’ve ever met!

Do you have a funny story about your time in France? Well, during my first week in France, I went to a French bakery and I was trying to buy a sandwich. I said to the guy behind the counter, “Okay, I’ll have this sandwich,” and he replied, “Okay, that will be 1 euro and 50 cents.” But I couldn’t understand him because he was speaking French so quickly, so I assumed that he was saying, “Do you want the sandwich toasted?” So I replied, “No.” And he didn’t understand what I was doing, so he kept saying to me, “1 euro and 50 cents,” and I kept on responding, “NO. Thankyou.” This went on for quite awhile; until finally I understood what was going on… and it was so embarrassing!!! *laughs* I turned around and saw all these people looking at me, probably wondering why this girl was refusing to pay one euro and fifty cents for the sandwich. To make things worse, I realised that there were these really good-looking guys to my left who had seen the whole incident as well! After getting my sandwich, I went and hid in the corner for awhile… *laughs*

So did you French level improve a lot by the end of the course? Oui! It really made my French a lot better. If I’d stayed for another six months I’d probably be very fluent by now. The teachers were very good and very specific on what they wanted you to learn. When you’re in class, you’re not allowed to talk in English – you’re not even allowed to ask questions in English, you have to do it all in French. If you don’t understand something, someone else in class can help you – in French. We were all learning together and teaching each other – with the teacher correcting us when we were wrong. C’etait tres tres bon! [It was very very good]. I’d really like to go back to CAVILAM one day and stay for a longer period of time to improve my French.

How has this program changed you? It really made me appreciate different cultures. I had to learn to adapt to a different culture and a completely different environment. Some people [in English-speaking countries] get so frustrated with other people who don’t speak English; but I think going to a foreign country and having to speak a foreign language really teaches you to be patient and makes you understand that it takes time to learn a foreign language.

What would you say to someone else who is thinking of doing this course? I can only say one thing: you should go and experience it yourself. You shouldn’t listen too much to what somebody else says about it as everyone is going to have a different experience of how France is. For me, it was great! It was fantastic! It is a place I would go back to! So I would say – go for it!


Cynthia with her French teacher and her classmates from around the world at CAVILAM


Cynthia congratulating herself after a hard day's work [note: Soldes is French for 'Sales'.]


A photo taken in Clermont, France

From Melbourne to Maastricht - Patrick Hannan talks about living and studying in the Netherlands

Patrick Hannan, a 21 year-old Bachelor of Legal Studies student from LaTrobe University, participated in AIM Overseas’ International Relations in the European Union program in the Netherlands. Patrick talks about his first trip abroad:

Hi Patrick! Tell me about why you decided to apply for this program?
I applied because I fitted the criteria for being eligible and it looked great as I could take this program as an elective and take off a second year subject. I liked the idea of being able to travel to Europe and study whilst I was there.

Was this the first time you’d travelled internationally?
Yeah. I’d never travelled outside of Australia before and hadn’t planned on doing so prior to finding out about this program. I’m not a fan of long flights – that’s the main reason why I never really considered going as far away as Europe or the US. I had friends who’d done long-terms exchanges overseas and it sounded amazing, but I had thought I might as well stay in Australia and think about travelling afterwards, if at all.

Did doing this program change the way you view things?
Yeah, absolutely! I’m completely open to travelling more and can’t wait to go again whenever the chance arises. My fear of flying, or what I thought was a fear of flying, is pretty much gone. I ended up being in Europe for two months in total and I can’t see why I was fearful in the first place.

Tell me about a typical day in Maastricht during your program.
Usually we got up early and we had class from 8.30 until about 1 o’clock. Early on in the program, a couple of others and I invested in bikes because it seemed like the most popular thing to do in the Netherlands. Typically, we’d wait until everyone else had left because it was about a 15 to 20 minute walk to class from the place we were staying, and we’d try to race down and beat everyone else – which some times happened, and sometimes not!

After class we’d usually be free to do what we pleased – we rode around, explored and found stuff to eat. We also did some really cool activities organised by the uni such as exploring these ancient tunnels outside of Maastricht – the “St. Petersburg Tunnels,” I think they’re called. It was really spectacular to see the history and culture in Europe and to see streets that hadn’t changed in hundreds of years. Coming from Melbourne, where most areas are quite new comparison, this was pretty remarkable.

Our short study trips to Brussels and Belgium and Amsterdam and the Hague were another really awesome aspect to the program.

Tell me what was the highlight of the trip for you?
Umm… I can’t pick out one specific highlight but the combination of studying this course and being with a really great bunch of people was great. We were from all different parts of Australia and we all got along really well. I also liked the climate – it’s quite odd, I know, but I like the winter. The overall experience of learning how to live in a new culture all added up to a really beneficial experience.

What did you enjoy learning about as part of the course?
We learnt about how the EU has developed their different pillars – like the European Commission and the European Parliament and the High Court of Justice. Learning this was very exciting because, coming from Australia, we’re just one nation; we’re part of Oceania but we don’t have the same access as countries within the EU do. Learning about the laws and the free movement of people between the different countries within the EU really opened my eyes to the benefits of being part of a supranational economy, unlike Australia.

The in-class discussions were also great; everyone in the class was really engaged. Even outside of class, we had some really great political discussions.

Our lecturer was very thorough in the way he lectured which helped me learn some pretty hard economic concepts, as I didn’t have any background in economics at all.

Do you have any funny travel stories you’d like to share?
The night we spent in Den Haag, a majority of the group of us, maybe 16 or so, went out to look for a place to eat. Anyhow I came across an Italian restaurant, and we went in to enquire on prices. The little old owner spoke rough English and was completely delighted with me bringing him in 16 or so customers after we decided to go in. We were given a couple of tables upstairs, and the owner kept coming back and forth quite excitedly seeing if our needs were being met. At one stage he (I thought) offered me a beer for free which I started to drink but then realised he wanted it back, haha. Anyway he then came back up and started singing in front of us with a microphone in Italian, to all of our surprise, with an accompanying backing track. Then one of the girls in our group said to him that it was someone in our groups birthday (Patryk's, however it wasn't at all) which then led to him getting so excited he went and got an impromptu birthday cake with a sparkler stuck into an orange, turned the lights down, lit the sparkler and sang an impassioned happy birthday to him in Italian... putting us all in hysterics!

Do you have any tips for future students thinking about doing this course?
In terms of travel, definitely plan well ahead. I mean, the program itself is very well-structured and the coordinators are very helpful. But I didn’t plan things well and ended up arriving a day early and leaving a day late. But it you pay attention in the pre-departure session with AIM Overseas, which I found really helpful, then it’s fine. Even for me, as a first time traveller, I didn’t have any problems with not bringing the right thing or anything like that – which is better than how I usually am in Australia!

AIM Overseas were really helpful before we left; I was especially impressed that they came to Melbourne and there was a bit of run-down on how things were going to go.

What would you say to somebody who’s thinking of doing the program?
Coming from my experience, if you’ve got no plans on going overseas and you’re slightly curious, then definitely look into any of AIM Overseas’ programs because there’s something covering most academic backgrounds.

Or even if you’re thinking of doing long-term study overseas, then I think one of these programs are a great way to get a taste of what five or six months would be like, which is the insight that I got. I decided after I finished that I wouldn’t have been able to do six months, but for one month it’s great! You get a taste of everything – living day-to-day, learning a new culture and getting outside your comfort zone. And in the space of a month you can knock off an elective in your degree. So I think if you’re considering doing it don’t think twice. If you don’t know anything about short-term programs then you should look into it because it’s quite easy to do if you commit yourself.

Thanks for speaking with us Patrick!


Patrick and the AIM Overseasers on a group excursion


Just one of the many historic buildings and monuments one is able to stumble upon when travelling in Europe


Patrick and friends enjoying dinner and drinks after a long day of sightseeing... what a tough life!

"You will develop a love of beer" - Stefanie's 3 weeks in the Czech Republic

Stefanie (centre) with friends in the midst of acquiring a palate for Czech beer

Stefanie Dziadkiewicz is currently in her penultimate year of a Business/Law degree at Victoria University. Stefanie did AIM Overseas’ International Law and Human Rights course in the Czech Republic in January this year. Stefanie took some time out between exams to speak to us about her time living and studying in Eastern Europe:

Hi Stefanie! Tell us why you chose this program.
I chose this program as it appealed to me to knock out a subject overseas and I thought that three weeks in Europe was just perfect – and then I spent a month afterwards travelling around Europe, which was awesome!

What was a typical day like for you during the program?
We got up at about 7.30-8 most days. We had classes from Monday to Thursday from 9 until 12.15, with a short break in-between. I was fortunate enough to share my room with a lovely girl from the University of Canberra and we’ve become really good friends since. We started walking around the local neighbourhood a couple of times a week to burn those eastern European calories! We were fortunate enough to have a little supermarket across the road so we would go and buy some fresh pastries before class.

After class, everyone met in the cafeteria – we all got along really, really well – and we’d discuss the afternoon activities together. Then we’d do some shopping, we’d go to the ballet, go ice-skating… Brno’s a great town with lots to explore and so much to do!

Every Tuesday, Masaryk University planned some activities for us: for example we visited the Ombudsman’s office and the Constitutional Court. The university also planned some traditional Czech dinners for us a couple of times a week, which was really cool.

Thursday nights always consisted of packing because every Friday, Saturday and Sunday we had our weekends away, which were just amazing! [As part of the program, the host university organises weekend trips away for AIM Overseas students] On our first weekend, we went to Prague; the second weekend we went to Budapest; then the third weekend we went to Vienna to visit the United Nations, which was a definitely highlight for me.

Why was it a highlight for you?
I love the United Nations and just love the organization as a whole. We did a tour and we had some lectures on human trafficking and it was just amazing to see the organization from an internal perspective. I’ve been to the United Nations in New York before so I wanted to see even more, I guess!

How was doing this program different to learning about the same things in a classroom in Australia?
It was totally different! We had three fantastic lecturers who were so knowledgeable and very, very experienced in all of their fields. I found the content really interesting. We had lectures as we do back home in Australia but I just found the content to be so much more interesting and coming from a more worldly perspective with respect to topics such as genocide and human rights, instead of presenting only an Australian perspective. It wasn’t all just textbooks and lecture notes – we engaged in really interesting discussions and I found it to be a very open environment.

What was it like living in the Czech Republic?
We lived in Brno for the 3 weeks and I absolutely loved it! It felt like home to us; whenever we came back from our weekends away it was like returning to our comfort zone.

We lived on campus – literally about 3 to 4 minutes walk from where the Law faculty was. I was really impressed with the student residence and where we were living – it was a 12 or 13 storey building with all these Masaryk University students. There was a pizza place downstairs as well where we’d all congregate. I had always wanted to live on campus so it was my dream come true I guess!

Do you have any funny anecdotes from your trip?
I wasn’t actually there but I heard about this happening to one of the girls in the group: she was on a tram in Brno and she was commenting on how cute another passenger’s dog was; she was saying that she wanted to buy the dog and asked another student jokingly about how to say in Czech, "How much is your puppy?" The owner of the puppy then turned around and said in English, "She's not for sale." Everyone had a joke about how it should be assumed that lots of people speak English in the Czech Republic.

Do you have any travel advice or tips about living in Brno for future students?

I would tell students to seize everyone opportunity! As soon as class is over, maximise your day. Study, of course, but really maximise your time in Eastern Europe. It’s just such a fantastic opportunity and I would highly recommend it to any Australia university student.

Do the study prior to classes and look through the lecture notes – that will really help you in the class discussions.

Pack light because everything’s cheap and shopping is amazing over there!

You will develop a love of beer! I didn’t like beer prior to this trip but, I mean, it’s 80 cents for a really big pot of beer so you will definitely come to like beer, so get your palate acquired to beer!

What would you say to someone who’s thinking of doing this program?
Definitely, definitely do it! It’s such an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to combine travelling with undertaking such an interesting course in a European city, especially in winter and being surrounded by beautiful mountains and snow… it was just amazing! You get to immerse yourself in Czech culture and Eastern European culture, meet great people and learn some really interesting concepts. You get to learn some new languages. You get a grant from the Australian Government* and possibly from your university and you get to knock a subject out so it’s definitely a win-win situation all-round!


During a weekend trip to Prague


Masaryk University, Stefanie's home for 3 weeks this January


The view from Stefanie's room in Brno, Czech Republic


*Some students might be eligible for a $5611 OS-HELP loan from the Australian Government. Email info@aimoverseas.com.au or go to the OS-HELP website for more information.

Dreaming in German - Interview with returned student Daniel Budreika

Daniel (far right) with friends in Germany, celebrating Australia Day.


This January, Daniel Budreika participated in our Intensive German Language program in Munich while finishing off his Finance degree at the University of South Australia. Daniel became so immersed in his German surroundings that he actually started to dream in German!

Now working full-time, Daniel took some time out to chat with us about his travel and study experiences.

Hi Daniel, thanks for speaking with me today! Tell me why you decided to study AIM Overseas’ Intensive German Language program.

I’d studied German in high school but wanted to improve my language skills. I was also finishing my Finance degree and needed to pick an elective that had nothing to do with the School of Business so this program ended up working really well.

Had you been to Germany before?

I’d been there for a few days about six months prior to this trip. It was during this trip that I ‘rediscovered’ my inspiration to learn German.

Describe to me a typical day for you in Germany during your course.

I was staying with a host family in Munich so I’d start the day having breakfast with them. I’d then catch the tram to school, which would start at around 9.30. Classes were relatively small. Lessons went on until about 1 to 1.30 then we had free time to do what we liked. I would use this time to explore Munich and ended up meeting a lot of different people.

We had some homework too but it was very, very manageable. We had weekends off – and we didn’t have any homework on the weekends – so we’d explore Munich and the surrounds a bit more

What is something interesting about Germany that you discovered during the program?

One thing I noticed is that Germans tend to say that they can’t speak English but you end up having a half-hour conversation with them in English and you realise that they can speak English just fine! Even those that weren’t so well educated could still hold a conversation in English quite well. I found it quite interesting that they were so critical of themselves in this regard.

After spending the month there and dealing with all the challenges of living in a foreign country, how do you think the program affected you?

It made me more aware of other cultures and how they live. This is the benefit of doing a program like this as opposed to learning a language out-of-hours or at uni in your own country. By actually going there and living as they do and participating in all the things that they do, you really get a feel for their culture and you get to practice your language skills a lot more.

Tell me about what it was like living with a German family.

I was really lucky – I had a fantastic family! Particularly the host mum – she was very motherly and spoke clearly and concisely so that I could understand what she was saying. If she saw that I didn’t quite understand something, she’d repeat it again slowly. It was almost as if the whole time, while I was at home, I was in a lesson. She could speak English just fine as well so if so we could always converse that way if we needed to. On the first day, she took me walking around the area, explaining to me what different things were. Also, she was a fantastic cook! Probably the best food I’ve eaten in my life was in that house!

It must have been very challenging to be forced to speak German all the time.

It is, but that’s what I was there for. There were lots of Australians and other English speakers at the school so if I wanted to speak English I definitely had ample opportunity to do that! But I tried to remind myself that I was there to speak German. It was challenging, but eventually I had a few dreams in German!

It’s true, you don’t get a break - you sit around the kitchen table speaking German and you go to school where everything’s in German. You’re constantly thinking about your ‘game plan’ and how you can improve and what you’ve learnt so far. It can be a bit daunting but after awhile you get used to it.

I wouldn’t say that my German became awesome after only four weeks but it was definitely a massive improvement to before.

Do you have any insider tips for other students who want to do this program?

There were quite a few tips during the pre-departure sessions [run by AIM Overseas] that were handy for people who hadn’t really travelled before.

My tip would be to always ask for directions if you’re lost. When I first got to Munich, I discovered that the map that I was given was not particularly helpful. It was incredibly detailed but nothing matched up to what I had found! So I ended up getting lost, lugging my stuff around, walking back and forth and trying to suss it out by myself. In hindsight I probably should’ve just asked! I was initially reluctant to ask for directions because I thought that my German wasn’t good enough. In hindsight though I would have been better off if I’d just asked for directions.

What would you say to somebody who’s thinking about participating in this program?

I’d definitely recommend it. I think this is the best way to not only get away from your surroundings but to learn a new language – it’s much better than studying a language for a semester at uni. It’s a good life experience, particularly for younger people.

I also think that it adds more to your uni degree and is much better than just doing a meaningless elective that you don’t care about. It’s something that potentially can be a lot more enjoyable and meaningful. You may as well get the most of our your education.

Thanks very much for speaking with us!


Daniel's host mother and brother, and the amazing blackforest cake that Daniel's host mother prepared for him for his birthday.


Daniel took this beautiful shot of the Isar River

Why study overseas? Acacia Burns tells...

Acacia Burns, a Science/Law student at Griffith Uni, embarked on the trip of a lifetime when she participated in AIM Overseas' Global Leadership Program in Prague. Acacia loved her experience so much she's heading off to the UK this July to study our Cambridge Summer School program.

Here's an article by Acacia about studying abroad:

Take the plunge and study overseas- it’s the best decision you’ll ever make!

I love to travel! And what better way to make the most of your precious travelling time than to study overseas. So when I was offered a place in the 11th Annual Global Leadership Program (GLP) held in Prague, I jumped at the chance. It wasn’t long before I was boarding my first long-haul flight to Europe, and over 30 hours in transit and 2 stopovers later I had landed in what is known as “the city of a thousand spires”...Prague, of course!

I was now a student of Charles University (one of the oldest universities in Europe) for the next month, along with 49 other undergraduate students from around the world. After all the introductions, a welcome lunch and one “Amazing Race” around the city, we headed off into the Czech countryside to our base for the weekend: Châteaux Liblice. During this weekend retreat of site visits, team building activities and community service, Heather, our lecturer and founder of the GLP programs, lived up to her seemingly impossible promise that “by the end of this weekend you will know EVERYONE!”

The core component of GLP is the course Philosophies of Leadership, with a choice of 3 electives: Comparative Religion, Human Rights and International Relations, and Global Business. A definite highlight for me was experiencing a different style of teaching. The classes were small and very interactive. In Philosophies of Leadership we discussed what it means to be a leader by drawing on commentaries by philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato, Hobbes, Ghandi and Martin Luther King. Heather would often come to class in-character, playing her role so well that it was ages before we even realised! Similarly, it wasn’t long before our human rights class relocated to a nearby coffee shop, where we engaged in lively and often very passionate debates about cultural relativism, universality and the like.

In a city with as much history (and quirk!) as Prague, you will never run out of things to do. From visiting the chapel made entirely of human bones, or the communist/ chocolate/ torture/ (no joke) sex machine museum/s, to climbing the giant baby sculptures that crawl along the Vltava river. And of course there’s that magnificent castle! For GLPers (as participants are fondly known as) there’s an organised weekend trip outside the Czech Republic to Berlin or Budapest, as well as Czech film screenings and cultural nights (aka vegemite on toast nights).

Being a part of the GLP program and having the opportunity to study overseas has definitely been a major highlight of my life so far. Through GLP I met some truly generous, hard working and inspirational people, and made friends for life.

For me, studying overseas was an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

This program runs every year in the July uni holidays. To find out more about this program or to apply, please go to our website: www.aimoverseas.com.au or email us on info@aimoverseas.com.au