“My name is Rajdeep. I am from South Wales and I am currently studying medicine at JCU. I’m studying in Australia because it ticked all the right boxes for me. The weather, lifestyle, course and the people are all great. Townsville is an ideal and beautiful regional city with pretty much everything a student needs, making me feel right at home. The JCU campus is on the outskirts of town, surrounded by amazing scenery. I find it a peaceful study environment and it has exceptional resources.

“Studying medicine at JCU we are privileged to get a hands-on approach to our learning because the School here believes strongly in early clinical experience. The course occupies most of my student life, as there is an emphasis on self-guided learning, but I am given excellent resources and have tremendous lecturers and a well-established support network. My typical week is 25 contact hours, which includes four introductory lectures, four guided learning sessions, a clinical skills session and four summary lectures.

“This is not to say I don’t have a social life. There is plenty to do and get involved in at JCU and Townsville. I am currently a JCU Medical Student Association events representative, which involves organising some of the events for medicine throughout the year. There are also numerous sports and social clubs to join. I have represented my hall of residence at cricket, basketball and football competitions. It’s simple to get involved, and I had a brilliant time. The nightlife in Townsville is great, as there are many clubs, bars and restaurants.

“At JCU, all the students are friendly and I have found Queenslanders to be incredibly nice. I am currently living at Western Courts, one of the halls of residence. I love it because there is a great environment, diverse culture and tremendous college spirit. Although I miss the UK on occasions, I have settled in well and this has become a home away from home.

“The weather in Townsville is excellent all year round which means regular trips to the beach or swimming pools. I have found it easy to adjust because I have made so many good lifelong friends already. I absolutely love JCU and Australia.

“Where I am now would not have been possible without the help of the Study Options team in London. They made it incredibly easy to apply for universities in Australia by providing all the necessary information and forms. I appreciate the huge amount of guidance and support they gave me throughout the process. I am incredibly thankful to Study Options. Words cannot describe how amazing Australia is to live and study!