“After moving all the way across the world from Hong Kong to London to do my undergraduate studies, I decided it was time to do the same again, and found myself moving from London to Geelong to commence my medical degree at Deakin. Applying for medical school is a demanding and bureaucratic process, from evaluating what MCAT/GAMSAT scores are required by each university, to checking how many places they have, and what their curriculum has to offer. Study Options helped streamline this process, as well as my visa and accommodation applications, making my journey to medical school a lot less stressful.

“Deakin University has so far been an incredibly rewarding and intellectually stimulating experience. From being 15 minutes away from the surf coast, to 45 minutes away from Melbourne, there is plenty to do and great people to do things with. The medical degree is everything I expected it to be, with a few positive surprises along the way. Although moving from the big city of London to the regional town of Geelong was slightly overwhelming at first, the community spirit and endless stream of university and town-led events made integration easy. Also, if you do miss the hustle and bustle, Melbourne is just a train ride away.

“One great thing about studying at Deakin is the amount of space and facilities it has to offer. From a full-sized athletics track, gym, outdoor climbing hall, swimming pool, and academic facilities that are large and bright with high ceilings, studying here is so much less cramped than at my previous university in London! Also, cost of living is significantly less, from rent to food to general lifestyle.

“My advice if you are thinking about studying abroad is to use Study Options! Take full advantage of all the services they offer, attend their Australia university fairs, connect with current students and think clearly about what you (and only you) want, not what others want from you.

“Final advice? Take the big leap, it’s worth it.”