Jenna Gestranius
Home country: Finland
Jenna Gestranius was a Finnish student studying in Sweden and looking to internationalise her educational experience even further.
“I really wanted to do an exchange semester and while I was browsing through the alternatives my first choice fell on the University of the Sunshine Coast," Jenna says.
Course offerings and cultural opportunities influenced Jenna’s decision.
“USC provided the most suitable courses for me and Australia is a fascinating country providing very different kinds of exotic activities, like for example surfing. I also preferred to go to an English speaking country to improve my English,” she says.
A Sport Psychology student, Jenna found the courses at USC a good match for her.
“My favourite course so far has probably been the Introduction to Sports Medicine. I like it because it is quite a practical course and I will most certainly benefit from the knowledge I gain in this course personally as an athlete and also in my work with athletes in the future,” Jenna says.
Jenna says she thinks that it is good to experience the different learning styles of Sweden and Australia and believes both have their strengths and shortcomings.
“At USC I do four courses simultaneously. The compulsory tutorials are a bit ‘strange’ for me, but not in a negative way. They are beneficial in that they provide an opportunity to ask questions in small groups and also help you get to know your classmates and teachers better,” Jenna says.
“What I also find is that the teachers here ‘take care of you’ quite well.”
Jenna says she is very independent, but appreciated the helpful support of USC International Relations staff as she planned her semester in Australia.
“Before I arrived on the Sunshine Coast they always answered my emails and questions, which was indeed very helpful. That made the arrival really easy and the airport transfer organised by International Relations was really appreciated,” she says.
“It feels good to know that if you have any problems or don’t know what to do you can always turn to IR for help.”
Jenna has experienced some pleasant cultural differences at USC.
“The atmosphere in Australia is literally ‘no worries’. People do not seem too stressed and seem generally more caring and friendly down here,” she says.
Jenna believes everyone should spend a semester overseas and "definitely" recommends USC.
“USC is a nice University with a good location. I personally love the sunshine. Everything is so much easier when the sun is shining,” she says.
“You get the chance to become more independent and discover more about yourself and develop many of your skills, like social and language skills, and you gain an understanding for cultural differences.
“Australia is an amazing country with so much to see that there is no way you can be bored here.”