Damian caught up with me this morning to have a chat about his experience of the FCE preparation course and his life in Byron Bay. Damian was an absolute pleasure to have in the school and is always a very charming and humourous student. Thanks for sharing Damian.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from…

My name is Damian and I am from a small village in Switzerland near Luzern.

What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?

In Switzerland I was a employee in an insurance company as an apprentice. I decided to come to Australia to take a break after my education and to improve my English.

How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?

I studied at GV Byron Bay for 12 weeks in the FCE preparation course. It was extremely interesting and I learnt a lot of things. It was interesting because I met a lot of people from all over the world and we had a chance to share our own cultures with each other which was very nice.

My teacher was Andrew. I would really like to say that he is the best teacher I have had. He is a very motivating teacher, lively with a great sense of humour and terrible fashion sense! (although, we have now bought him a beautiful island shirt and he looks much better!)

What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?

I finished two days ago and I am now going to enjoy my time in Byron Bay for the next three weeks. After that I will spend a week in Sydney and then very sadly I have to say good bye to Australia and go back to the snow and the cold.

What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?

Wow. This is such a hard question as there have been so many good moments. Actually, there really isn’t specific moment. I have enjoyed meeting people from all over the world so much as it has opened my mind and my world the different opportunities that exist on this lovely planet.

What is your favourite place in Byron?

Probably the lighthouse or the rails (and I don’t drink!!) There is some great live bands playing every night and it’s good to go and hang out with your friends after studying all day!

Is there anything you’d like to add??

I would like to tell everyone to have the time of your life in the most easterly point of Australia at GV Byron Bay!

I caught up with two of our students today to have a quick chat about their lives here…

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?

Hi I’m Gabriel from Belo Horizonte in Brazil.

What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?

At home in Brazil I used to study at university, studying civil engineering. I came to Australia because I had heard that Byron Bay is a beautiful and very relaxing place. My sister used to live here as well, about three years ago and she really enjoyed it here. I really wanted to go to a place which was different from my home in Brazil; a small friendly town sounded really good to me and very different from where I live in Brazil

How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?

I have been here for three months and I’m studying the FCE.

What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?

I’m not totally sure but I hope to travel around Australia and then go to New Zealand to spend a few weeks and then.. HOME!

What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?

The teachers are very friendly, open people. They are more than teachers to me; they have really become my friends which is a really special experience. The students who come to GV are really open to one another, and it is a really wonderful chance to make some great friends. The location of the school is great, it’s really quiet and it’s really easy to relax here.

What is your favourite place in Byron?

My favourite place in Byron is the beach.. of course! I’m a surfer… but I also have to say I really like the school. I spend most of my days at the school and I really like it. I can give you a good example, I had a week vacation between English courses and I still came to school every day even when I was on holiday, which just goes to show how much I like it here.

and Eva….!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from…

My name is Eva and I come from Hamburg, Germany

What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?

I have just finished high school in Germany. I came to Australia primarily to learn English, as it the lingua franca of the world nowadays. I also wanted to have to experience a different lifestyle and see the world through different eyes before I started University.

I especially wanted to come to Byron Bay, as it’s a really famous place; my agent told me that Byron is a wonderful place to study. I thought it was a really good idea to come to a relaxing, quiet place to live and to work and to experience the world around me.. and so far it’s been perfect!

How long have you been at GV Byron and what are you studying?

I am in the CAE class, and have been studying for two months so far.

What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?

I finish in the middle of December and when I have finished studying here I will travel for five weeks around Australia.

What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?

I can’t really speak about one experience as I have really enjoyed my time in general here. What I can say is that I am really impressed with how accessible the staff at the school has been. The student support has been excellent. Everyone, from the teachers, to the student services to the academic management has been approachable, kind and attentive. I have felt very comfortable in discussing any issues that have arisen and all of the staff have done their very best to support me.

The activities have also been really fun. The school itself is great for example; the student lounge is fun, and it’s a good place to chill out. The classrooms are all new and that makes for a good environment to study in. One of the best days was when we went Kayaking and I could see lots of dolphin and whales!! Amazing!!

What is your favourite place in Byron?

The beach of course!!! Clarks beach is beautiful, the ocean and waves are amazing.

Is there anything you’d like to add??

I have to say that life here has been really nice. The beach is beautiful, the people are open and friendly and it feels very different from Hamburg. It is quite an alternative culture in Byron, but it a very positive one and it really good for me, I think, to experience a different way of thinking..

I was talking to some of our students yesterday and one comment really struck me as a really nice reflection and which I wanted to share with you all. We were talking about the school and Byron and Jong had this to say about his experience studying with us here.

“One of the best things about coming to GV is the environment of the school itself. Since the school is quite small, it really feels friendly. I have been here for only 3 weeks so far, and I’ve met so many people from all over the world. I’m spending time with Koreans, Swiss, French, Japanese, Italians, Colombians, Brazilians, Spanish, and Taiwanese. It’s quite amazing to have this chance to meet so many different cultures.”

“I joined this school to improve my English and am currently studying at the lower intermediate level. The class is really small and very friendly and I feel like I really belong. Because of this I am having a much better time in Byron than I ever expected, as I have made lots of friends already. I was really nervous before I arrived here, as I was worried that I would be lonely, but the total opposite is true. I think it’s because we are all in the same position, and so even though we are from different countries, we are all living the same new experience. Which makes it a really caring and fun environment”

Thanks for sharing Jong . Great to hear that you are having fun here.