George (Sem 2, 2022)

My Exchange at The University of Sydney

I found out about the 360 exchange programme from my friend Laila, who had gone to Mexico on exchange the semester before. When I first arrived at St Paul’s College in Sydney I was blown away by the beautiful old buildings, it reminded me of photos I’d seen of Oxford and Cambridge, and felt sort of like being in a Harry Potter movie.

The exchange orientation was very successful and I was able to get to know a lot of other exchange students straight away. Living in Sydney was great, I ended up making a lot of local Australian friends because everyone was so nice and easy to get along with. Although people tend to compare New Zealand and Australia, I found that they felt really different. Sydney was so large, exciting and fast paced, and the wildlife was beautiful.

When comparing the cost of living in Sydney to Auckland I found that food was a little more expensive, and alcohol was vastly more expensive. Rent was also a little more, but not by too much. My friends and I were fortunate enough to be able to drive, and so we went on many day trips to places like the Royal National Park, and the northern beaches. I was also lucky enough to join a group travelling to Byron Bay for a week, and it was one of my best memories from my trip to Sydney.

Campus life was quite similar to Auckland University, but there were a lot of older buildings there and a lot of green spaces. It was an absolutely stunning campus, especially on sunny days. There were a lot of places to meet and eat on campus too, which made it easy to go to campus for a full day and see friends as well as study. Some challenges of the exchange obviously included getting COVID near the beginning, but a lot of my exchange friends experienced this. Luckily my accommodation was very good at taking care of me during this time and so the two weeks went by very quickly.

Some advice I’d give to someone considering going on exchange is please absolutely go and do it. I cannot stress enough that it’ll be one of the best times of your life. I was very hesitant about going through with it, especially because I didn’t want to leave the comfort of my friends and family here in Auckland, but I loved my trip there so much I’m going back next year to work full time.

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

The courses were very well taught at the University of Sydney and I was able to learn a huge amount in my one semester there.

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

Signing up to the day trips is a must. There are some really beautiful parks, beaches, and hikes that are all around Sydney.

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

Go to the orientation days and just start chatting with people, it is by far the best way to make friends and all of the other exchange students are feeling the exact same way as you.

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

I budgeted about $30,000 for the exchange. My accommodation ended up being $20,000 and the $10,000 spending was enough for me by the end of it.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

I feel I re-blossomed on exchange. Being at home for so long in the same place had sort of sapped me of my excitement and energy, but going overseas and meeting a whole bunch of new friends really gave me a new lease on life.