My Exchange at The University of Sydney
My semester exchange at the University of Sydney as part of the 360 International programme was an incredibly valuable and enjoyable experience. I first found out about the 360 International exchange programme through a university email and I am so glad I looked into it further! I ended up choosing the University of Sydney as I didn’t want to go too far from home, but still wanted to experience living in a bigger city. The campus looked beautiful (Hogwarts-like buildings!) and I had some friends studying there that I could visit.
Upon arriving in Sydney, I was very excited! It took a couple hours and a very expensive Uber ride before I arrived at my accommodation. I recommend planning out your transport ahead of time, with backup options as the university shuttle I booked was too busy on the day. I stayed at Scape Darling House for the entirety of my exchange. The location was great, being just across from Darling Square. It was also catered, which meant I didn’t have to worry about food whatsoever.
I stayed in the single ensuite room, which was small but had everything I needed. After getting the key card to my room, I unpacked my things and immediately went shopping for my bedding. Unfortunately, since so many other students were also moving in at this time, many items were sold out. My first night I slept on a folded up hoodie with no blanket! Luckily, the next day I was able to secure bedding.
The week before university started, we had an exchange student orientation at the University of Sydney. We had a lovely welcome at the Great Hall, and a delicious lunch on the grass at the Quadrangle. I was able to meet other exchange students from all over the world. I really enjoyed this orientation and it was great to see the amazing USYD campus in person.
The four courses I took at USYD were:
- ENGG1850: Introduction to Project Management
- COMP3308: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- COMP3027: Algorithm Design
- DATA2901: Big Data and Diversity (Advanced)
Overall, I really enjoyed my courses—it probably helped that I picked ones I would be interested in. I found that USYD marking was generally a bit harsher than UoA, but the workload was pretty similar. I particularly enjoyed my AI and Algorithms lecturer because they delivered the content in a helpful way. The COMP3027 lecturers were very engaging, and they wrote creative assignment questions which I found funny. The ENGG1850 course provided me with a different perspective than the computer science and data course.This allowed me to work intensively in groups and learn about project management—something I was not familiar with.
I really enjoyed living for half a year in Sydney. The city life is so vibrant compared to New Zealand, and it was massive! The cost of living was more expensive than New Zealand; items were generally the same price as they would be in NZ, just in AUD. Nevertheless, I had a great time going shopping and eating lots of food—I tried pretty much all the food places in Darling Harbour. The city was also great to be in at night as there were always lots of people around and activities to do.
The computing society at USYD, SYNCS, had lots of fun events and opportunities to meet fellow students and mingle with industry professionals. SYNCS held numerous industry events, social ones like an arcade night, and weekly meetups to play board games and eat free food! These were a great way to meet other students and see what was to offer in the Sydney tech space. USYD also had tons of other interesting clubs that I would’ve liked to get involved in. Unfortunately, I didn’t start going to club events until the end of the semester. This meant I had less time to participate because there were many assignments. I recommend other exchange students to get involved in any clubs they are interested in!
To any students thinking about doing an exchange, I would say do it! If you are able to take this incredible opportunity, do it! Involve yourself with the exchange university as much as you can. Explore the city. An exchange is a time to experience living abroad away from your familiar home, family, and friends. As such, it is a great opportunity to experience new things, explore, and grow. I had a great time at the University of Sydney, and look forward to returning to Sydney at the end of the year for my internship!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
The four courses I took at USYD were ENGG1850: Introduction to Project Management, COMP3308: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, COMP3027: Algorithm Design, and DATA2901: Big Data and Diversity (Advanced).
Overall, I really enjoyed my courses which was probably helped by the fact that I picked ones I would be interested in. I really enjoyed my AI and Algorithms lecturers especially as they delivered the content in a helpful way. The COMP3027 lecturers were very engaging, and they wrote creative assignment questions which I found funny. The ENGG1850 course provided me with a different perspective than the computer science and data courses, allowing me to work on group assignments and learn about project management—something I was not familiar with.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
The computing society at USYD, SYNCS, had lots of fun events and opportunities to meet fellow students and mingle with industry professionals. SYNCS held numerous industry events as well as social ones like an arcade night, as well as weekly meetups to play board games and eat free food! These were a great way to meet other students and see what was to offer in the Sydney tech space.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Firstly, I recommend getting involved in the university life as much as possible! Going to classes and hanging out with classmates on campus really lets you experience the exchange university, and going to club events is a great way to meet friends and explore the city.
Secondly, I recommend thinking beforehand about how you want to balance academics and extracurricular. Being in a whole other country, there is lots to see and explore so you will want to consider how demanding your courses are, in addition to the learning content.
Finally, I recommend budgeting your whole trip and planning your first week in the country well. There will always be unexpected things you encounter, but planning ahead will help make adjusting to the new environment much easier.
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 used pretty much everything I earned from my summer internship. This was unfortunately not enough, so I had to ask my parents for more money later in the semester. I would recommend creating a clear budget, allocating more than the bare minimum. If I had spent only the minimum, i.e. rent, food, necessary expenses I don’t think I would’ve gone over budget. But given it’s an exchange, you want to be able to experience everything you can!
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
My most significant takeaway from my exchange at the University of Sydney was that I love living in a bigger city! I enjoyed going exploring in Sydney and eating at all the cool places.
Tags: 2023, Engineering, Report