James (Sem 1, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Sydney

Arriving in a country when you know no one is a strange experience. It is exciting since it feels like a new world to explore but also daunting as New Zealand is very small in comparison to the rest of the world!

I experienced this on my semester exchange to the University of Sydney in – you guessed it – Sydney. Australia is very close to New Zealand and the cultures are very similar making it easier to go on exchange, but there were still numerous differences.

From first leaving the airport by Uber, to returning by a friend, going on an exchange requires that you put yourself out there and to recreate the network that you left behind in New Zealand. It is refreshing not having your peers around you as it frees you to do whatever you want to do! Yet, your problems are then your own as most of the people that you know are a phone call away. An exchange is a great way to grow in your personal independence.

A big advantage of going to a large university is that there are many active clubs. I joined the Sydney University Bushwalking (SUBW) club, which is the university’s tramping club, quickly upon arrival. This was an excellent way to explore Australia as I went hiking in the Blue Mountains, around Sydney’s many bays, through the nearby Royal National Park and even all the way out in the outback. For the first five weeks or so I went on a hike every weekend… it helped that Auckland would only transfer back a pass or fail! It is such a great way to explore a country.

Certainly, the biggest highlight of my exchange was the trains of Australia. I lived right next to a train station and so could catch a quick train to the university every day. If I felt like travelling further, and exploring the city, I just had to wait a bit longer until I would pop out at the Sydney Opera house! Additionally, if you like long train trips Australia is the place for you; the 11-hour train from Sydney to Melbourne gives you plenty of time to look out the window and read a good book!

Another highlight was using Sydney as a local base to explore the rest of Australia. I had never really travelled around Australia before and by living in Sydney everything was only one domestic flight away rather than an international one. Consequently, throughout my exchange I visited Melbourne twice and spent 10 days in a campervan circumnavigating Tasmania. It was brilliant. I highly recommend leaving your host city and exploring the rest of your exchange country!

My biggest piece of advice for prospective exchange students is to not let the paperwork put you off from applying. It can be painful at times having to deal with not just one university’s bureaucracy but two, yet the upside of temporarily living overseas is certainly worth it.

I’m so thankful for being selected to go to Sydney on exchange as I have made both lifelong memories and friendships. The 360 team really makes it easy to go on exchange so apply and travel the world!

Q&A

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

Being able to study the same subjects overseas is like entering a parallel dimension where things are almost the same but just a bit different. While the content in Sydney was very similar to Auckland the actual university was not, making it a great way to expereince my courses in a fresh way.

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

Australia has a large selection of outdoor hikes available to go on and the Sydney University Bushwalking club (SUBW) is incredibly active running hikes almost every weekend. I would highly recommend joining and exploring Australia!

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

1. Sign up for something that you wouldn’t do in New Zealand. Being on exchange allows you to step outside your comfort zone

2. Explore the harbour and botanical gardens around the Opera house. There is a reason it is considered the best harbour in the world.

3. Leave Sydney and exploring the rest of New South Wales and Australia! It’s all beautiful and you can’t see it all in the city.

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?

Sydney is much more expensive than Auckland so I had to make sure to budget accordingly. Often it is really easy to eat out but this is far from being cheapest! Make sure to balance eating out and cooking for yourself to not break the bank.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

The world is much larger than New Zealand. Leaving, for only a short period of time, you come to understand that we really live in the corner of a very big world. There are so many opportunites and fantastic people to meet out there if you are willing to travel! Sydney has a population of five million which is all of New Zealand combined into one spot. Everything is simply on a different scale.