Kelly (Sem 1, 2023)

My Exchange at The University of Melbourne

I had simultaneously the best and worst time of my life, during my five months in Melbourne. Which in hindsight, I believe, is a net positive. I learned about the 360 International exchange programme through my friend, because we were both eager to escape the bore and drabness of Auckland. I picked Melbourne because it was close enough that my parents wouldn’t worry much, but far enough that I could still experience something new, having never traveled to Australia before. Also, I didn’t have any acquaintances there.

I received a warm welcome at the University of Melbourne, literally, because that day of the orientation reached scorching-hot record-breaking temperatures and they had to cancel the campus tour for our safety. After a seminar, we got a free sausage lunch and were sent on our way. Although I was extremely lost the first week of uni, it was very pleasant to wander around the campus at my own pace. It’s beautiful, especially in the autumn, when the trees cover the grounds with rich oranges and browns and greens.

I was quite pleased with the courses I selected, which they call “subjects”. I did mostly computer science related courses. They were difficult, and there was less hand-holding than in Auckland, but I found them rewarding and realistically prepared us for the workforce. Admittedly, my head was not in my studies during this semester, so overall I was quite stressed and burnt out. One complaint is that we had to do a closed-book paper exam for a coding paper, which meant writing full Java code with pen and paper. A bit ridiculous, but it’s fine because the marking was fairly lenient with syntax errors.

As for the city itself. Melbourne is certainly a different feeling from Auckland, though we may share similar cultures. The most jarring thing at first was… the trees. They looked so dry, and not like the lush green I was familiar with in New Zealand. The birds made strange, cackling noises, and there were bats flying about once it got dark enough. Bats! The architecture in the city is delightful; just take a look at the State Library. Trams are free in the city centre too, so no sore feet while navigating the city! The best part though was definitely the food. In Melbourne, you’re spoiled for choice. There are so many excellent places to check out, all kinds of cuisines, all kinds of concepts, I hardly made a dent. Places actually stay open til late as well, so your late night cravings may be satisfied. It felt safe in the heart of city, even late into the night, because there were always people milling about. The nightlife is fantastic. Melbourne really thrives in the nighttime- check out the rooftop bars, especially.

One of my favourite places were the local markets. My accommodation was a seven minute walk from the Queen Victoria market, so I made several trips there. It’s a bit touristy, but the atmosphere is great, and you can get lots of good deals on fruits and veggies. Later on, I bought lots of winter accessories from there as well. PSA: it gets cold in Melbourne! Like true scarf, beanie, gloves type of weather. It’s brilliant, if you enjoy layering up like me.

Melbourne people are generally friendly, and I made a lot of friends during my exchange. Unexpectedly, the closest of them came from groupwork in uni. Maybe I got lucky, but I found that students in my courses actually initiated conversation and wanted to be friends outside of class! Still, I spent lots of time exploring the city alone, and those were some of my favourite days. Grabbing a coffee in the morning, sitting in some gardens, searching for a lunch spot. Melbourne is a great place to fade into the background and be alone.

Surprisingly, studying overseas spurred in me a lot of gratefulness towards Auckland, and a newfound appreciation for my hometown. I still wanna get out of here, but yeah. I feel like a better person, like I’ve done some maturing, and gained some new perspectives. I encourage everyone to try an exchange experience. It doesn’t have to be far to be impactful!

Q&A

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

The content being taught was genuinely useful and realistic in terms of preparing us for the workforce.

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

Rent a boat and cruise the Yarra river, especially if you’ve got some friends with you.

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

1. Don’t go for student accommodation (super pricey and not worth it imo), try to rent and share with someone!

2. Don’t skip class and go to campus, there’s always free food or something that’s on.

3. Avoid any contact with myki officers (the public transport officers).

Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

Student accommodation is a lot more expensive than Auckland, so be prepared for a large chunk of your budget to go towards rent.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

There are kind people everywhere, and there are also mean, crazy, racist people everywhere.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

A brief stay in sunny Sydney in the greyness of Melbourne winter is totally worth it.