My Exchange at The University of Sydney
Overall, I found the 360 International exchange programme very fulfilling and really saw myself grow.
I had always known that a semester exchange programme was available as I had learned about it during the Auckland University open day. Since I had initially wanted to study in Australia, I figured doing an exchange would be a good compromise.
When I first landed in Sydney I had this feeling of being on another world as I had never really travelled on my own before and it was quite a strange feeling having all this responsibility for myself. I do remember that I had to check in my room late due to my flight and realised I had no bedding so I had to pay an Uber to drive me to a Target I had arranged a click & collect with for my bedding since it closed really soon.
I stayed at the Queen Mary Building and the accommodation was overall very friendly and social, especially relative to what I have experienced in the non-first year Auckland Uni halls. Most the students in there were also on exchange so everyone was sort of experiencing the same thing which made making friends pretty easy.
The University of Sydney courses definitely felt a bit easier than courses at Auckland, but I’m not decided on if its the teaching or the courses itself. The exams were definitely easier though as they all had large multi-choice components to them.
Sydney is definitely a unique city especially having these stunning beaches so close to the CBD. You can definitely feel the effects of the east Australian current on the water temperature as it felt like I could swim there with just togs year round. You also notice that the city feels much more of an international city. I had always thought that Auckland was multicultural, but Sydney is a huge melting pot of all these different cultures and perspectives.
While I think that overall the cost of living in Sydney is higher than Auckland, I suspect it is due to the higher wages. There are alot of areas that are still cheaper, however, and one of them is the supermarket prices. I really miss getting a $5 block of cheese or paying $1 for a litre of milk.
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
The huge campus and facilities offered to students. It is definitely noticeable that the university has significantly more resources from the events that are put on to just the sheer size of the campus. It probably would take me half an hour to walk across it.
An academic experience I really enjoyed was the trade show that was put on for my group project course. We all got an hour to talk about our group designs in this beautiful old hall that felt like it was out of Harry Potter.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
It would be a shame to go to Sydney and not just go to the beach all the time. Although public transport still puts it at an hour ride to the nearest beach, it never gets old. Taking the ferry to Manly really feels surreal.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
1. Get amongst all the clubs and societies. There are so many opportunities and it is a shame to waste it.
2. Explore the campus. Even at the end of my semester, there ended up being so many cool and unique areas that ended up being unexplored by me.
3. See the country at every opportunity. While getting around might not be as easy as Europe, there are still plenty of cheap methods of seeing the country.
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?
On top of my rent, which was paid upfront, I had a few thousand dollars saved from a summer job that I used in addition to my weekly living costs loan. Since it is an expensive city, I did end up finding it very hard near the end to keep going at the same pace, but it definitely was enough. Since wages are pretty high, finding a part-time job would also be a good supplement.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
- Make the most of your big experiences as they always fly by.
- The world is full of new friends.
Tags: 2023, Engineering, Report