The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) borders Chinatown and is in the middle of the city. The UTS campus with over a dozen buildings is well located and a lot is within walking distance. With over 45,000 students and many different fields of study (design, architecture, sports, etc. ). A disadvantage of the university is the distance to the beaches (Bondi, Maroubra, Coogee), which are an hour away by public transport.
UTS Housing
The student dormitories (definitely in the Yura, the largest and therefore also the busiest) are in the middle of the campus, and you get a complementary gym subscription. (Attention, some are also a little further away). For a 6- person flat share (in the largest dormitory Yura Mudang) you pay 310AUD per week. The student apartments are small (especially the beds) and, considering the price, don’t shine with great amenities. In addition, the apartment has to be rented for six months, although the semester only lasts a total of 14 weeks. However, there is an option if you can find someone to pass your contract on. The big advantage of the dormitories, however, is the proximity to the other fellow students, most of whom are also exchange students. This makes it much easier to make friends and play billiards and table tennis in the common rooms or to end the day (or ring in the night) in the cinema room or the spacious roof terrace in the evening. Visit andyeducation.com to get information about California State University Fullerton study abroad program.
Our experience has shown that a 6-person apartment is the best option, as it allows you to come into contact with others and simply meet new people.
Living outside of housing
The second variant would be to look for an apartment (e. g. Airbnb) independently in the city, here you can save a lot of money, on the one hand due to the high prices of UTS Housing and on the other hand because you don’t have to pay the full six months if you do you don’t need them. If you want to have more of the beach (for example for surfing) this option offers much more flexibility. The disadvantage here is, of course, the distance to the university and the difficulty of integrating socially into university life.
Sydney and Australia
With just under five million inhabitants, Sydney is by far the largest city in Australia. The abundance of beaches and leisure activities (especially in summer) make the city very attractive and liveable. The city is easy to explore by public transport and offers a wide range of bars, clubs and especially restaurants! Away from the city are the Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a must-see if you can find a day off.
Thanks to the relatively good work-life balance, you will find enough time to travel to the countless places in Australia; Popular destinations here are Melbourne, Perth, Great Ocean Road, Kangaroo Island, Magnetic Island, Cairns and during the holidays also more distant destinations such as Fiji (recommended for the semester break) or Tasmania. Planning is important here, as the semester goes by in a flash and the variety of options is huge.
Australia is not much cheaper than Switzerland, which is particularly noticeable when traveling and the alcohol prices. Nevertheless, there are enough ways to go on vacation without a large budget, with various “backpack travel agencies”.
UTS courses
- 21510 Introduction to Strategy (7. 5 ECTS) – recommended
Examination performance: group work (15% paper 15% presentation), scientific term paper (30%), final exam (40%)
This was the most arduous course, on the one hand because there was compulsory attendance in the tutorials and on the other hand because the lecture was always very simple-minded and boring. However, it is still advisable to visit both, as the professor says for all important slides that they are 100% relevant for the exam. Otherwise you should find a good group for group work. The final exam is a purely memorization test, which is why it is advisable to read the book for the context.
- 25300 Fundamentals of Business Finance 7. 5 ECTS) – highly recommended
Examination performance: online quiz (30%), group work (20%), final exam (50%)
The best course of the semester. I had a lot of fun listening to the professor and going to the lectures. I had Linda Styles in the tutorials, also highly recommended. Otherwise, find a good group for work here too, in order to solve the online ouizzes together.
- 23568 Intermediate Macroeconomics (7. 5 ECTS) – recommended
Examination performance: online quiz (40%), final exam (60%)
This subject was by far the most difficult that I completed at UTS. Again, I had to take four online quizzes during the semester. The quizzes were very demanding and you had 80 minutes for them. Here, too, it is worthwhile to form a group with other fellow students (preferably HSG students). The final exam was difficult, but manageable if you prepare well. Here, too, the (demanding) tutorials were more difficult than the actual exam. With a lot of effort, a “Destinction” or “High Destinction” can be easily achieved. Mr. Wang is highly recommended as a tutor, with his relaxed manner he taught us the material in an understandable and competent manner.
Anyone who thinks that they can return home with the best style just by entering the lecture hall will be surprised at the effort, especially during the semester. The more decentralized structure of the services means that you have to constantly take care of deadlines and quizzes. The big difference to my university was that you can get very good grades (Distinction to High Distinction) with a (somewhat) disciplined effort. The learning phase, in which around half of the grades have already been completed, can then be approached more comfortably.
Don’t worry, if you make an effort and plan accordingly, you can return home with good grades as well as tons of holiday memories!
Conclusion
I would recommend an exchange semester to everyone, because you learn a lot of new things, broaden your horizons and make many new friends. Australia and Sydney in particular is the perfect choice because it has everything to offer and despite the great distance home, Sydney is very westernized, which dampens the culture shock. Thanks to the good distribution of university performance (a good half of the grade is taken during the semester through online quizzes, presentations and papers), you can make your exchange with many trips to Germany and abroad an unforgettable experience.
The best tip that you can give new exchange students is to start traveling, sightseeing and extra-curricular activities as early as possible, because the exchange flies by and the danger of slipping into a boring university rhythm is also here big or even bigger. In addition, I would also recommend not to book the return flight in advance, because rebooking is expensive and everyone wants to stay longer in the end;)
