Another amazing and unique abroad opportunity is the chance to study in Australia. Tulane offers a variety of different programs in different areas of this continent such as Townsville, Perth, Melbourne, and finally, Sydney, probably the most popular city of the four. Sydney is surrounded by both beautiful beaches and city skyscrapers and filled with people of all different cultures, giving residents a diverse range of activities and experiences. Students of all different majors, from Communications to Neuroscience to Economics and so much more, have the opportunity to attend the University of Sydney. Tulane attendees study side-by-side with Australian students and have a variety of opportunities to participate in on-campus student organizations to further immerse themselves in Australian culture. There are multiple housing options, ranging from dorm-style apartments to residential colleges to off-campus residences.
After interviewing a few Tulane students who just returned from Sydney this January, I learned that they experienced some difficulties adjusting to the academic culture in Australia. They found that classes were a bit different than what they were used to at Tulane. This may be due to classes being split up into two different parts: lecture and tutorial. The lecture was not a required element for students, so they had to participate in a lot of work outside of the classroom in addition to their four or five class course load. However, most students found this difficult environment extremely engaging and beneficial to their growth in their major. And a huge plus, if you are like me, is that many students reported that their classes were mostly centered around writing with fewer tests.
Bailey Miller, Tulane junior, felt that it was an incredible experience being on a side of the world that she had never been to before. She was able to travel to places she never thought she would get to see, such as New Zealand and Thailand. However, she did warn incoming abroad students, that one of the downsides of being in Australia is how far away it is from the United States, making it difficult to travel home if needed and a harder adjustment for those that get more homesick.
One thing that surprised Australia abroad students was the weather. It was a lot colder than they expected it to be and didn’t get too much warmer for the rest of the time they were there. Another surprise students found was that the prices in Australia were quite similar to those in their hometowns.
Australia abroad students shared some of their favorite spots in Sydney to eat and explore. Sydney Levenfeld, a Tulane junior, started an Instagram account to document her favorite spots! (Check it out: @sydneyinsydneyy) From the beautiful Bondi Beach to the eclectic Grounds of Alexandria to the delicious Speedos Café, there are so many great places to explore. Here are some of her favorites:
FAVORITE ACAI BOWL: Fruitologist
FAVORITE BRUNCH: Trio and Speedos
FAVORITE AVOCADO TOAST: Henry Lees
FAVORITE DINNER: Raw Bar Bondi Beach
Overall, students reported that Australia is an incredible place to study, be immersed in a new area of the world, and involve themselves in unique experiences they wouldn’t have been able to do at Tulane.
COVER GRAPHIC: Emery Gluck
