Hi Everyone!
I am now at the end of my exchange at the University of Sydney; I can’t believe 4 months have gone by so quickly! I had a wonderful experience, and would absolutely recommend studying abroad at the University of Sydney to anyone, especially those in psychology or neuroscience programs. I’ll split my post into academic and non-academic reflections below.
Academic
Finals season is always stressful, and that persists at USYD. Final exams are worth more percentage of your overall grade (around 40-50%), and the majority of classes have finals, so it is important to start studying early. USYD has a “vacation week” (not really vacation since it is supposed to be used for studying) called STUVAC, that is there to allow students time to prepare for finals. They also have study groups and review sessions to help guide your preparation, along with free breakfasts and different relaxation activities everyday of STUVAC to help students cope with the stress of finals week. SciTech Library and the Abercrombie School of Business Building are good study spots with lots of different spaces to explore. Abercrombie has a cafe inside the building and SciTech has a food court right above it. The Abercrombie building is open 24/7 as long as you have your USYD student ID card. If you’re looking to get off campus to study, the State Library of New South Wales is a short bus ride away, and has a more archaic feel to it. While the exams are difficult, allowing yourself a few weeks to prepare will ease the stress of the exams. To celebrate after exams, King Street in Newtown is right near campus and has lots of great places to eat, so make sure to treat yourself and have fun with your friends after an exam.
Non-Academic
Sydney is absolutely beautiful during the end of the semester, which can feel like a bit of a cruel joke when you’re studying instead of going to the beach or exploring the botanical gardens. I highly recommend finding some time to take the lightrail or a bus to Circular Quay (pronounced “key” for some reason) and explore the botanical gardens, the Sydney Opera House, and the Museum of Sydney. Hyde Park and the Anzac Memorial are right off of the Town Hall stop on the lightrail, and are nearby the Australian Museum and Aboriginal Art Galleries. If you are feeling touristy and are able to, I recommend doing the bridge climb of Sydney’s famous Harbor Bridge, where you get a stunning view of the Sydney Opera House, the city, and the Blue Mountains.
Australia as a whole is incredibly diverse in its wildlife and environments. If you are able to travel during your semester, I recommend taking a trip to the Blue Mountains. It’s about a 2-hour train ride from Sydney’s Central Station. There are many different hiking options for the outdoorsy, and bus and train tours for the not-so-outdoorsy. If you can head north towards Brisbane or Cairns, there are many different snorkeling opportunities to see the Great Barrier Reef, which was the coolest experience I had during my semester. If you can, take advantage of all the amazing beaches, mountains, and rainforests Sydney, and Australia have to offer.
Anna Goyette
GW Exchange - University of Sydney
Fall 2023
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Criminal Justice, Psychological and Brain Studies Major