Recently, I have embarked on an insane journey across the world. I don’t have my official ID but I am a post-graduate student at the University of Sydney in Australia. This adventure began in the summer of 2017 and two years later I sweating buckets in the city of Sydney.
Now, why on Earth did I decide to study across the Pacific ocean where almost every spider can kill you? Simple. Why not?
There are many reasons behind my decision, but the main one being that I wanted to continue studying in a place not my own. My perspective and my outlook of the world and life changed when I had the opportunity to study abroad for half a year in Japan. Since that experience, I knew I wanted to do it again, but in a different country. Originally I wanted to return to Kyoto, Japan to complete my master’s degree but as all the programs offered in English were mostly poli-sci oriented and my Japanese was (and is) not at a level to take college-level lectures.
Studying at the University of Sydney (USyd) is much cheaper than studying in America. And the only American program I was really interested in was in New York University…which is 10 times more expensive than USyd. My whole degree in Australia is about a semester in NYU.
I also know people in Sydney, which is a definite plus.
I haven’t officially begun classes, but so far it has been completely different from my experience at my first university. Two weeks before the semester starts and I still don’t know when and where my classes are. I am dying.
Currently, I am in the process of finding a place to live which is very exciting and nerve-wracking, but I know it will all turn out well. Stay tuned!
Fun facts about Sydney and Australia:
- The crossing lights make noise to notify its time to cross and counts down for you
- Power plugs are called power points (like the Microsoft software)
- It’s February but it is currently Summer and I am melting.
- Australia became a federation in 1901
- Their money is plastic and the bills are all different sizes
- It’s prawns, not shrimp
- Books are so expensive compared to American prices
- Canberra is the capital
