Livin' Like A Local

I’ve been living in Sydney for just over a month, and it’s definitely safe to say the city is starting to feel more comfortable. While there’s definitely some things that will take time to really feel familiar—the public transit system, $1 and $2 coins, and everything seeming ridiculously overpriced—I’ve definitely come a long way from my days of staring at maps for hours on end and trying to make sense of the conversion rates.

It’s easy to assume that the big events would be the highlights: climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and feeding kangaroos at the wildlife park have without a doubt been some of the most unique experiences I’ve had so far. Yet despite all these amazing experiences, I’ve found that it’s the smaller, everyday occurrences that have made my experience feel like I belong in the city. My main goal for the semester was to actually connect with the culture and local people, and make Sydney feel like a home, not just a vacation destination.

Can't beat the view from the Bondi Cliff Walk

Some of the highlights so far:

-       living above my favorite coffee shop and Thai food in the city

-       pretending to enjoy boxed wine (although I actually don’t mind it after 3-4 glasses…)

-       watching Australia’s version of the Bachelor every week

-       random dance parties/rap battles in the middle of the afternoon

-       my apartment being the hub of all social life that exists within my group of friends here

-       family dinners 

-       getting completely lost going anywhere and everywhere

-       playing Egyptian Ratscrew for hours on end (and losing every round)

-       recounting the events of the night before over breakfast with my roommates

-       meeting locals and telling them stories about home/Charleston

-       laughing until our masks flood and we can’t see while scuba diving

-       working on my rugby pass & taking naps in Sydney’s parks and gardens

-       Tim-Tam slams

-       being the only American in my US Studies class and feeling like a genius

-       perfecting my T9 word game on my Samsung phone straight from 2002

My Aussie mates and I

I know that these experiences may seem trivial to everyone at home, but it really is these moments that have made me so much more appreciative of the experience here so far. While I’m sure that the big experiences will have lasting memories, it’s these smaller moments that I want to be sure to remember when I return to America.

Sunset in Sydney Harbour (because it's okay to act like a tourist sometimes!)

WORKING HARD.... OR HARDLY WORKING?

As I’m officially done with my first two weeks at the University of Sydney, I figured it would be a good time to delve into the details about my actual school experience, because that’s 100% what I’m here for right?

Sydney Uni's Great Hall

The Campus

The university is located right on Victoria Park; a quaint, scenic area where you can find both students and locals laying in the shade, reading, and hanging out. My apartment is about 20 minutes away from the beginning of campus, which is not so fun in the chilly Australian winter mornings, but isn’t too bad, and there’s a bus I can take if I am running particularly late or feeling lazy… The uni’s hallmark building is the Great Hall—dubbed Hogwarts by many students—and is one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen in the whole city. As Australia’s oldest college, Sydney Uni is full of historic classroom buildings, as well as newer, more modern restaurants, libraries, and student centers. 

Coming from College of Charleston, which spans about 5 blocks, it has been quite the adjustment getting used to the sprawling campus. To walk from one end to another would take me well over half an hour, and given my stellar luck and apparent lack of coordination, I not-so-convieniently scheduled several of my classes back to back at buildings located absolutely nowhere near each other. Needless to say, I don’t feel as bad about my terrible eating habits and lack of exercise the past few weeks since I basically sprint between classes (and am usually still late). Although I have managed to find all the Uni bars, so if I miss class I can just hang out there (kidding…. kinda)?!

The Classes

Most people who study abroad in Australia quickly tell you how much more difficult the coursework is over here than in America. Knowing I would be attending one of the top universities in the country, I was definitely nervous about the academic side of studying abroad here. I’m taking four classes: The History of Sydney, Americanism and Anti-Americanism, Politics and Social Change, and Learning in Outdoor Education.

The first thing I noticed about uni courses was how large and formal the lectures were. Held in a large, 200-person auditorium, the professors (usually called “lecturers”) do not take questions and basically just ramble on lecture for two hours straight. Now if you know me, you’re probably aware that my attention span is not my greatest strength, so the idea of listening to a professor lecture without pause for two hours is obviously pretty close to my personal hell. Luckily, all my lectures are recorded, so I can just listen to them in 30 minute increments at home—a system that is actually probably totally wrong and backwards but works for me so I’m sticking to it.

Overall, I’m actually enjoying the courses here a lot, and while they’re different from home, it’s a welcome change. There’s a lot more emphasis on larger, more research-intensive assignments, which is quite the academic culture shock from the liberal arts education that I get at home. While there’s definitely perks: no attendance policy for lectures, virtually no busy work, and no textbooks (all of my readings are available in the University’s database), I have yet to receive a grade on any of my work, so it’s totally unclear whether I will actually be able to pass these courses and graduate on time (#victorylap2016)? Regardless, I’m sure the semester will be a huge learning experience academically, and I’m definitely interested to see what’s in store!