UC to University of Sydney

I am so thrilled to receive emails from prospective EAP Australia students! I love to answer all of your questions! Feel free to email me at afoote@uci.edu if you have any questions, comments, or requests about Australia, Sydney, housing, or studying abroad in general!

Some of the most frequently asked questions I have received are about the differences between UC and the University of Sydney. I will try to address some of the most commonly asked questions.

The one main difference I have noticed is that there is not as much instruction time in lectures. For example, a majority of my classes have only one lecture for two hours per week! Then they have tutorials, which are the equivalent of discussions, for an hour or two hours per week. I have also found that every lecture class has a five to ten minute break in the middle (even if it is only two hours long!). In one of my classes, the professor said that the human mind can only focus intently on new material for twelve minutes, then your mind shuts down and you can be listening but not comprehending any of the information. So, in order to prevent mindless listening, he would bring up a discussion topic for everybody to talk about with their neighbor, literally every twelve minutes! I thought this was genius, and I was always attentive and able to comprehend the new information presented in the lecture (I also met people I never would have talked to before).

Also, many of the classes require a lot of dedication outside of class because there is not as much in-class time. Many classes require a lot of outside reading, and papers and assignments are not explained as thoroughly as you may be accustomed to. In the course of my studies, I have found that the University of Sydney often lets you take your own perspective in your essays and they do not necessarily ask for one concrete answer. For example, in my Religious Studies “History of God” class, I was assigned to define the word “God” in 500 words or less using at least four different sources. At first this seemed like a nearly impossible task, as the word “God” is probably one of the topics that has the most extensive amount of literature, research, and debate attributed to it. I have been challenged to ponder the essay questions and come up with my own style and point of view with the only constraint being a word limit. I think this is exhilarating and it allows for me to expand my intellectual horizons and think about concepts in a different way than I am used to.

Also, another question I have been asked is if it is easy to meet Australians. I think it is really easy to meet people, however, I find it easier to meet other international students because you go through orientations with them when you arrive and there are a lot of international student events and clubs. However, you can meet Australians in your classes and on campus! Everybody is welcoming and easy to talk to and willing to help! Once you meet people, you will get invited to more events and outings. Everybody is really friendly! I have met Australians through other people and even though a majority of the Australians live off campus, there are still quite a few Aussies that live in the university housing. For example, I have a friend from Denmark that lives next door and she lives with two Australian girls. They usually have their Aussie friends over and I have met them when I am next door at her place. I have run into them on campus and at the grocery store, etc. and they remember me and always say hello! I have also met Aussies in my tutorials on campus. Everybody is really friendly, you just have to put yourself out there and meet people. It sounds intimidating, but it is really easy!

I hope this post has been helpful in easing your fears about transitioning to a University in a whole new country. However, if you have any other questions, I am more than willing to help! Studying abroad is an exciting adventure and it will definitely be a life-changing experience!

Explore!
Meet new friends!
Try something you never imagined yourself trying!
And most of all...
Take advantage of your time abroad and make every second count!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

When I was packing for my study abroad experience in Australia, I did not know I would need to pack my rain boots! April was filled with some of the craziest rainstorms I have ever experienced! I bought an umbrella and the wind was blowing so hard that it blew it completely inside out.

However, as May has arrived (the time has gone by so quickly!) the weather has become sunnier and more enjoyable again. It is useful to note that Australia refers to temperatures using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. When people say, “It is about 15 degrees outside” it means that it is actually 59 degrees Fahrenheit. I was having a hard time figuring out the Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion, so I found a website to help me convert the degrees so I have a better idea of the temperature. I have included it here for your conversion needs! Now you can watch the Sydney weather on the news and know what they are talking about! :) I hope you find it as helpful as I do.

Where in the World is EAP?

About a month ago, I got an email about an idea to make a video with all of the EAP students around the world. The video would entail EAP students dancing in their study abroad country in front of a monument or landmark. This idea was inspired by the “Where the Hell is Matt?” video on YouTube.
After I watched the YouTube video I was immediately thrilled and motivated to participate! What a wonderful way to promote studying abroad in a fun way! I volunteered to spearhead the video production in Sydney. I decided to do the video at Circular Quay in front of the Opera House. After an interesting (and a tad bit embarrassing) filming experience…people walking by stopped to watch and take pictures…I sent my portion of the video to the project and it is currently being edited together with all of the other EAP students around the world. I am really looking forward to the result!

I personally think the “Where the Hell is Matt?” video is brilliant, and it motivates me to continue traveling the world after my study abroad experience in Australia. I may even try to make my own version of the video...who knows? I have the travel bug now, I don’t want to stop!

Keep a look out for an EAP promotional dancing video coming to a UC campus near you! (I am wearing a UCEAP shirt in front of the Opera House!) I am so excited to see the finished result and look forward to the response from students at their home University campuses. I hope it will inspire other students to study abroad and embark on their own adventure in a whole new country and culture. After all, the world is your oyster!