IES Abroad Sydney Direct Enrollment

The city of Sydney stole my heart the moment I stepped off the plane. I was blessed to be able to make so many life long friends from traveling with this program. I can't imagine not knowing these wonderful and diverse people before. The experiences that I have been able to take part in have been remarkable as well. My new found friends and I were able to road trip up the east coast of Australia from Brisbane to Cairns with multiple adventures on the way. We were also able to leave Australia to venture all the way to New Zealand. These past four months have been the most exciting and challenging yet most rewarding months of my life.

My favourite part of Sydney however has to be how you can explore for countless hours. I am very much the type of person who enjoys wandering around and exploring a new place until I know it like the back of my hand, but after four months here I am still discovering new restaurants and things to do. There are endless opportunities for anyone who chooses to call Sydney home for their program and I hope that if the opportunity presents itself for someone to travel here they take it in a heartbeat.

I titled this a second home for a reason. Not only have I been missing Sydney since being home but I am physically home sick for it. Leaving to go abroad, I had the highest of high expectations and this trip still exceeded them. I never expected to be part of such an amazing opportunity in my life.

The Friends I made:
I didn't know anyone when I left for this trip but that didn't last long. The friends come so quickly; whether it's locals because you the interesting foreigner or because its other travels looking to get to know people just like you are. The friends you make on this trips quickly become your friends for life.

The things I saw:
The Sydney Opera House is the kind of site that's on everyones bucket list but imagine it becoming your backyard. If you're even slightly willing to do some exploring the miraculous things you'll encounter will blow you away. Sydney has awesome public transportation so almost everything is a bus ride or two away. The best of the best however are their sunsets. They are so unbelievable that sunsets will be forever ruin thereafter.

The experiences I had:
I went bungee jumping.... off a roof ......on a bike..... Australia's amazing. (This was on my own time of course.) They have ultimate thrills all over but that's just who I am. If you like the beach hop on the bus anytime you please. Australia only has over 10,000 to choose from. Coffee shops around every corner, hidden underground bars and endless boat cruises are waiting over there for you.

This trip was the best experience of my life by a lot. If you read this and decide to go, I'm sure you'll be dying to thank me after!

Growing up, I was able to travel with family and it sparked a wanderlust that blossomed into the best decision I ever made - to spend 5 months on my own in Australia. I ended up choosing IES because of their program at the University of Sydney, their mid semester trip, and the housing arrangements. The staff both at the US center and at the one in Sydney were very easy to communicate with and helped me along every step of the way. While in the city, I felt extremely safe knowing that I could easily contact the program directors if an emergency came up. Sydney has everything to offer - great food, arts, sport, scenery, coffee, activities... Getting to explore this incredible city never got dull, and it really did become a second home to me. I cannot wait to go back there some day soon.

"Oh my gosh! You're in the future!" That was the best comment I heard from friends and family back home. While studying in Australia, most of the time you are a day ahead of everyone in the States. This doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but everyone else can't seem to get over it. Other things that will be second nature after a semester in Sydney-- shortening all your words, the rules of rugby (and the difference between League and Union), and the deliciousness of meat pies and gelato. But before you have the chance to learn all this, you must first get accepted to a uni, apply for a visa, arrive, and then adjust. I had no fear though because IES Abroad Sydney was with me the whole way! From the beginning they sent step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a visa, select my classes, choose a housing option, and so much more. If I did happen to have a question there were previous participants I could contact and also an advisor. Everyone was quick to answer their emails. Once I arrived, the program had a transition orientation and then monthly outings planned. The program directors were very personable and always around to help. Sydney is a wonderful city and I couldn't imagine a better way to get to know it than through IES Abroad Sydney. And I can't wait to go back!

Do you love adventure? Do you love meeting new people? Do you want to experience a new culture and become more independent? Then IES Abroad is the program for you. There are so many cities across the world to choose from, and I ended up at the University of Sydney in Australia. It was a dream come true to travel so far and call a new city home. IES covered so many bases for us before departure by arranging housing, step by step directions for visa applications, and having awesome events and trips set up for the group once we were in Sydney. The advisers Matt and Kristin were always willing to go out of their way to find out what sort of things we wanted to do and bring us to exciting new places. The mid semester break trip is a must for a great cost and the perfect bonding experience with fellow IES members in other schools in Sydney. The city is incredible, but don’t forget to take advantage of long weekends and see other cities in Australia! Our experience ended with a beautiful IES dinner in the Sydney harbor with photo montages of our semester and hilarious superlatives. It was a great chance to see everyone together one last time and thank our advisers for the continuous support. I would go back to Sydney in a heartbeat if I could. So take the amazing opportunity from IES and “give it a go”!

I had the best four 1/2 months of my entire life in Sydney. I went to the University of Sydney and L O V E D it. It's the perfect location between being close to the city and the beaches. The program really tries to get you adjusted to the life. The two program directors at the centre in the city, Matt and Kristen, really made an effort to help and support us. It was awesome having them supporting us whenever we had an issue with something. The city is perfect because you can always find something new to do. I highly recommend going on the week long vacation that IES offers, it's not only an extremely good cost but it's an amazing time to get to know all of the other students in the program. If you love delicious food, amazing people, and beautiful scenery than choose no further than going with IES to study in Sydney! You'll never run out of things to do both in the city or Australia in general. It's super easy to travel throughout the country! (also, make sure you try TimTams!)

During my first week in Australia, I had already learned to adapt the different living styles. One night, my roommates and I decided to go to the common area called the "Old Tote" to play some board games and hopefully meeting new friends. Soon enough, a couple of local Aussies came into the room and asked if they can join us. As we continued to play and socialized about the differences of America, which they called the "States." Chris, which was one of the guys told us that it was possible to ride in the pouches of the kangaroo. I got really excited because I've always wanted to do that when I was younger, so of course I believed him and continued to ask him questions about it. Then later in the week I learned that it was not true and realized that Australians love to joke especially with Americans. I decided to share this story because the sense of humor from the locals provided me a warm welcoming.

Living in Australia was one of the most challenging but exciting four months of my life. Meeting locals on the streets of Circular Quay and The Rocks, from snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, walking along hidden beaches and eating at local cafes, skydiving in New Zealand are just the beginning of my semester abroad. I know this sounds cliche but I felt like I was living in a dream.