My courses were interesting. My location was great because it was in the middle of the city and the beach

The classes here are much more similar to the USA than I was expecting. They were lectures with a tutorial (or recitation). The lectures were taught by a professor and the tutorials were taught by a Teaching Assistant, same as home. However, they grade much more harshly than they do at CU. A High Distinction, which is the equivalent of an A, is given to very very few. If you receive anything that is more than a Credit (equivalent to a C), you are considered to be doing extremely well. I found that most of my classes had some sort of group work component, an essay and a final exam. The final exam can be 50% of your grade, so while it may not seem like you have a lot of homework throughout the semester, it's very important to keep up with your work so that you do not cram for the test. However, they have an entire week dedicated solely to studying before the exams commence, which makes exam period much less stressful.

UNSW is in Sydney, however, it is not in the city center. Although, getting into the city center where the main attractions such as the Opera House and Darling Harbour are, is not difficult. Buses run almost every five minutes to take you in with a bus stop being right on campus and the bus ride being anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on traffic. The only downfall is that as a study abroad or exchange student, you do not receive concession on your bus tickets so you have to pay full price, so it can start to add up if you go into the city a lot.

Australians are incredibly laid back and friendly. They live in a country where almost everything can kill them, and they know it, and they just don't worry about it. They're usually up for anything once you get them to start moving, which can be awhile because they just don't see the need to rush. It's incredibly easy to fall in step with this lifestyle, though, and soon you'll be just as easy going as they are.

The courses were definitely different and more on the independent learning track. Some of them were harder than classes at CU but all of the classes I was enrolled in were also very interesting. It was good to get a different perspective on subjects.
The location of campus was great! UNSW is located in a suburb of Sydney. It was only a 15 minute bus ride into the city and a 30 minute walk to the beach! Sydney was a great place to study because there was so much to do in the city but it was also a good point to travel from.
If you go half-way across the world you definitely want to take every opportunity to travel and go on as many excursions as possible.
Join a club or a team and you'll meet more long-lasting local friends.

Courses are based on studying and keeping up with work outside of class hours. UNSW is 20 minutes outside of the central business district which is great for a safer environment and not as expensive as the city center. I loved the locals, they were friendly, welcoming and were always willing to show international students a good time.

Sydney is an absolutely amazing city, as is the surrounding area. Sydney has so much to do and see that even in one semester you could not possibly see it all-the architecture, the landscape, and theres plenty to do for pretty much anyone (especially so the outdoorsy people). The people there are extremely friendly too, very rarely will you find a local who will not want to chat up or would not gladly help you out with directions, suggestions etc. The only caution for study abroad in University of New South Wales for architecture students planning to do an exchange is to be careful of work load- all the classes are geared towards students who are attending the uni for full degrees- so work loads will be the same if not more than what you expect at home. This makes it difficult for time management or doing additional travel.

My courses were Muscle and Motor Control, Philosophy, Criminology, and Australian Indigenous Identity. I never found any of them extremely difficult or time consuming. Homework was light and exams were reasonable.

Loved the location of UNSW!! Could get practically anywhere in Sydney very easily, even walking. Beaches were close and the city centre was even closer. Great neighborhood, never felt unsafe. Plus, the campus was conveniently close to the airport which made domestic and international travel very easy,

Australians are all very friendly and helpful! I would recommend staying on the on-campus colleges to have the most meaningful interactions and relationships with locals!

My favorite excursion was a weekend in Cairns which I recommend to do in the later half of the *first* semester due to the warmer weather up north versus Sydney fall weather. Melbourne was also awesome but I would recommend to do that trip as much in the summer as possible because it does get cold even around mid-semester break. Other trips I would definitely recommend would be Thailand and/or New Zealand.

Awesome experience! I loved the university, the city, and my internship while I was in Australia

The study abroad program made signing up for classes very easy and living on campus was great for getting to know the school and surrounding areas.

Orientation at UNSW was amazing-the staff is extremely friendly and is very accommodating and welcoming to everyone. They encourage all incoming students to attend and it was extremely useful to getting adjusted to campus and for making new connections. Orientation also provides networking to all the clubs and activities on campus-and there is definitely something for everyone. I played a bit of rugby for UNSW as well as joining the outdoors club and underwater club. Each of these have ample opportunities to travel, as well as making the activities they provide cheaper than going and doing it on your own.

I lived in Goldstein College which was part of the dormitory style Kensington Colleges and I loved it! It was a great location on campus, close to the city and close to Coogee. It was such a perfect fit for me because I did not have to worry about cooking my own food, had my own ensuite, had easy access to many different social activities with both exchange students and Australian students.

Walked to classes which was easy. Sydney bus system is relatively easy to figure out but was not always reliable. Otherwise used taxis or uber for any other transportation needs

The academic set up at UNSW is heavily based on study outside of class. As a chemical engineer this was not that different from courses at CU. I thought the courses were easier since I was not rushing to do homework assignments. The professors are less involved at UNSW but they are very good at communicating with students if any questions or inconsistencies arise. I thought that the UNSW professors talked a lot about chemical engineering in the real world which was refreshing to see where my degree would actually take me rather than learning purely academics during class time. The classes are also 2 hours instead of the 50 mins we have at CU so be prepared to sit and pay attention for a longer amount of time with no breaks.

Courses are challenging. As an architecture major, who is required to take architectural courses or courses that match with the ENVD program-I chose all Built Environment classes for my study abroad experience. The unfortunate part about this is that these courses are very demanding. Just as back at CU, a lot of the built environment classes have a large work load, which can be extremely difficult to manage. I did however manage to do well in my courses but incoming ENVD students should be reminded about workloads to be expected and to choose their classes VERY carefully. Class structure is also a new experience, as instead of having classes multiple times a week most are a single class per week, and most classes I took were structured most around doing work outside class. Teachers will not remind you of upcoming assignments and you will have to pay close attention to syllabus and readings.

I had quite a bit of interaction with locals. UNSW is a haven for international students, in fact most people you meet will be in the same situation you are but that doesn't mean it's difficult to meet the natives. UNSW heavily stresses group projects so this will be a great opportunity to meet people from all over. There are also countless clubs and sports to join that will give you ample opportunity to get out there and meet with whomever you like.

Also, working and interning are a great way to meet with locals. I interned as well as had a part time job and this enabled me to get a lot of friends and connections. Australians are really friendly and are typically happy to engage with other friendly people as well, plus for them the U.S. is an interesting place and they are usually eager to ask you about it.

Australians are incredibly nice and friendly people and you should not have a problem getting to know them. That being said definitely go out of your way to meet them if you are living with only study abroad people. My australian friends were the best relationships i formed abroad and loved seeing their families and their home towns. They have a great attitude towards international students and would be more than happy to show you the ropes and teach you funny aus expressions.

Live in the colleges!!!! This is the best and easiest way to make Australian friends! They offer so many fun activities. Otherwise most Australians are really friendly and funny and easy to talk to. They all are keen to chat and can easily make friends in class. When traveling go to youth hostels to make more international friends.

The locals are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

I believe this will be one of the most life changing experiences I have ever had. I have met people from all around the world and feel as if I have become so much more culturally aware. I no longer live in my own little bubble. I think I have matured an incredible amount as well. I had to learn to support myself emotionally and trust in myself for more than I ever had to before.

The most unique thing I did on my program was meet almost everyone in my building. I met people from Indonesia, Austrlia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Vietnam, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Mexico, and Bahrain. To have such great experiences with people from all over the world changed my perspective on other places and made me realize how small the world is. I can not wait to visit these new friends in their home countries.

Studying Abroad is not easy. You are making a giant life change and it takes time to adjust. You are not going to get there and have everything be perfect immediately. You are going to be horrified and keep thinking, "Now why did I think this was a good idea, again?" Your emotions will be on high alert for awhile. The littlest things will upset you and sometimes you'll even get upset for no reason at all. Homesickness, no matter what you miss, be it your family, friends, bed, dog- it will hit you at some point. And there's not much you can do to get over it except for ride it out.

But while this may all seem awful, it is all completely worth it. Study abroad is one of the best experiences you can ever have. I would recommend it to anyone. When you can overcome the hardships, which you can and you will, it is so exhilarating to be in a foreign place with new friends seeing new places and basically having the time of your life.

Wonderful program!

I finished all of my general credits abroad because I wanted to be able to learn the history of where I was living and courses that might not be offered at CU. I took Australian Literature, The Fatal Shore of Australian History, The Marine Environment, and Psychology of Drugs and Addiction.

The University of New South Wales was one of the best options in the sense of location in Sydney. It was in close proximity to Coogee Beach and walking distance to five other nearby beaches. The public transportation was constantly running and conveniently could get you to the city where the famous Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge within 40 minutes. Compared to the University of Sydney and Macquarie University, which are the two other main universities in Sydney, UNSW had the best location being close to famous beaches, easy transport to the city, and a 15 minute ride to the Airport.

Being able to speak a common language in Australia allowed for everyday interaction with the locals. Sydney is a multicultural city, so not only was there interaction with Australians, but I met people from South Africa, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, and the UK on a daily basis. It almost felt at home being abroad because of the city being a melting pot. I never felt like I was the only one away from home.

While in Australia I traveled along the west coast from Adelaide to Cairns, from skydiving in Wollongong to scuba diving The Great Barrier Reef. The amount of traveling we did solely in Australia made me feel like it was my own home. My most treasured trip was exploring the North and South Island of New Zealand because it almost felt as if it was a fantasy, I did not think places that beautiful existed. Our excursion we travelled to over five islands and cities through Thailand after finishing with classes and could not believe the temples, strong sense of belief, and kindness of the Thai people we were blessed with meeting.

Because I did an exchange program, there was not specifically a director to the UNSW abroad program. What I found most helpful was by living on campus in the colleges there was resources from locals, to resident assistants, and a college dean that were always available to answer questions. When we first arrived, UNSW provided transportation for the exchange students to the university directly to their international office, which was also helpful with all questions. I had issues with courses when first arriving and the international office was fast and convenient in helping with my concerns.

UNSW has a large international student base with over 500 students the semester I attended from all over the globe. The international office and mandatory on-site orientation were helpful for all of my questions in getting settled to the new schooling system and culture of Australia. For excursions for the semester, I recommend planning as soon as the course schedules are given. Australia is expensive and a well planned budget and schedule is essential to traveling, while being successful in a full-time course load. UNSW offers over 100 clubs and societies to join and I highly recommend because not only does it help connect foreigners with locals, a lot of the extracurricular activities are opportunities to travel and have leisure events to enjoy the time abroad. The Australian student visa allows for 20 hours of work while in school for international students, so it is possible to get a part time job while there. UNSW has programs where internships can also count as class credit, so there is also possibility to gain international experience outside of the classroom and take less of a course load.

I lived in the college dorms, where I had my own room and all meals were provided. This was the best fit for me because I met most of my life-long friends that were both international and local. The college I lived in was also a philanthropic society, so it got me involved with events to help the local community and people.

The local transportation in Sydney was the most efficient system form of public transportation I have used. They use a card system that allowed transport on all buses, ferries, trains, and light rail consistently throughout the week and weekend nights. In Sydney, Uber is very prevalent, along with other taxi application systems making it convenient to travel short and long distances in and out of Sydney.

Living in the colleges at UNSW, which is similar to the US dorm living, I was able to become close friends with the locals and made lifelong friends I could come back to in Australia. Australian's have a very friendly, outspoken culture. I was surprised when going there how people genuinely cared about a completely stranger's day by sparking conversations everywhere I went. I noticed Australian's care very highly of mate-ship and family, and prioritize enjoying life. Their sense of humor can seem sarcastic at times, but I always felt a welcoming presence living with the locals.