IES Abroad Sydney

I studied abroad in Spring 2020 and so my experience was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic but I wouldn't change it for the world. I was able to take classes and intern abroad and I still had the time to explore Sydney. I loved being directly enrolled in the University of Sydney because I felt like any other student on campus. My classes were with students from all around the world and the campus was beautiful, some relate it to Hogwarts! I was able to take interesting classes that got me more involved with Australia and learn more about their culture. One of the classes that I took as an elective had field trips to sports games! I also got to gain real-world experience at my internship on campus at the Sydney University of Fitness. Although I did not think that my classes would turn online in a few weeks, I am so grateful for my experience in Sydney. I miss the sunny weather, the city life and 'my mates!'

I was inspired to study abroad because of my love for the country of Australia! I have always loved the idea of moving away and experiencing a new culture and lifestyle! In high school, I was lucky enough to have the experience of being an exchange student there and had been dying to return since then. When it came time to begin the process, I looked for programs that offered experiences to Sydney and felt that IES University of Sydney offered the best experience for me!
My favorite part of Sydney was truly how big it was. There was so much to explore and learn about Sydney and the public transportation system in the city easily allowed my friends and I to experience all of it! I also was so lucky to have so many students from my home university in this program with me! While it was sad to be sent home so early due to COVID 19, I am so grateful to be able to see so many of those people frequently back here and further our experience!
The program director, Kate, was phenomenal and so helpful, especially with all of the COVID protocols and preparations!

This program was the best decision I made in college. Between the people I met, the places I got to see and the culture I got to immerse myself in, there was never a dull moment! The academics were on the tougher side, but overall I had time to see Sydney while working hard in school as well. I would recommend traveling not just around other countries but also amongst Australia as there are heaps of hidden gems! I didn't travel with friends but made so many along the way. Aussies are friendly and always willing to help. The Uni offered an internship program with a very easy application process. I really enjoyed my time working and connecting with professionals from a different country. I have nothing but positive memories of my time abroad!

The whole idea of studying abroad was one that I had held for a long time, yet I never thought that I would walk away as the individual that I am after spending a semester in Sydney, AU. The sheer joy of being surrounded by new friends constantly built bonds that will last me a lifetime. Additionally, the bliss of having the accessibility to one of the most coffee, food, and drink centric cities in the world elevated my taste for authentic experiences within the cultural melting pot that is Sydney. I am truly grateful for the spirit of adventure that led me to embrace the call of Aussie living because it gave me my greatest semester of college, alongside branching me out of a place of comfort that I never knew existed. Studying abroad is much more than simply living in another part of the world for a short time, but it is about embracing the newness that surrounds you and allowing yourself to embark on a journey that is bound for greatness. Praises upon praises for this program and for the Land Down Under!

I have always wanted to go to Australia and I got the opportuntiy to attend through the IES Abroad Sydney Summer program. This was the first time I traveled by myself and I was nervous but excited to start this exciting journey. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the friendly staff and met the kids in my program. There were only 9 kids in my program which allowed me to create bonds and friendships quicker. The professors were super knowledgeable and fun to learn from. My sports professor took us to rugby games as well as AFL and netball games. It was a cool experience to see how the Australian sports culture differs from American. On top of that, I created a great relationship with the professor and still keep in touch with her. The program also allowed us to go to the Outback and experience what culture is like and how it differs. Had I never done this program, I would never have made the memories and met the friends that I did. I recommend it to anyone looking to study abroad

My summer spent down under was nothing short of perfect. The IES program was absolutely perfect for me since i was a collegiate athlete and was not allowed to miss a semester. When i got there the nerves ran high put from the second i met our advisor Kate at the airport, i knew there was nothing to worry about. She was so welcoming and happy, really made me excited to get to orientation later that day. Our RA was amazing and helped us get to know everything we needed to know about the city in just the first couple of days. The apartment, Adina Hotel, was impeccable. I couldn't have asked for a cleaner and safer place to be. We were also right near central station, making traveling and exploring an easy walk away.
IES field trips were really amazing and taught us more about the culture then we would ever have learned in a classroom. These field trips took us to all the places you think of in Sydney like Botanical Gardens, Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Royal National Park . But theses field trips took my class and i to places I probably wouldn't have gone on my own like the Hyde Park Barracks where we got to sit in the "dorms" and explore what it was like to be a criminal living there. The craziest IES field trip of all was the Outback. I would have never thought to camp in Uluru for 5 days alone. I was scared and bugs and mice and dingos! Looking back, this was an awesome week filled with new experiences and learning about aboriginal culture. My favorite part about this field trip were the stars.
Overall, my experience was so amazing. I made awesome friends, learned an awesome culture and also traveled on my own on the weekends, before and after, the program.

I have no idea where to begin. I was pleasantly surprised by how great the IES abroad staff were. They always responded to my emails fairly quickly and they provided me with the all the information and materials to ensure I was prepared before I got to my destination. I thought for sure I was going to have to figure out all of it on my own, but there was no such problem. I was fortunate enough to attend the six week study abroad program in Sydney, Australia. I consider it the best decision of my undergraduate career; my only regret is not staying for a whole semester if not a year! If I had time I would for sure choose another IES program and travel down under again.
Once I arrived in Sydney I received the best welcome from the IES staff and enjoyed every second of my orientation. I was lucky enough to have arrived during the start of the VIVID festival and for our Arrival Dinner we ate on a cruise in the middle of the Sydney Harbour looking at all the VIVID lights. Throughout the rest of my six weeks my group went on several excursions which included a couple of national parks and a four day field trip to Central Australia where we explored the Outback. Our trip to the Outback is one of my favorite memories from my trip. No words can describe what it was like to sleep under the crystal clear stars in our swags.
As for academics, I took two different classes: Leadership Across Cultures and Australian History/Politics. I definitely enjoyed the history class. I've never taken a class where I could literally walk around the city and know exactly the backstory behind a particular building or area. We even went on field trips during our class where we could see first hand the contents that we were learning about.
I think about my study abroad experience every day and it has given me a whole new perspective on my life and the world. I wish everyone could get the opportunity to travel, make lasting memories, and form lifetime friendships just like I did because I know it will be one of their best decisions of their life.

IES provided me with the experience of a lifetime! My university did not offer an abroad program in Australia that worked with my major and required classes. However, IES gave me tons of options and most importantly for me, Sydney was one of them. The application process was a decent amount of work, but the IES coordinators were a huge help for me when it came to getting all the paperwork done. For this particular program I lived with eight other college students from around the States. We came in as strangers and left as friends. I formed some of my best relationships while abroad, and was so thankful to be sharing the learning, social and foreign experience with likeminded, adventurous individuals! We lived in the outskirts of the city in a townhouse/apartment duplex which was only a block away from a main street that had a store, doctors office, pharmacy and tons of restaurants. My favorite part of studying in Sydney was by far how often we got to travel. Almost every weekend we were on a plane going to somewhere new! The best trip was when we went to Ayers Rock which is actually a required part of the program. we spent two nights sleeping under the stars in the outback of Australia. Our tour guide Rhett cooked us up diner over a campfire and sang us to sleep with his guitar. The whole trip was absolutely amazing! We learned about the aboriginal culture from our tour guides and got to hike through Kings Canyon! We even got to ride camels which is an experience i will never forget. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to expand their horizons and get a taste of how much our world has to offer us.