UTS Think Global

University of Mississippi, United States

November 8, 2019
After a year of detailed planning, filling out several applications, budgeting and stressing, I have finally made it to Oxford Mississippi, the home of The University of Mississippi, otherwise known as Ole Miss. About two weeks ago I flew into Memphis Tennessee and my future roommates picked me up from the airport, we then made the hour and a half commute into the town of Oxford. This gesture from my American roommates was my first taste of ‘Southern Hospitality’, it was a humbling experience. Oxford is a small town focused around one large thing; Ole Miss. It is extremely clear the second you drive into the town that every person has a passion for Ole Miss, not only the students and teachers but the townspeople too! The school year had not even started yet and I could see the school spirit was engrained in each and every person; just about every second car that drove past had a decorative Ole Miss number plate or sticker, most students were walking around in some form of Ole Miss apparel and every shop had some type of homage to the school inside. Seeing all of this lit a fire of excitement within me; for the year ahead and all the amazing experiences that would come with it.
During my first drive into Oxford I was taken on a speedy tour of the main sights of the town; first the famous Square, the hub of nightlife for Ole Miss, then onto the famous parts of campus including The Grove, which is well known for the tailgating that it houses during Football season and the ‘Walk of Champions’ arch. I am confident that all these sights will become more familiar to me during my year here! Last Monday we had our Orientation day in which my favourite segment was the ‘campus culture’ talk. This was to help acclimatise us to life at Ole Miss and teach us the traditions that we as students should help uphold. We learned the school saying which is ‘Hotty Totty’, according to the advisor it is not known where this saying came from, but it’s said as a form of greeting from one Ole Miss student/ supporter to another. Along with Hotty Totty we were introduced to our mascot the friendly ‘Land Shark’, not to be confused with the scary Great White sharks we have at home!

For accommodation I chose to live in off campus housing to allow myself to be integrated with the American students, as opposed to living with international students on campus. Honestly my little community off campus reminds me of a resort; with amenities like a pool, gym and volleyball court, coupled with the humidity of Oxford, walking outside at night feels a little like being in Fiji! The townhouse I live in is almost brand new but came very empty, it was very overwhelming going to Walmart my first day in Oxford and trying to buy every little thing one needs to live. Coupled with the fact that Walmart was about the size of three Bunnings stores, I’m sure you can imagine how easy it was to get carried away in a store that literally sells anything you could ever need.
Classes have only just started this week so I haven’t experienced a great deal of learning in the US yet. However it was very surprising to me that in one of my classes the professor explained we don’t need to take the final exam of the class if we have achieved a mark we are happy with in our other assessments. This is a very foreign concept to me, I am eager to continue to discover the differences between tertiary education in the USA versus Australia!

Bianca Corallo
Bachelor of Management in Tourism
University of Mississippi
United States

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
National Taiwan University, Taiwan

November 6, 2019
- What are the facilities like at your host university?
NTU is a really beautiful and interesting university. The facilities are as you’d expect from a large university as this. It has the largest library collection in Taiwan, a number of museums and galleries, computer labs, and so on. On arrival you are assigned a buddy from your faculty as well, and they are able to help you out with any questions you may have about administrative or academic issues. The buildings themselves are definitely on the older, more rundown side, as they are historic buildings dating back to the Japanese occupation. However, there are a number of new buildings being constructed which mirror UTS’ modernist brutalist style.
- How does the teaching style differ to that at UTS?
The main point of difference is that there are no lecture and tutorial combinations. Students usually only have one period of each class each week, and these tend to be small seminars, or medium sized lectures. Both tend to be quite interactive and the teachers are informed and engaging. Many classes may also invite guest lecturers who are experts in that week’s topic which is particularly interesting. But other than that, the style is quite similar.
- Are you studying something really interesting or different to what you have done before?
NTU has a very wide range of classes so I have been able to study a really different load of classes this semester. The university offers a selection of courses designed specifically for international students which revolve around learning about the history, culture, politics, and environment of Taiwan which are really excellent. All international students are also able to enrol in Chinese classes, even if it is over their credit limit at home so that you can learn Chinese. These are really well taught, and I would highly recommend.

Life in Taipei is very comfortable with plenty of things to do, lots of nature, and lots of cheap, good food. The Prince House dorms where international students are housed are quite sparse but decent and provide a great opportunity to meet local and international students. NTU also has over 200 clubs and societies, as well as very cheap sporting facilities, so you can pick up a new activity very easily with everything covered from Tai Chi, to political discussion clubs, and shooting societies. You should really take advantage of this and check out all the different things on offer and try something new.

Alexander Giersz
Bachelor of Law & Communication (PR)
National Taiwan University
Taiwan

Australian Government New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant recipient.

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
Lund University, Sweden

November 4, 2019
Fika! (my excuse to drink coffee and eat sweets all day)

My name is Emily and I am currently writing to you from my cosy corridor room located in Lund Sweden! If you’re reading this, you’re probably considering Global Exchange and based on my experience so far at Lund University, I highly recommend you do it!

Lund is a small University town with a thriving personality located in the south of Sweden, just a short train ride from Copenhagen. Everything in Lund is a short bike ride away, making it easy to get your bearings within the first week and call this place home. (It took me a while to get used to bike riding, but it seriously is the best mode of transport.)

Lund Fountain

Lund University has been so inviting with its excellent 2-week orientation program set up for the novice international students. With a plethora of daily activities such as treasure hunts, barbeques, sports days, parties (lots of parties) and more, it provided the perfect opportunity to mingle, make friends and get involved in student life from day one. Some of my favourite memories so far were created during O-Week and it was the perfect way to kick off my exchange. I also enrolled in the SUSA program which was a great initiation into the Swedish language, culture and lifestyle.
A big part of the Swedish University culture is the Nations. The Nations are student clubs and each has their unique offerings such as club nights, pub nights, lunches, sports days and more. I recently joined Västgöta Nation (VGs), known for its Metro club on Wednesdays and Professor Pong on Fridays. Last week I attended a Sittning, a 2-course meal with lots of singing Swedish songs and drinking, and I can’t wait for the next one. Every day there is something on, so you definitely won’t get bored here!

Singing Swedish songs at the Västgöta nation Sittning

My exchange at Lund has been a lot of fun so far, however, the only thing to note is the difficulty in finding housing. Accommodation is quite a competitive and complicated process in Lund, that is if you aren’t guaranteed housing through LU Accommodation or AF Bostäder. Just be prepared to always be proactive and on the lookout for housing and if you need help, reach out to former Lund students, like me, who have some tips for finding housing.

To sign off I have a few pieces of advice for your exchange experience:
1. Say yes to everything – Some of my favourite days here have been from spontaneous decisions.
2. Get out of your comfort zone – Try new things! Immerse yourself in new experiences and embrace the culture in your new home.
3. Enjoy yourself – Make the most of every day and have fun!
Good luck!

Emily Buchhorn
Bachelor of Business
Lund University
Sweden

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
University of Mannheim, Germany

November 1, 2019

Having travelled around Europe for the past seven weeks, it was a relief to finally settle into life in my host city Mannheim, Germany. It’s a very cool little city based around the University (Fun fact: University of Mannheim is the second largest Baroque Palace in Europe, second to Versailles in France). The city is also laid out in an interesting grid format, with streets denoted by a number and letter rather than with street names.

I am staying just outside the Quadrat, with an amazing view over both the city, and the Neckar River. Being such a small city, most places are no longer than about a 20 minute walk, and there are very efficient trams and buses for those that dislike walking. Hence, I’m only a short walk to my nearest ALDI supermarket as well as about a 15-20 minute walk from the University. In the short time I’ve been in Mannheim I’ve also been quick to discover the many Doner Kebab stores in the city which I’ve already visited on numerous occasions…

I’ve found that most people tend to speak English, or at least enough English to help me get by in the initial stages which has helped to make the move much easier. However, I was lucky enough to get a spot in a beginner German language subject, so hopefully I’ll be speaking some German sometime soon!

In terms of the University, the enrolment process was fairly straightforward with lots of information provided, though the subject selection process has been a little more confusing especially since it is very different to what I’m used to at UTS. However, everyone at the University has been extremely welcoming and more than willing to help.

As Uni hasn’t started yet I’ve been keeping myself busy by going for runs around the city which has been a really good way to discover the city. There is a group called VISUM which runs a number of different events for International Students every week. In the week that I’ve been here there have already been about three parties, so we’ve all been kept very busy… The VISUM events have also been a great way to meet new people from both Australia and across the world.

So far things have been so much fun, and I can’t wait for what lies ahead over the coming months!

Edward Blake
Bachelor of Business
University of Mannheim
Germany

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
Waseda University, Japan

October 30, 2019

The iconic statue of Shigenobu Okuma, the founder of Waseda University

I had thought that my university experience at UTS was the same for every other university in the world, but after experiencing life at Waseda University my views have changed exponentially! Perhaps it is the difference in culture, or just the sheer size of Waseda but I have been absolutely floored by my experience as an exchange student here.

Since Japan has an extremely large population, it makes sense that a lot of the universities and facilities here are massive. There are more than twenty buildings for the Waseda campus (Nishi-Waseda being the other campus which has a free shuttle bus going in-between them during the day) with a building dedicated entirely to language learning (the International Centre for International Education) which is where most of my classes are since I am a part of the Japanese Language Program under the Centre for Japanese Language.

There are many cafeterias and small eateries about the university, since Waseda University’s classes are structured around time periods with a 50-minute break in between periods 1 and 2 the cafeterias around campus are packed with students. You can also find some convenience stores like FamilyMart (or FamiMa for short) in some buildings. Eating on campus is very economical! The cafeteria food ranges from 200~350 yen depending on what you want to eat, and there is a really nice bento shop just outside of my building which gets really packed during the lunch break.

University in Japan also starts really late (27^th of September!), as of yet I have only had my orientation week where we are able to get a feel of the class with a 40-minute orientation and decide whether or not we would like to pick it up or drop it. After orientation week, week 1 commences where each class is 1.5 hours long and stretches from 9AM with the latest classes ending at 6PM. Since I am taking Japanese learning classes exclusively, all of my learning has been classroom based only with no lectures, though if you are in a different faculty such as Social Sciences or Engineering it is more lecture-like than classroom-interaction style.

The view of Nishi-Waseda from my dormitory room window

Many of the Japanese language classes I am taking are really fun subjects! One of the subjects I am taking is ‘How to read books by yourself’ where you bring in a Japanese book of your own choosing and you read it in the class. The assignments being that you write a report about the book, and making notes on things you did understand, things you did not understand etc. I am looking forward to how that class unfolds for me!

I have been studying Japanese for the past few years at UTS but the experience is quite different from what I am taking at Waseda. Aside from ‘How to read books by yourself’ some other classes I have been taking are subjects such as ‘Learning Japanese Through Blogging’, a subject where you use the Japanese you have learnt from other classes and write blog posts about whatever you like! I am also taking ‘Expressing yourself through Japanese short poems, Tanka and Haiku’ where you create Tanka and Haiku in class and present them! The language classes are numerous and vary in level and style so you are able to choose classes appropriate to your level and to your weaknesses and strengths. I am personally really bad at writing in Japanese so I have taken a lot of writing classes to make up for that weakness!

The teaching style varies depending on the type of class you are taking. If you are taking a class that focuses on speaking, there will be less talking from the teacher and more presenting and doing speeches from the students. If you are taking a kanji learning class then it is more you sitting down and writing notes and memorising kanji from the teacher than it is active discussions and speeches etc.

One of the best things about coming to Waseda was finding out about the club culture here.

There are two types of clubs: サークル (sa-kuru, circle) and 部活 (bukatsu, clubs). Bukatsu are reserved for more serious societies that will probably have an impact on your future employment or increase your skills in a way that affects the direction of your life once you graduate from university. Some examples of this are the calligraphy club, many of the sports-related clubs etc. However, circles are more social and relaxed where you can make friends and do fun activities! Some of them include Wasulele (a circle at Waseda where you just make friends and play ukulele, wild) and more exchange student friendly ones like the Waseda International Club. I am personally keen on joining the Okuma Singers club where you just hang out, eat food, and go to karaoke!

Fireworks from the Kita-ku Fireworks Festival

I have only been in Tokyo for a month and despite travelling here many times before, being able to live here and truly experience life here has been wonderful so far. I am so excited for what the rest of the semester has for me at Waseda University!

Isabella Abelardo
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology/Diploma of Languages
Waseda University
Japan

Australian Government New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant recipient.

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
Bocconi University, Italy

October 28, 2019

Ciao a tutti! My name is Avanti and I am currently on exchange at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.

After travelling around Europe for 6 weeks, I have settled down in Milan and I am thoroughly enjoying my time here! Milan is an bustling metropolitan city that maintains its old world charm. It is full of character with its gothic churches and cobbled streets however, it is also a modern and vibrant city with designer shops, restaurants and bars.

Most people in Milan speak or understand English hence it is easy to ask for help and meet new people. While it is not essential to know Italian, knowing a few key words and phrases is useful and it is a great way to connect with people. I would highly recommend the language course offered by the university as it is a great way to meet fellow exchange students and be immersed in the culture.

Speaking of culture, food is very important in Italy! There are plenty of restaurants and cafes that offer traditional pizza, pasta, pastries, gelato and many more delights. Be sure to go to Navigli in the evening for ‘aperitivo’ – a Milanese tradition where you get a drink and buffet for €10-15.

Bocconi University has an extensive exchange program with over a thousand students from around the world each semester. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is an organisation that organises fun events and weekend trips for exchange students. So far there have been events for aperitivo, parties and wine tasting and there are also upcoming trips to Lake Como, Cinque Terre and Rome! Becoming a member is a great way to make new friends and experience more of what Italy has to offer.

Bocconi offers limited student housing, hence many people on exchange find private accommodation through websites such as Spotahome, HousingAnywhere, AirBnB and Uniplaces. No matter where you stay, Milan has plenty of public transport options available such as buses, trams, metro and trains so everything is within reach!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Milano thus far and I cannot wait to see what the next few months have in store!

Avanti Gomes
Bachelor of Accounting
Bocconi University
Italy

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
Mi casa, su casa

October 25, 2019

Mi Casa Su Casa

For my exchange program I will be attending IE university in the heart of Madrid, Spain. University hasn’t started for me yet because it starts in September and I have just been settling into my place in Madrid after travelling for nearly 2 months all around Europe. I think that is probably the best thing about travelling in Europe is that everything is so close and that you can go to so many different and unique places that are only a bus, train or flight away. So far, I have been to Greece, The Netherlands, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic and finally coming into Spain. With so many places to go still I am still planning my next trips all to come.

Life in Madrid

So far since I have only been living here for just over a week, I don’t think that I have fully gotten the full Spanish experience yet, but here is a few things I have noticed that are verrrry different from SydneySider life. First thing is that time here is WHACK. Since the timezone that it is in should actually be an hour behind than it should be (check out a timezone map and compare the UK and Spain) your sense of time becomes completely off. The sun sets at around 9:30pm which is when everyone usually has dinner and before you know it, it becomes 3am in the morning and it feels like 11pm. Then you wake up at 11am and it feels like 8am. The siestas as well usually mean that smaller shops close down, but it hasn’t really affected my day-to-day life that much.

The nightlife is also pretty fun, I haven’t gone out to much though since I have been trying to sort my life out since I have been here. Again, time is very different with clubs that open at 12:30am and provide free entry before 1am which is pretty crazy compared to Sydney’s lockout laws.

For my accommodation I am staying in a student residence called Mi Casa Inn in a suburb called Salamanca a 5 minutes’ walk from uni. So far it has been pretty good, the area is very nice around as it is an upper-class area of Madrid, but that also means the prices for things go up. The room that I have, had the bare basics of a bed (no linen), a desk, a bathroom (no towels or supplies here) so I had to go on a big ol’ IKEA shop beforehand so it really does give the feeling of living by yourself and attaining independence. But on the flipside, there are cleaners that come around and clean the residence and help with things that you need help with so it’s a nice in-between still being at home and living completely by yourself.

A few more tips and things I have noticed is that during my travels many countries speak English very well and it is quite easy to get around. In Madrid, English is a lot less common and so speaking Spanish really helps ( I can’t yet, but I’m learning!).

So far, I’ve had an awesome experience on exchange travelling and am looking forward to uni starting and proper settling into a new home. As I am writing this I am heading to Barcelona and Valencia on a bus for the Tomato Festival which should be so much fun. Madrid is an amazing and beautiful city and if you are considering going to Spain on exchange, of my 1 week here it’s pretty amazing.

Hasta Luego,

Samuel Calamos
Bachelor of Information Technology
IE University
Spain

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
An Aussie in NTU

October 23, 2019

One of the biggest questions undergraduates face is where to go for exchange. For me, coming to NTU and to Singapore was a no-brainer. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone to experience diverse cultures and eat all kinds of food. Living in a residential hall in NTU put me right at the heart of the action. I was also very fortunate to travel to five new places during this time – Japan, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong.

Building memories

The buildings in NTU are out of this world! In the first few days, I would find myself stopping and just staring at some of them. I’d heard visitors to Singapore come all the way to The Hive just to look at it. Luckily for me, I spent much of my time there because my favourite module – Management, Principles, Competencies and Skills – was conducted there. Dr Kumaran Rajaram, our tutor from the Nanyang Business School, kept us awake and enthralled with his jokes and videos. It wasn’t too often that I enjoyed a class so much and I credit him for this. Another building with an interesting façade is the School of Art, Design & Media building. I spent many memorable evenings chilling out with friends on its grass roof.

Room to explore

Before moving into my room at Crescent Hall, I’d never lived alone. My room was spacious! As you can imagine, I loved everything about it, including the view of the pond and manicured grounds, which I wasn’t expecting to see in a dormitory. I became close friends with my neighbours over time, and we would visit different canteens together every week to try new dishes for dinner. Hall events like cooking nights, camps and trivia night also made it easy to widen my circle of hall pals.

I had my fill

Speaking of food, Canteen 2 wins my vote for being the best food court with its variety of delicious food. There isn’t a day that passes without me thinking of the xiaolongbao. I loved the waffles there and the ones from the North Spine – they were my go-to quick bites between classes. Naturally, I spent lots of time at Crescent Hall’s canteen too. Many days were sandwiched by breakfasts of kaya toast and kopi, and fried rice or mala hot pot for dinner.

Tanvi Singh
Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Information Technology
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
Uppsala University, Sweden

October 21, 2019

Hej hej from Uppsala! Today marks my eighth day in Uppsala but I feel like I have been here for months.

Uppsala is a town about an hour north of Stockholm, and everywhere can be reached by bike within about 40 minutes. There is no specific university campus, rather the buildings are spread all over the town, which makes things interesting as my electives are from different faculties. The scenery is very picturesque and the Swedes really take pride in maintaining their gardens. The university was also founded in 1477, which almost seems ancient coming from Australia.

While on exchange I am studying one equivalent subject, Quantum Physics, and two electives, Basic Swedish and Wind Power Management. Other students in social sciences don’t have many contact hours at the university, but my timetable ranges from 4 to 17.5 hours a week. This was more hours than expected, so I’ll really have to try and squeeze in travel on weekends but people from my corridor are equally as excited to travel with me.

Living in the student accommodation in Flogsta is much more fun than I expected. Flogsta is the infamous accommodation block known for its “Flogsta Scream” and many house parties.

Within one week of arriving, there have been two parties that somehow manage to fit well over 100 people into a small corridor. Flogsta housing is made up of twelve people in a corridor that all share a common kitchen and loungeroom, but each person has their own bedroom and bathroom. Some people I’ve met have quiet corridors that don’t speak to each other, but my corridor is filled with people from all over the world that enjoy good company. We’ve already spent a few nights staying up late and playing cards, and it’s nice to have a new family to come home to.

The exchange experience so far has been very organised, from providing shuttle buses from the airport to the university, walking tours around the city and activities at every student nation. I’ve heard stories of other exchange students having to find their own way everywhere and set everything up themselves, so I’m really grateful of the effort Uppsala University has put into their exchange students. They also set up multiple flea markets, providing bedding, winter clothes and bikes that were left behind from students in previous semesters.

Nations at Uppsala University are groups that were initially set up in the 1600s to help students of the same dialect find each other. Each has their own building, many with a pub, club, study rooms and a library, and they all provide different social activities. During orientation week, we were given temporary cards for access to all the events, but there are so many activities to attend and too many nations to choose from. I’ve already attended two fikas, a quiz, a walking tour, a Swedish crash course, board games, a free breakfast and a beer pong tournament. The only difficult thing is trying to find time to sleep!

One of the most surprising things I’ve discovered is the number of Australians here. Most people thought Sweden was a random choice, but it seems to be quite popular. As of yet I’ve only met a few Swedes because they like to travel and enjoy hotter summers, coming back right when the semester starts.

My classes are starting next week, and I’m excited to finally meet people in the same course as me. I’m enjoying the summer while it lasts, before it drops to -18˚C and we’re knee-deep in snow. As for now, it’s settling in and making the most of orientation!

IMPORTANT!! My most important tip for preparing for exchange: Tell your bank! Three friends had their accounts locked because their bank thought it was fraud, and they weren’t able to get anything for a day or two.

Madeline Hennessey
Bachelor of Science
Uppsala University
Sweden

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au
IT University Copenhagen, Denmark

October 18, 2019

Hi! My name is Kalist, 3^rd year Undergrad, and this is my entry for the UTS exchange blog.

I’ve been in my host country, Denmark, for two weeks now. I’m in the major city of Copenhagen, just outside the city centre. There have been some struggles getting settled in and ready to study, but also a lot of great things about my new city and surroundings!

The Danish culture doesn’t seem too different from Australian, although that may be as I’m from a European background myself. So far everyone has been extremely helpful and understanding, and also almost everyone I’ve met speaks English! Getting settled into my dorm was a lot less of an issue than I thought it would be. I share a common space with 3 other tenants, but have a room to myself.

One thing that has been troublesome about Copenhagen so far is their mineral rich “Hard Water” that while safe to drink, tastes awful to me, and can also cause a lot of issues with drainage and showers if not maintained properly. It also really dried out my skin and hair, until I was able to buy some local shampoo. Now that I’ve gotten through it for a bit, everything else has been smooth sailing. I’m also lucky enough to be right across the road from a major shopping centre. And in that there’s a store that has everything I could want. Imagine Target, Woolworths, Bunnings and Harvey Norman all together in one place.

I was able to rent a bike on a student discount and it’s been super useful for getting around the city. They have bike lanes on either side of the road, and the country is very flat so it’s easy to get anywhere cycling (great for fitness!)

Aside from the cycling, the other modes of transport are buses, trains and the metro. These are all super quick and easy to get onto. They have a tap system similar to opal cards, and they arrive on time and even during peak are never too full, which is a welcome change from Sydney!

I’ve had some time to go around the city centre and see a lot that Copenhagen has to offer, it really is a nice country that aside from a little at the start, I haven’t felt daunted about. I’m looking forward to my 6 months here greatly and am thankful for the opportunity!

Kalist Uremovic
Bachelor of Information Technology
IT University Copenhagen
Denmark

For more information about the UTS Global Exchange program please visit: www.global-exchange.uts.edu.au