UTS Think Global

Dream. Explore. Discover.

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Disclaimer: All blog posts are written by students and do not necessarily reflect the views of UTS staff.

  • Tilburg University, The Netherlands

    Tilburg University, The Netherlands

    Today marks about a month and a half of living in Tilburg. It’s been a pretty full-on month, with a lot of partying, traveling, making friends, and maybe a small amount of actual studying.

    From the very beginning, Tilburg University did a good job of making everything easy to navigate. I moved into my student accommodation, bought a bike, handled all my immigration and set up my bank account pretty easily.

    In addition to all that, there were plenty of opportunities to make friends because first few days of your life here will be an orientation week is called TOP Week. It’s basically 5 straight days of getting to know your fellow exchange students through activities and nightly parties. It’s all organized through the international student group IESN, who also plan weekly parties and cheap overseas trips for exchange students. 

    Living in student housing is also an experience. I currently live in ‘Verbs’ which is a housing complex that involves sharing a kitchen and bathroom with 16 other exchange students. Despite how messy things can become when you’re sharing a living space with that many other people, you also get to know the people around you really well because you’ll basically hang out with them 24/7.  

    As far as studying here goes, it feels more like an extended holiday than a semester of university. Most of my classes here are either lectures or seminars, and the teaching style is quite similar to UTS. Although the difficulty of the course content is similar to UTS, the workload seems to be slightly less intense. Almost all of the subjects I’m taking have one large final exam as the only assessment for the entire semester. I haven’t had to stress about any major assessments, which has been great for allowing me to freely plan overseas trips every other weekend (because let’s be honest, that’s what we’re here for).  

    If you’re wondering about travelling, the Netherlands is very centrally located and is a great base for exploring the rest of Europe. Travelling, whether by plane, bus or train, is usually relatively quick, easy and inexpensive. It’s a refreshing change to be able to regularly hop on flights that cost less than $50 and arrive at your destination in under 3 hours.

    Tilburg really is a very charming and welcoming place and I recommend doing a semester abroad here. Although it is a small town and might not sound as exciting as say, Paris, it is a great place to be a student. Everything is truly set up perfectly for exchange students, so you’d really have to try to have a bad time here.

    Bonnie Liu
    Bachelor of Business/ Bachelor of Law
    Tilburg University
    The Netherlands

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

  • Housing in Portugal

    Housing in Portugal

    The group at the Portuguese Pavilion

    Where do I begin? I’ll start by giving you some context to understand the purpose of this. I am currently studying my masters of Architecture and was taking a studio called Housing in Portugal, in this studio we are to study the existing Bouca Social Housing in Porto, Potugal designed by the noted Portuguese Architect Alvaro Siza and redesign it ourselves.

    A group of 16 students, accompanied by our tutor Angelo Candalepas, buzzing in Portugal, Spain and Greece to see everything on our jampacked itinerary in under just 10 days.

    We started off in Lisbon. This city blew me away. It was so beautiful, the locals were so welcoming and humble. The streets were paved with white marble pavers over the entire city.

    On our first day out we paid a visit to Lisbon Cathedral where we sat and sketched the floor plan, from here we went to the Portugese Pavilion designed by Alvaro siza where we sketched again, this time observing shade and shadow and how it works. We went on from there to the Chiado District Alvaro Siza Housing and ended the day by visiting the Carmo Convent which had an incredible view to the city.

    Sketching in the Lisbon Cathedral
    Portuguese Pavilion
    Portuguese Pavilion

    Day two in Lisbon we paid a visit to the Aires Mateus officce where we were lucky enough to meet Manuel Aires Mateus himself and understand how his practice works and how he works. It was quite surprising that he does not use any technology himself and does not even have an email!

    From here we went to see Jeronimos Monestary where we did some detail sketching. Then we walked to the National Coach Museum designed by Paulo Mendes da Rocha and lastly we stopped at the EDP Head Office designed by Aires Mateus.

    Deep in conversation with Manuel
    The standard group photo
    Aires Mateus Office

    On the third day we took a bus to see The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Cabo Espichel where some more sketching happened. This was a historic building studied as a precedent by Alvaro Siza when he designed the Teacher’s Training College in Setubul.  A pit stop was made at the Home for the Elderly designed by Aires Mateus. Lastly we rocked up at the beautiful Cascais which is the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Portugal, here we visited the Paula Rego Museum designed by the Portuguese Architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, this builing was by far my favourite (you can tell by the smile on my face).

    Teacher’s Training College
    Paula Rego Museum
    Paula Rego Museum

    Amongst all of the amazing food we had in Lisbon, Portuguese tarts were up there! And by up there I mean the best tarts any of us had ever tried! They were mouth watering and sent taste buds into a frenzy.

    We continued from here to Porto where we visited the site of the project, went to Santiago in Chile to see the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, flew out to Athens and saw the monumental Acropolis and Agora.

    It was a very rich experience and I have learnt so much by visiting the projects and studying them which is such a different experience to studying them from a book.

    Global Short Programs Student

  • Berlin In-Country Contemporary Study

    Berlin In-Country Contemporary Study

    This picture was taken on the last night of my program with a group of people that had been strangers 4 weeks earlier but now became some of my best friends. I went to Berlin not knowing anyone, so being able to leave with friends from all around the world is invaluable, and highlights what a truly amazing experience it was. The social aspect of the trip was incredible, I was never without people to explore the city with during the day and grab many quality German beers with at night, with the University there setting up many events and excursions for students to meet each other. The only downside of hanging out with a group of foreigners was that I left Berlin having learnt more Italian than German, as many of the people I became friends with spoke Italian.

    The classes in Berlin were also incredible, with our professor being very against the use of powerpoint in teaching, each class was entirely discussion based which meant that everyone contributed and learnt from one another. We were also made to do multiple presentations, individually and in groups, which helped everyone come out of their shells.

    Berlin has many amazing sites, and strangely enough I don’t have photos of everything I saw and went to even though I was sure I took photos. So my tip for people considering this program is to firstly, definitely sign up!!! But also to take lots of photos, as this is an experience you’ll want to remember for years to come.

    Tobias Evans

  • The Exchange Juggling Act

    The Exchange Juggling Act

    So the first quarter of the Swedish semester is almost over, which for most people means lots of stress and a lot of overeating to deal. Usually this is true for me as well but this time semester I have taken a much more laid back approach so instead of freaking out over my exams (next week) I have decided to go to Amsterdam instead. I’ve come to the conclusion that making the most of my time in Europe was far more important to me than overstressing about an exam.

    I say this even though I have spent the last two week revising for said Swedish Language exam which is both terrifying and exciting at the same time.

    The student life at Jönköping University makes this aspect very easy and enjoyable. The university is located right in the centre of the city and all international students are guaranteed housing (which is by far my favourite part) which means you are almost guaranteed to be living with someone you are in classes with. This is what I have been doing with a friend from Mexico. We sit in our shared kitchen and struggle over the best way to study Swedish. It is usually just a lot of complaining.

    So here is what I have learnt in the last eight weeks in Sweden. The workload here is much less than full-time studies at UTS which means I have more time to not only discover Europe (I just went on a trip to Lapland, one of the most incredible experiences of my life) but also to make friends and explore Sweden.

    And when I get homesick (it hasn’t happened yet but it will) I just have to think that everyone else is having the same struggles, they know what it feels like and I will always have comfort in that. We are all so close now that opening up about hard days is very easy.

    So if you are going on exchange, I would definitely recommend Sweden, the experiences are great and the people are amazing. Just prepare for the cold. Because it is always cold. Even when it is warm, it is cold!

    Elizabeth May
    Bachelor of Management
    Jonkoping University
    Sweden

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

  • Living the hygge life in Copenhagen

    Living the hygge life in Copenhagen

    When I first arrived in the city of Copenhagen, coming from the warm summer of Sydney, I had to adjust quickly to the drastic drop of temperature as it was CHILLY. Despite the cold weather, it didn’t take me long for me to start loving the beautiful city, the colourful buildings and the overall amazing vibes of the city.

    I went straight from the plane to my first day at orientation at university where I met other law exchange students in a relaxed ‘hygge’ atmosphere, where Australians were definitely the ones to top who travelled the longest to arrive here. The campus on which the law classes are situated on is extremely modern and the seminar-based classes are generally very relaxed with basically only a final exam or assessment that you have to worry about, leaving plenty of opportunity for weekend travel! One of the classes took me by surprise, Legal Negotiation in Theory and Practice as it is highly interactive and very different to the lecture based classes I am used to back home as you perform different types of negotiations throughout class with other students. It is definitely my favourite class and it is actually very fun with students getting into their roles as well as being valuable practical experience. Despite being a 5 hour class on a Friday, it goes super quickly due to its interactive nature and then you can look forward to the beautiful weekend exploring Copenhagen.

    I am living in the centre of the city and it is so easy to get everywhere since Copenhagen is a relatively small city. I had put off biking for a whole week as I am not a confident biker but once I tried it and got used to it, it is the best thing ever! It is so convenient to get everywhere and super safe with all the bike lanes so even if you’re a novice like me (I have not biked since I learnt how to ride a bike as a child), you will be absolutely fine. While food and coffee is not cheap, there are a lot of cute cafes and cool hip eateries that Copenhagen has to offer. Also a great chance to developing your cooking skills if you ever decide to visit the beautiful city of Copenhagen!

    Michelle Lu
    Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Laws
    Copenhagen University
    Denmark

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

  • Warsaw in Poland

    Warsaw in Poland

    Old town market square

    On 2 July, my second day in Warsaw, I went for a single walking tour to have a browse of the place I was going to live in for the next 2 weeks. And honestly, I was shocked by this ‘re-constructed’ city, it did not wipe out the historical breath of the city, but added more to it.

    After a little walk around, I had a fine lunch at Old town square, where this ‘beef tartar’ is one of Warsaw’s signature dish. Quite fresh to me, as this was the first time I ever had a raw beef experience lol

    On 13 July, almost the end of the program, SGH took us to Krakow for a 3 day trip. This photo was taken from Auschwitz, the concentration camp. I guess the photo can show the color of our feelings on the day. 

    To be living now in a somewhat more peaceful world and holding great opportunities for a better future is a blessing.

    After this 2 week program, I gained not only the experiences from this overseas adventure, but also knowledge and friendships.

    Also it provided a great chance to look over myself, to walk out of my comfort zone. Everybody knows it is always easy to stick to a life where everything is repetitively same. Is it the life I wanted?

    Seriously, life is more than just living.

    Global Short Programs Student

  • Shanghai Adventures

    Shanghai Adventures

    Yu Yuan Gardens, Shanghai, China

    This short-term program at Shanghai University was definitely an unforgettable experience. The whole trip was a mixture of feelings as I was challenged to become more independent, but also experienced the amazing culture, people and food of Shanghai. Through this trip I was able to meet and create lasting friendships with different people from not only UTS but also from other countries.

    My two week experience in Shanghai was filled with spontaneous trips, eating street food, shopping and lots and lots of walking. Our days usually started off with Chinese class in the morning where I was able to learn basic mandarin which came to be useful during my stay. We would then have our business class where we were taught about the Chinese economy; incubator tours were provided in the city vicinity to further our understanding of how business was done in China. This was an eye-opening experience as we were able to understand the differences in dynamics of doing business. After our tours was when we would be let off on our own to tour the city ourselves. This challenged our skills of language, navigation and planning of what to do each day, where although it was definitely tiring, it was not something I regretted.

    Each day after our tours we visited various places which required a lot of walking. With the help of our buddies in Shanghai, we went to the infamous Bund, went up Shanghai tower where we saw the beautiful city and its water and infrastructure from up high. We also went to both East and West Nanjing Road to enjoy the shopping especially at H&M and Zara and also various markets to enjoy the cheap but delicious street food.

    With the program we were able to also visit the Yu Gardens and also experience lunch inside a Shanghai family home where we also visited the neighbourhood. We got to see a tea ceremony performance and also try out Chinese calligraphy and watch Chinese opera.

    Overall, Shanghai has been an amazing experience! Especially its culture and food, I definitely would love to come back and visit.

    Suugloria Tun

  • Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Hoi, aanghenam! Two months into my exchange in Rotterdam and I’m already wishing it was longer…

    ACADEMIC LIFE

    The academic standards in Rotterdam are fairly high and the teaching styles here differ quite a bit from back at home. Erasmus School of Economics breaks down their semesters into smaller ‘blocks’ and each block has its own teaching period followed by final exams. All my subjects in my first block were only a single lecture per week with some assignments, though one subject was a 100% final exam. I would not say that the workload is too much harder than at UTS, though there is a fair bit more self-teaching involved. My block now is taught as a seminar which is completely new to me but it’s an interesting change.

    ROTTERDAM & THE NETHERLANDS

    Rotterdam is the second biggest city in the Netherlands, behind Amsterdam of course. Personally, I love Rotterdam so much more in comparison. I’ve been to Amsterdam on previous holidays and the amount of tourists really does take away from the experience. Rotterdam is a lot more chilled out, still has the cultural aspects present but is also super-modern given its history. The Netherlands is also very central to so many parts of Europe – so far I’ve been to Belgium, Poland and Italy with many more trips planned and upcoming. The fact everyone speaks practically perfect English makes living here very convenient and easy!

    ACCOMMODATION

    So I took a bit of an unorthodox approach towards my accommodation. For my first block I stayed at the Student Hotel which was pretty pricey but also really close to uni (5-10min bike ride). Having many early classes the day after a big night, this was definitely a blessing! After the first exam block concluded I moved into an apartment in the city centre which I found on a Dutch real estate website. Now that I’m only at uni for one day a week, being close to amenities rather than uni is perfect and I have all my mates walking distances away. I definitely have no regrets in regards to my choices!

    ORIENTATION WEEK

    To be completely honest, I didn’t do any of the orientation activities. I got really lucky and managed to meet most of the friends I’m hanging out with at the first introductory presentation, but my circle seems to grow every week. My advice would be to just be yourself and that like-minds seem to attract. However, the exchange students at Erasmus are really tight-knit and friendly. Everyone gets along really well. There’s always parties being organised amongst the group and you’ll find that everyone tries to stick together and look out for each other, whether that be in regards to uni, socialising, etc. Just be friendly, outgoing and remember that everyone is feeling the same as you!

    I am absolutely in love with my exchange, this beautiful city of Rotterdam and I don’t want to leave!

    Daniel Jo
    Bachelor of Business
    Erasmus University Rotterdam
    The Netherlands

  • Maastricht University, The Netherlands

    Maastricht University, The Netherlands

    Hallo!

    If you’re looking into exchange and wanting to find out about a great place to spend 6 months abroad, you have come to the right place. I am currently completing my exchange at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and I could not recommend the experience more!

    Maastricht is a small but vibrant town in the south of the Netherlands with a population of close to 120,000, a large proportion of that total comprising university students, making it extremely easy to socialise and meet new people.

    What makes this aspect even easier is the living arrangements. I am living in a guesthouse designated solely to exchange students from all over the world. Not only does this enable you to meet a lot of people, but the fact that you are living with other like-minded exchange students that are here to have fun and explore makes organising trips and planning social outings a lot easier.

    In terms of location, Maastricht sits at the bottom of the Netherlands on the border of Belgium and Germany, making the rest of Europe extremely accessible. I am currently going into my 5th week here, however have already travelled to Cologne, Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, just showing the ease of travel!

    Another awesome part of doing exchange here is the celebration of Carnival. Carnival is a Dutch celebration where three days are devoted to dressing up and parading through the streets. It was awesome to immerse myself in a new culture and tradition, and it is something that I will remember for the rest of my life!

    Something a little more challenging about exchange is the learning system that they have in place at Maastricht University. It is a system called Problem Based Learning, which is extremely different to the traditional teaching method that is undertaken by most Universities around the world, including UTS. Students are given a lot more control of their own learning, as they are in charge of facilitating the tutorials, whilst tutors take a supervisory approach. For me, this was quite a shock, as it means that a lot more preparatory work is needed to be completed before class in order to learn. Whilst the transition is difficult at first, you will get used to it, and I believe it limits the need to cram for exams, so definitely has its benefits.

    Overall, my experience so far in Maastricht has been nothing short of incredible. The town is beautiful, the locals are great people, and I have made so many new friends from varying parts of the world. I could not recommend it more to anyone considering it – you will not regret your decision.

    Zach Kosovich
    Bachelor of Business
    Maastricht University 
    The Netherlands

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

  • Ghent University, Belgium

    Ghent University, Belgium

    Ghent, Belgium is not somewhere you would think of first as a prime destination for exchange and studying a semester away from home. That’s where I ended up though, and as the first few weeks have come and gone, I can safely say that this place is amazing in its own right.

    The city is stunning day and night. The city centre has many historical buildings used as houses and shops, grand cathedrals and towers dating back hundreds of year, modern architecture which contrast those heritage buildings, and even an old stone castle in the midst to round out the city’s buildings. As the sun sets the city stays bright and beautiful, the artificial lighting that helps brings out the features of the city are not randomly placed but much rather skillfully designed by an Architect.

    Moving on from the city itself, Ghent University where I am studying is not much different to UTS with its campuses and buildings spread across the city. The slight difference here is that Ghent University campuses spread much further apart from each other at times, which may be annoying to move around from class to class if studying across multiple faculties. I opted to study electives on my exchange and therefore chose subjects from multiple faculties which is hard work but bikes are a huge thing here, and generally makes life so much easier. The professors all speak English as the exchange selection of subjects usually are offered in English. Lectures generally make up the classes with some workshops and reading assignments replacing classes some weeks. Life isn’t so much different in terms of studying here compared to UTS which makes transitioning much smoother.

    Choosing a place to live for 6 months or a year is extremely important which is why I decided to choose the student accommodation at Kantienberg. It is a tad more expensive than what you can probably find else where in the city but you have to think about scams and not getting what you expected with renting from private offers. The student accommodation has everything you really need, your own bathroom and mini fridge (no freezer though), shared kitchen that is big enough to share with your floor, and most importantly it houses other exchange students in the same position as you and looking to meet new faces and have a blast of a semester. I fully recommend choosing the student housing if you can afford to do so just with the ease of meeting people and staying close to them!

    Rounding things up, I suggest you live in the student housing and meet as many new faces as you can. Talk to everyone and learn new things about the European cultures because you will discover so many people from different walks of life and different countries across MAINLY Europe. Say yes to everything you can and enjoy the challenge of doing so because you will be tired, you will get sick and you will be spending so much money. But you have to enjoy life while on exchange because how else will you find yourself and brag about it when you return back home?

    Sam Tran
    Bachelor of Construction Project Management
    Ghent University 
    Belgium

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