IFSA University of Sydney Partnership

I applied to this program at the last minute after making an impulsive decision to study abroad in Australia with my friend. I'm so thankful I went with my gut and chose to study abroad in Sydney through IFSA. Everyone I was in contact with there through the whole application process and arriving in Sydney was extremely helpful and cared about giving the students an amazing experience. While in Sydney, I always felt like there was support from IFSA staff available at any time, yet they allowed you to experience your study abroad in your own unique way. I can't emphasize enough how much I loved Sydney and how happy I was there- I'd move back in a heartbeat. I'm so grateful IFSA was able to facilitate such an incredible study abroad experience for me!

If I was asked to list my feelings before studying abroad to Sydney, Australia with IFSA, nervous, anxious, and scared would never had appeared. I was excited and prepared to embark on my journey abroad! IFSA had really prepared me before departure with their numerous newsletters that helped me get a feel for what the culture was like and how to navigate daily living like public transportation and healthcare. Even though I was 9,195 miles/14,800 km from home, I felt like I had a family--more importantly, a support system--the entire time. Whenever I had money problems, the IFSA directors were so caring and understanding of my situation and they helped me get back on my feet. They cared about inclusion and diversity which, for an low-income Asian woman, meant the world to me. Because they didn't want anyone to miss out on the amazing experiences and adventures Australia had to offer, they helped me find affordable ways to experience everything whether music, food, culture, and nature. From free concerts to taking full advantage of club events, they gave tips and tricks that made my experience unforgettable. Country Life Weekend was an unforgettable weekend in Bathurst where we could hold baby lambs and get a break from the big city. They also gave free us tickets to see a play and the Australian Ballet in the Sydney Opera House, who can beat that! Armed with the support of IFSA and a great group of friends, those feelings of nervousness that many students have after leaving home to live in another country for a semester easily dissipated. Of course I got homesick at times but at the end of the day, I was going to go home so I thought, might as well make the most of my time now! I would highly recommend this program to anyone--and have been doing so as an IFSA Ambassador--because they studying abroad so enjoyable and exciting!

I studied at USyd during fall 2019 and I am SO glad I did. Even though I was extremely nervous at first about going to a new place by myself, all the advice and facilitation provided by IFSA made the process a lot more daunting. The individual advisor assigned to me was very accommodating, especially with deadlines, and provided detailed answers to all my questions. I got a lot more logistical support from IFSA during pre-departure than I did even from my home school. Once in Sydney, having the program as touchstone was really helpful and helped my anxiety about all of the unknowns a lot. I was able to make other American friends in the program which was great because I had a group of people to do all of the touristy exploration I wanted to do. In my opinion, Sydney itself is the perfect city. I lived just a few blocks away from a train station and could get anywhere very easily, including any of the beaches, which I went to nearly every weekend. I got so used to being recognized by the owner of the neighbourhood coffee shop on days I went in to get my morning flat white. While studying at the University of Sydney, I was able to take courses introduced me to more interdisciplinary modes of thinking that I am now applying to my senior essay back home. Though the class sizes are much larger than I am used to, weekly tutorial sections helped develop discussion further and also gave me the opportunity to meet local students. The only downside was I did not push myself enough to join clubs or organizations with the university, which would have allowed me to make closer Australian friends. I'm graduating next year and have started to consider applying to jobs in Sydney, just to see what could happen.