Colin Lysiak is a senior Marketing major who recently had the opportunity to study abroad in Australia for a semester at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), one of Australia’s leading research and technology universities. UTS campus is situated in the culturally diverse city of Sydney, within the city’s creative industries precinct. Colin loved his experience, including the classes he took, the sights he saw, and the great foods that he tried.
When asked why he chose to study abroad, Colin mentioned his interest in Australia, sharing
“I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. When I came to Kent, my advisor mentioned stuff about study abroad, and at that point I wasn’t super interested in it, but I gave it some consideration and found out that I always have wanted to travel after doing some research.”
Sydney was a location that was always on Colin’s radar, as he stated that
“For Australia, the program offered three different locations. Sydney just really stood out to me, as it was a culture significantly different from my country upbringing.”
UTS offers over 130 undergraduate and 210 postgraduate courses across traditional and emerging disciplines such as architecture, business, communication, design, education, engineering, information technology, international studies, law, and science.
Colin noted the differences between the classes in Australia at UTS and the ones offered in America, explaining that
“The classes were different from back here [in the U.S.]. We didn’t have much homework at all. There were some language barriers between me and the people I was working with, but I really enjoyed it by the end of it because I got to engage with people from around the world.”
Colin explained the differences in his coursework abroad saying
“We met once a week, and the classes were just as long as the ones from the United States. There were classes with note taking, and then the next class would be entirely group work.”
To Colin, something unique about these classes were the projects relating to international marketing. When asked about these projects, Colin said that
“All my classes were marketing classes, so they had to do with international marketing; international marketing is when you must advertise something in a different country. A lot of my projects involved work with several different people, with one of my standout projects being a fifty-question survey that we had to go through.”
The experience of being in Australia delighted Colin.
“My favorite thing that I did was just go there! Where I live, there just isn’t that much diversity, and in Australia I got to live with people from London, Spain, and other places. We got to explore the city during our downtime, which was very fun.”
Colin also cited the zoos as being a great place to explore in Australia, sharing
“Everyone thinks that going to Australia would allow you to see a ton of kangaroos, but I only got to see one in a zoo. In the zoo, you get to go to exhibitions with the kangaroos. Also, seeing the opera house and being on the ferry were both amazing.”
The various foods offered in Australia also enticed Colin. “Tim Tams,” Colin stated, “Which are chocolate covered biscuits, were definitely the best food that I tried.”
Colin is well aware that homesickness is a concern for any potential education abroad student, but he believes that anybody can get through it, saying that
“My advice [for students] would be to be prepared for the homesickness that happens when you initially get there and to not worry too much about it. The program gets better and feels like home after that initial feeling.”
On campus at UTS, students studying abroad have many opportunities to get involved. There are more than 90 student organizations and clubs to join at UTS including sports, academic clubs, hobbies and more. Additionally, students can join the Exchange and Study Abroad Club at UTS where they can join one another on guided tours of local Sydney attractions including the Sydney Opera House, NSW Art Gallery, and the Sydney Aquarium.
For exploring off campus, UTS is conveniently located across the street from Central Station, which is the major train and bus station of Sydney, connecting students to nearby beaches and towns.
Are you interested in studying abroad in Australia? Learn more about the University of Technology, Sydney program here.
