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Krishang Nair, ‘25, is a Behavioral Economics major studying at UNSW Sydney this Fall 2023.
If you are considering studying abroad in Sydney, you are in for one of your life’s most exciting side quests. I call it a side quest because it truly does feel like one. It’s a brief period where you explore this new and foreign place, meet interesting new characters, and go through ample character development before finally making it back to the community you left behind mere months ago. But before making such a huge commitment, it is understandable that you would want a clearer picture of what the initial process of applying is like. I’ll even throw in some intricacies of studying in Sydney that you may not have considered previously.
- How early do I have to jump into the application process?
I began looking into possible destinations for my study abroad as early as January of 2023, keeping in mind that I was planning towards a Fall 2023 departure. Part one of the study abroad application was due in March, and I received my acceptance email ONE day later. Imagine sitting in class on a gloomy, 31-degree day, and seeing a picture of a beach with the words “You’re going to Australia!” written across it. I nearly fell out of my seat.
After you’re accepted, part two begins and you need to get ready to apply for your visa. And yes, you will need a student visa to study in Australia, *even* if you’re an American citizen. But I’ll save that conversation for the next question.
- What is the visa application process like?
The visa application process is simple but tedious. You need to create an account with the Australian consulate, and their website has a ton of info on what documents are required. That paired with “Endeavor,” UNSW’s accepted students portal, will clearly mark what documents you need. Now that will differ based on the country from which your passport originates, but the main documents will most likely include:
- Passport
- Drivers License
- Birth Certificate
- OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover)*
*The OSHC is a mandatory insurance plan all students are required to purchase prior to arriving in Australia. You need it to apply for your visa.
Now most of what I have described seems pretty elementary, and it is until you get to the later parts of the visa process. One part of the application requires you to state all the countries in which you have lived, including the amount of time in each place. If you are like me and move around every few years to a new school in a new country, this part of the visa process is, and I don’t use this word all that much, *hellish*. It took nearly an hour to complete, but I did feel a vague sense of accomplishment at the end, so maybe it wasn’t that bad.
- Does the time difference from the States impact you?
Well, yes and no. It affects me as I try to maintain my connections with my friends and family while abroad and normally I do so via texting. So when considering just text-based communication, it isn’t all the bad, however when you want to call and have a conversation with someone, the time difference truly gets in the way.
When I first arrived in Sydney, the time difference from AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) to EST (Eastern Standard Time) was 14 hours. However, shortly after, the time in Sydney jumped forward an hour increasing the difference to 15 hours. Then again, the time jumped back in the States due to daylight savings and ultimately became 16 hours. This leaves time to talk on the phone throughout the morning for me, as it will be the previous evening back in the States.
However, when applying for coops and scheduling interviews, the time difference is a real hindrance. It turns out, that people think you’re crazy if you try to schedule an interview at 3 am.
![](https://i0.wp.com/studyabroadblog.drexel.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_9890.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
- Where would I be staying once I arrived in Sydney?
This is a great question, and it’s one I wish I asked myself more often before I arrived. Well at the moment there is a housing crisis in Sydney that is getting more and more severe each month. People all over the city were looking for spacious and affordable housing, neither of which were available. So naturally, they started looking for somewhat smaller and maybe less affordable housing. To their dismay, that doesn’t exist either. Most housing at the moment is ridiculously expensive and is either only being rented out for a month, or a few years. There is no sweet spot, unfortunately, especially for study abroad students. If you can, get a jump on the housing process early before you get your visa and flight ticket. Trust me, jump on the process early, and do your research about where you would like to live. Perhaps on campus, by the beach, maybe more into the city? Then apply to as many as you can, and I promise you’ll get one.
It didn’t turn out all that bad for me. I live by a beautiful beach in an Airbnb. Apart from it being a bit pricier than I would have liked, it is a perfectly good place. But learn from my mistakes, don’t wait too long, and Do. Your. Research.
- What are the classes like?
In Australia, just like in many parts of the world outside of the U.S., people work to live and not the other way around. This is reflected in their university class quota per term. Most students take 3 classes a term, each 6 credits each. Compare that to Drexel, where most of our classes are nearly half that credit count, requiring us to take sometimes up to twice as many to graduate on time. Now, despite having only three classes, the homework they assigned was significant, especially towards the end. I found myself pretty busy towards the end with lots of work from all my classes at UNSW including one online class from Drexel. Additionally, their grading system is completely different. Some differences include, HD (High Distinction) is equivalent to an A+ and D (Distinction) is equivalent to a B, just to name a few.
If you complete your work on time and keep yourself organized, you’ll find the workload to be less stressful than that at Drexel.
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