Hey everyone!

My name is Florian and I am from Stuttgart Germany. At the moment I am an exchange student majoring mechanical engineering at UTS. At first, I love studying in Sydney :). It´s my first semester abroad and before I left, I was really afraid of starting a new life (even if it’s just for 6 months) on the other side of the globe. But as I arrived, everyone was more than friendly and helpful therefore it was totally easy for me to manage all the new stuff and settle in well. My semester abroad is almost over now and I regret nothing. Going to UTS was the right decision. In the following I will tell you about the experiences I made and will try to give you some tips ;)

Housing:

I am staying in a 6-shared apartment in Yura Mudang. Even if it's not the cheapest accommodation, its totally worth it! In my opinion it´s the meeting point of all international students. So if you want an easy way to make new friends and meet people from all over the world, try to get a room in Yura. A friend of mine who studied at UTS a year before gave me this advice and now I advise you to do the same. Imagine that, Yura Mudang is a skyscraper in the heart of Sydney, loaded with young people who all have the same goal: Having the time of their life while getting good education! And another tip: Go there as early as possible. The time before lecture starts is the best. Perfect weather (if you go in February/March) and partying every night (if you want to). So if you are not convinced yet, check out the Yura Mudang Rooftop ;).

Living in Sydney:

Before I went to Sydney I travelled a lot and saw much other cities. Even if it’s not my favourite city for a vacation, it is my no. 1 for living. Why? Because you have both: The most beautiful beaches I have seen so far and a multi culture centre with all opportunities a metropole has to offer. And don’t forget to do the Bondi to Coogee Beach walk :). Besides the beautiful beaches and the spectacular cliffs, you see the coolest cemetery on the planet.

Studying at UTS:

And now to the obviously main reason for my semester abroad: studying. Studying at UTS is a bit different to studying in Germany. For me it seems to be like this: to have a friendly and supportive educational environment is more important than having the strict german university style of education. I think you would learn more about the subject while studying in Germany but you learn more for life while studying in Australia. The main thing: you will improve your communication skills a lot. For me it was easier to get good grades at UTS but if you will have any problems, I have never seen teaching staff more helpful than at UTS. Don’t hesitate to make use of this.

So in conclusion: I had a great time studying at UTS and even if I am looking forward to see my family and friends at home, I will miss the time in Sydney a lot and I´m sure I will come back although it is only for a vacation:)