More than a semester

Ann Song, A26 Study Abroad and Exchange Ambassador

Autumn 2026 Exchange Student, Shanghai University, China

I'd been thinking about this exchange since my first year of uni. Three years later, I was finally walking out of Sydney airport by myself, suitcase in hand, not quite sure whether I was more excited or nervous. I had no idea that this city—all coastline and golden light—would end up meaning this much to me.

I'd heard things about how different Australian classrooms are, but actually sitting in one at UTS was another story. The biggest surprise was the sheer amount of group work. Almost every subject had some kind of team project, and they actually counted toward your grade. That meant you couldn't just keep to yourself. You had to talk to people from all over the place, figure out how to work with them, find your own footing. And you quickly realise that everyone thinks differently—cultural backgrounds give people different instincts about how to get things done. Disagreements happened all the time. You couldn't avoid them, so you just had to push through, talk it out, find a middle ground everyone could live with. There were frustrating moments, moments where I thought "why can't we just do it my way". But looking back, that friction was precisely the point. I learned that real collaboration isn't splitting tasks and calling it a day. It's hashing things out together, making trade-offs, owning the outcome as a group. That lesson stuck with me more than anything from any textbook.

Campus life was richer than I expected too. The business school alone had four or five active clubs, so finding people with similar interests wasn't hard. Welcome Week stood out the most—markets, booths, senior students welcoming you in. It was hard not to get swept up. That atmosphere was pretty much exactly what I'd pictured when I imagined university life before I started.

If campus gave me a place to belong, being a UTS Study Abroad Ambassador pushed me out of my comfort zone. It gave me an excuse to talk to strangers, to try things that initially felt awkward. Spending time with friends from different countries, I started to pick up a bit of that laid-back "no worries" attitude Australians seem to have. They don't sweat the small stuff, and somehow that rubbed off on me. On the flip side, when my international friends got genuinely curious about my tea routine and asking questions nonestop, I started to see my own culture differently. Things I'd always taken for normal suddenly had a new kind of weight. That mutual curiosity, I think, is what exchange is really about. You're not just observing a new world; you're seeing your own through someone else's eyes.

What I didn't expect was the friendships. Coming in, I kept my expectations low—it was only a few months, I'd be lucky to meet a few decent people. But I ended up crossing paths with people from all over: different ages, different paths, different languages. And somehow, for a stretch of time, our lives just aligned. We hunted down good food, played tennis till sunset, stayed up way too late talking about everything from childhood memories to future plans, from silly nothings to things we actually cared about. They pushed me into territory I'd never explored before and got me opening up about things I'd usually ignore. Spending time with them, I came to realise that real connection doesn't require shared backgrounds. Genuine curiosity and honest conversation go a long way.

Outside of university life, I made a point to fill my spare time too. Through ActivateUTS, I joined quite a few events I wouldn't have normally considered, and ended up trying things I never imagined I'd be into. My friends and I also made plenty of travel plans. Some took weeks to figure out, others were decided the night before. We went skydiving, had breakfast with koalas, tried kayaking, chased the aurora in Tasmania and spotted dolphins along the way, and spent a few days at the Sunshine Coast doing nothing in particular, just soaking up the sun.

But the moments that stood out the most were the ones that pushed me a little further. Jumping out of a plane in Newcastle—fear was there, but stronger than that was the feeling of letting go completely. Waiting for the aurora on a freezing night in Tasmania, I kept thinking "when is it coming", but it eventually showed up, but it eventually showed up. Some things you just can't rush, you have to wait. Those moments added up and shifted how I see my own limits. Being brave doesn't mean you're not scared. It means you do it anyway. Boundaries don't move unless you actually test them.

A few practical tips for when you get there:

Food

Sydney has way too many good places to eat. Here's my personal shortlist:

Italian: Bar Tottis, Fabbrica, Macchiato, Pan Divino, Grana.

Vietnamese fusion: Hello Auntie.

Japanese: Chaco Bar, Dopa.

Chinese: Taste of Changbai Northeastern Cuisine, The Eight (Market city).

Steak: Eastside Bar & Grill

Souvenirs

If you're looking to bring something back for family and friends, check out Market City. They've got everything—Sydney-themed fridge magnets, tote bags, even things like kangaroo leather goods and Aboriginal-style crafts. The prices are way better than what you'd find in tourist gift shops.

And finally—enjoy it. I know the whole process of applying, deciding, packing—it's a lot. But once you're there, walking along the coast, grinding through assignments at UTS, and heading out for good food with friends on the weekend, you'll realise it was all worth it. Every bit.