Written by: Jessica Wu | Academic Year 2023-2024
BU Exchange at University of Tasmania
While I was super excited
for my semester abroad, I had many questions and concerns as to what to expect. Now that I have been here for more than half a semester, I thought I would answer some in hopes of helping those of you that are interested in possibly going abroad.
- FRIENDS?!!
One of my biggest concerns about studying abroad was whether or not I would make any friends but it turns out I had nothing to worry about! I made one of my first friends while checking in for my student apartment. They were also exchange students who just so happened to be on the same flight as me from Melbourne! We all clicked right away and since then, our friend group just continued growing! We met people through orientation week activities, student accommodation parties and barbecues, as well as through other friends and students. Since then, we’ve been making trips in and around Australia when we could.
While many of my friends ended up being exchange students, there were quite a few from Australia. They were all super friendly and welcoming and even offered to give us rides to certain places when needed. One of them even took us on a weekend camping trip earlier on in the semester. On the way to and from the camping trip, we made many stops to see some amazing nature sights and boy were they beautiful. We also found a few friends that took some dance classes at a studio near campus. When they heard about my friends and I’s interest in taking some dance classes, they invited us to join them when they were free and planning to go. All-in-all, I would say that I have many amazing friends while here and I can definitely see them lasting for a lifetime.
- First time traveling alone overseas
It can be a bit scary traveling alone, especially if it is overseas. I wasn’t too nervous about the flights because I had flown internationally before and I had flown alone before, but I was more so worried about the fact that I was quite literally just throwing myself into the unknown. This meant that every problem and situation that I ran into was left for me to figure out on my own, and my anxiety did not like the idea of that.
I also didn’t like the idea of not having the comfort of my friends and family back home for a long period of time. While I could always reach them through a simple phone call, the time difference made it difficult to do so, and it just isn’t the same as physically being there for one another. Despite my worries, I have managed to do well. After having made some amazing friends and meeting many of the staff and faculty at the university, especially at the student accommodation, I know that I have people there if I need someone.
I also know that not having enough money for food won’t be a problem because student accommodation does so much to try to provide us with free food. They have found local bakeries and stores that give us any leftover or excess foods, and they also have free Sunday brunches for students. The student hub also provides us with a food hub which is like a small free shop for students. There is limited stock and a limit to how much you can take but what they do is still very much appreciated.
- How will my classes differ from Butler?
Another one of my concerns about studying abroad was how the school and education system here in Australia would differ from what I am used to at Butler and how that would affect me. Unlike at Butler, here at UTAS, we only have class, or tutorials/tutes as they call it, once a week. Depending on what the unit is, the tutes can last anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. They also have lecture or module work each week which typically consists of readings. The modules typically aren’t open until the week of and oftentimes, the work is supposed to be done prior to the tute that week.
In terms of assignments, there are 3 per unit and you are told of the due dates and information regarding the assignments from the start. All the information is listed on the unit outline and the lecturers/tutors often mention them in class as well. While in some units, the assignments can be completed during class time, oftentimes they are expected to be done outside of class. Another difference that I noticed is getting extensions on assignments.
While at Butler, typically all you have to do is talk to the teacher about it, here at UTAS, there is a very formal way of requesting one. You have to fill out and sign a form before sending it to the teacher. They then have to sign the form and decide whether or not to accept the extension request. While these differences don’t necessarily seem that big, it has definitely been a bit difficult trying to juggle it all while trying to explore Tasmania.
Having gotten this far into the semester, I am truly grateful with how the semester has gone so far. When walking into this whole experience, I tried to stay as calm and relaxed as possible and I am glad that I did because everything ended up working out on its own. I have made amazing friends and have had amazing experiences in the past few months and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me for the rest of my time here in Australia.