TEAN: Study Abroad in Sydney, Australia

I always knew I wanted to explore the vibrant scenes of Sydney, Australia, but I could never have been prepared for the pure magic I experienced. Sydney was the most incredible home away from home. From the perfectly crafted flat white coffees I got daily at various local cafes, to the beautiful scenic hiking trails I explored with international friends in my free time, and the exciting night life beside the iconic Opera house at dusk. If I could go back now, I would. One day I will find my way back. If Sydney wasn't compelling enough on its own, UNSW and TEAN made the study abroad experience the most impeccable and memorable it could be. UNSW is an impressive university of engaging professors teaching subjects they are passionate about to students from around the world. The campus was homey and welcoming which made studying late at the library or meeting groups for projects out in the grass between classes so much more enjoyable. TEAN has left me nothing but good things to say. I will admit I was reluctant at first to let them help with registration as I felt like I was being disconnected from the process, but by the end I was so thankful for their support. They made the transition from UW to UNSW seamless through registration, to picking me up at the airport, hosting me in Cairns for an indescribable orientation, and planning group events in Sydney throughout the semester. I couldn't have lasted through the end of the semester without TEAN when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and sent to the emergency department. My TEAN adviser in Sydney was the single most helpful, supportive, kind, and caring person through the whole process. She made the uncomfortable and rattling experience so much more manageable by helping me to schedule doctor's appointments, navigate insurance, and giving me the courage to stay in a different country without the comfort of my family. This truly solidified my feeling of Australia and TEAN as a home and family away from the states.

I can not say enough good things about TEAN's program in Sydney. We started the semester off with TEAN's orientation up to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree National Rainforest, which was so cool. There is so much to do in Sydney, and there are still so many things I wish I had time to do. The beaches are beautiful and so easy to get to with public transportation, and there are so many cool museums and parks as well. I loved being able to travel around Sydney and Australia with such ease, and I got to go to New Zealand for a couple of weeks which was amazing as well. TEAN was so helpful throughout with organizing cool cultural events that were free to program participants, including a surf lesson at Bondi Beach, a rugby match, a tour of the Opera House, and much more! I would not have changed this trip for anything and it exceeded all of my expectations by far.

I absolutely loved living on the beach in Sydney and attending UNSW. Sydney is an amazing city with so much to see and do! It was easy to balance my schoolwork while exploring Australia.
I am especially glad I went abroad with TEAN! Their programs added so much value to my semester and I made so many memories during the TEAN orientation, their organized New Zealand trip and during their city-based activities throughout the semester. If you have the opportunity to go abroad with TEAN, I highly recommend you do!
I also got the chance to visit New Zealand and Singapore while studying in Australia and both trips were amazing! Try and explore that part of the world while you're there! But no worries if you stay local- there is so much to see in Sydney and beyond! You'll never be bored! I miss Sydney and Australia so much already! Can't wait to go back!

Going with TEAN to Australia was the best decision I made! They were super helpful getting everything ready and organized before studying abroad. Also, they picked me up from the airport and brought me to campus, planned a trip to the Outback, other activities to do in Manly and Sydney during the semester, and much more! I had a great experience with TEAN and studying at the International College of Management! I felt safe being away from family for that long because I always knew that I could rely on my TEAN team members in Australia. Thank you TEAN for helping me have the best semester abroad!
My experience in Australia was amazing. I loved the college, it was located in Manly which is a beach town just a 30 minute ferry ride north of Sydney. I walked to Manly Beach almost daily, which was a highlight of my experience. There was a lot to do within walking distance of the school. I also lived on campus, which means I lived in a castle which was pretty cool! Class is the first two floors of the castle and I lived upstairs, it was great! I was able to travel throughout Australia and experience other parts of the country. The orientation trip to the Outback was very beneficial to meet other students and learn more about the Australian culture. Overall, I loved my time here and would recommend it to anyone thinking about this program!

I never thought it would be so hard to leave. Australia was without a shadow of a doubt the best experience that I've ever had. Whether it was my time swimming with a sea turtle at the Great Barrier Reef, learning to surf at Bondi Beach, or getting to know people from all over the world, TEAN made this trip the best it could possibly be. As I look back on my time in Australia, the only thing that I regret is that I actually left. One of the best parts about the trip was that I got a really good idea for what I wanted to do after graduation. I'm studying journalism and communications, and as the semester wore on I was really enjoying not taking my journalism classes, so I realized that wasn't for me. On the other hand, one of my favorite classes, Media, Society, and Politics, really drove home a point that I had been thinking about. Back at my home university I had taken several classes talking about social media, which I had really enjoyed! However, MSP really showed me how deep and how interesting this topic was, and as a result I'm pursuing a job in social media post graduation. I wouldn't have had that experience without studying abroad.

There are so many things I gained from my time abroad but the most important thing I gained from my experience was independence. It takes a lot of guts to fly across the world, not knowing a single person, for 5 months and be okay. It was definitely worthwhile and I would highly recommend it. I met so many amazing people that I will now be friends with for the rest of my life. While abroad I got to travel to 3 differnt countries with so many of my new friends and had the time of my life doing so. I have so many valuable stories and life experiences becuase I chose to go abroad, and not just go abroad, but do it through TEAN!

I absolutely loved my study abroad experience with The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) at the University of Sydney. TEAN staff was so helpful in answering any questions or worries I had before going abroad up until the day I left. Once I landed in Australia, I attended the TEAN orientation, which was such a blast! We spent time learning about Australian culture, the logistics of the next 4 months of our lives, getting to know the other students in the program, and doing crazy activities like Skydiving and canyoning. This was the perfect way to start my study abroad adventure, where I soon ended up in Sydney. TEAN organized for about 20 students in the program to live together in apartments right in the city within walking distance of school, grocery stores, malls, the train station, and so many tourist sights! I also had such a great experience at the University of Sydney were I learned so much by being in a classroom everyday with Aussie students. TEAN also set up lots of events throughout the semester for all of the students in the area including surfing at the famous Bondi Beach, a day at Luna Park (an amusement park), a tour of the Sydney Opera House, jet boating around the harbor, an end-of-the-semester dinner cruise, and so much more! It was a great way to spend time with the other students in the program as well as see more of the city. They also organized a fun trip to Melbourne, which is another big city in Australia, which I absolutely loved! Having to say goodbye to all of my new best friends and a city I fell in love with at the end of the semester was so hard. I would absolutely recommend this program, as I had the time of my life and I'm sure you will too!

Studying abroad in Sydney was definitely one of the best decisions I ever made! There's so much to do in and around the city and by going through TEAN I was given so many more opportunities to learn about the city and to interact with locals. I attended the University of Sydney so I lived near Central Station, pretty much in the middle of the city. This location was so awesome for me because there was so much around my apartment and I was only a walk to my classes and a short train or bus ride away from everything else. Should you choose to go to the University of Sydney, UTS, or The University of Notre Dame in Sydney, it's most likely that you'll live in this area too as it's convenient to all of these schools. Being in this part of Sydney was really cool because it gave you that big city feel but you were also close to Bondi Beach, Coogee, Manly and several other beaches so that the city itself didn't become too overwhelming. On the other hand, if you choose to go to the University of New South Wales, you're likely to live in either Coogee or in Bondi Junction. I had several friends attending UNSW living in Coogee that loved where they lived and I can attest that the area was convenient to their campus, even closer to beaches, and it seemed to have a lot right in and around their too. Regardless of where you choose to go to school though public transit is super easy to figure out and really convenient so that you can get anywhere!

In my free time, I loved going to all the beaches, eating at some amazing places (Harry's in Bondi is delicious), taking the ferry to Manly Beach- they had pretty good shopping over there, and all around exploring the city. Some of the must-do's of Sydney include the Opera House of course, Bondi to Coogee walk, the Harbour Bridge Climb, Taronga Zoo, Luna Park, Bondi Icebergs Pool, the weekend markets in The Rocks, the Figure 8 pools - harder to get out to but if you can do it, I definitely recommend. If you're into museums Sydney also has a plethora of different types for you to choose from. I also got the opportunity to go see a concert in the Sydney Olympic Park which was a really cool experience. But, without TEAN I wouldn't have been able to do some of the awesome things that I did. They took us surfing at Bondi Beach, to a show at the Opera House, kayaking in the Sydney Harbour amongst other things. They're so awesome about giving unique opportunities that I don't think I would have otherwise been able to do.

What I also loved about my experience with TEAN is that at orientation I not only met the people who would be in my city, I also met people who'd be studying at universities all over Australia which gave me tons of people to see and places to stay when traveling!

In terms of nightlife, Sydney has so many different types of clubs and bars to choose from. Ivy is probably one of the most well-known clubs, it even has a rooftop pool. The Argyle in The Rocks is also really fun and afterward stop and get some pancakes in the Rocks. Darling Harbour is great both during the day and at night boasting tons of restaurants, bars, and clubs. Coogee Pavilion is also great for happy hour.