IES Abroad Sydney Summer – Society, Sport & Leadership

I have always wanted to go to Australia and I finally got the opportunity to do so in the summer of 2018. It was my first time traveling alone and I wasn't sure what to expect. However, all my concerns were put to rest as soon as I landed in Sydney. The staff and program director were super friendly and reassuring that everything will be okay. There was only 9 students in my program which made it easier to make friends. The professors were super knowledgable and helpful. We were immersed into Australian culture right away as we got to experience sports games and we went to the outback. Those 6 weeks I spent in Sydney changed my outlook on the world and I have made some of the best friends that I still keep in touch with. Highly recommend the program!

My "Summer" in Sydney was nothing short of perfect. I made life long friendships and got to see a so much of a huge country in the 6 short weeks I spent there. Although it was technically winter the weather was beautiful and the apartment I stayed in was impeccable. The field trips we took to the Sydney Harbour Pillars , Hyde Park Barracks, and the Outback were all so memorable and taught me so much about the cultural. The classes were knowledgable and interesting and the apartment was just short walk from class. My only complaint would be that class on Fridays limited traveling a little bit.

IES provided me with the experience of a lifetime! My university did not offer an abroad program in Australia that worked with my major and required classes. However, IES gave me tons of options and most importantly for me, Sydney was one of them. The application process was a decent amount of work, but the IES coordinators were a huge help for me when it came to getting all the paperwork done. For this particular program I lived with eight other college students from around the States. We came in as strangers and left as friends. I formed some of my best relationships while abroad, and was so thankful to be sharing the learning, social and foreign experience with likeminded, adventurous individuals! We lived in the outskirts of the city in a townhouse/apartment duplex which was only a block away from a main street that had a store, doctors office, pharmacy and tons of restaurants. Figuring out how to manage time and money was a great part of studying abroad because between traveling on the weekends and sightseeing we also had classes and homework to keep up with. The summer program only has two required courses: IR/IB 393 Leading Across Cultures: Principles and Practice and CU/HS 255 - Australian Politics, Society, and Identity: 1788 - Present. The Professors for both courses were great! They made being in class fun and also helped us better understand cultural differences and apply these experiences in and out of the classroom. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to expand their horizons and get a taste of how much our world has to offer us.