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.

My time in Sydney can't really be captured in words. I made friends for life, saw a part of the world that I never though I'd be able to see, learned so much, and experienced amazing things. Between visiting the Great Ocean Road, the streets of Melbourne, the Outback with my entire class and sleeping under the stars outside for 2 nights, seeing incredible animals that are indigenous to Australia and can't be seen anywhere else, to snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, as well as staying in Sydney and taking in all that amazing city has to offer, I had an amazing summer. In Sydney, my favorite place to be hands down was Circular Quay. This is where the Opera House and Harbor Bridge can be found on either side of the bay, facing each other. This place made me feel like I really was in Sydney and this was all happening, as well as it being in the Central Business District, which made it hustle and bustle most of the time. In Melbourne, my favorite part was the Great Ocean Road trip, where we fed birds, saw koalas, saw the Twelve Apostles and more. This trip was one of my favorites of the entire trip itself. In the Outback, we learned about Aboriginals, went to famous sites, slept and camped in the outback, saw wild camels, and saw Alice Springs. I also loved this trip because I got so close with all the kids on my program and we had so much fun together on a bus for 3 days. Lastly, in Cairns my friends and I snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. We left early on a boat and went a couple hours out to Green Island and snorkeled around this area. It was so amazing so be doing something that you never thought you'd have the opportunity to do or see. This trip made me mature so much, learn to be more independent, and made me friends and memories I'll hold onto for life. I would absolutely recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in it.

I've been extremely fortunate to have traveled quite a bit before coming to Australia, but this was probably the first place that I could've actually seen myself living there permanently. Australia is one of the most amazing places, and Sydney especially is probably the most unbelievable city. It is honestly unfair how gorgeous, how relaxed, how ridiculous the city is. IES does an amazing job of getting you accommodated, getting you comfortable, letting you explore, and organizing trips that you wouldn't have taken yourself. Like I probably would never have gone to the Outback if it hadn't been for the amazing experience that IES offered. It definitely was an unforgettable experience, and I cannot wait to go back.

Between the breathtaking oceanic views and delicious coffee, it was extremely hard for me to go home after six weeks of living in Sydney, Australia. From the very beginning the IES Staff have been nothing but helpful and informative. My program coordinators in Sydney, were so kind and a pleasure to be around. They gave us so many suggestions on different restaurants, bars, and attractions to see around the city. Being with other college students was so much fun because we all would go out and enjoy the city together. Our housing was in a neighborhood right outside of the city so we always had easy access to the CBD. Even though I went to Sydney during their winter, I still went to the beach and even learned to surf! I would go back to Sydney in a heartbeat to experience the sunsets, the cockatoos, and their killer transportation system all over again.