Charlotte Wells

Host University: University of Wollongong
Year of Study Abroad: 2010-11

Where did you live? Would you recommend it?

I lived in University accommodation at Weerona College. Whilst expensive, I would definitely recommend the college to prospective students, the atmosphere and community was second to none, as much of the rent is spent on college activities and development to make you feel really at home and included in the environment.

Which department(s) did you study in?

Geography (Earth and Environmental Sciences department), Indigenous Studies and Australian Studies.

How does the workload/classes/teaching styles vary to Sheffield?

There are a lot more contact hours at Wollongong, with compulsory practicals and tutorials for all subjects each week, as well as the lectures. Most importantly, assessments are much more spread across the semester, end of year exams are generally only worth 40 per cent of the final module grade. The rest tends to be made up of essays, tests, presentations and other minor assessments. Generally in the departments within which I studied I found that the workload at the University was perhaps a little lighter than at Sheffield and I could definitely fit my workload around the other things I wanted to do when I was in Australia.

What did you do for fun at the weekends and during the holidays?

During the holidays I traveled and visited various places with Australia and the surrounding countries. Weekends were occasionally filled with day trips but were otherwise spent laying out on the beach if the weather was nice, going out with friends, or occasionally doing Uni work!

Did you join any societies or clubs?

Apart from being involved in the Weerona society and joining a social badminton club for a while not really.

Describe the University/City/things to do

A lot of Wollongong itself is geared around the beach, so in the summer beach sports and culture is prevalent, a lot of people will go to their lectures and then nip down for a surf or a swim!

The night life in Wollongong is also pretty good, a little smaller than Sheffield but a lot of fun nonetheless!

The University also has many sports teams and societies which exchange students are encouraged to join if anything interests you.

Also Wollongong is only 1.5 hours from Sydney central on the train and the network of trains down the coastline is great for day trips shopping or to visit another beach.

Could you give any travel or immigration tips?

Travel as much as you can. I put off some of my traveling at the beginning of my year thinking I would have time later but never got to visit some places. Towards the end I worked extra hard during weekdays to allow myself the time to go away in the holidays. And for booking flights and trips the STA travel is fantastic, and will get you the cheapest rates!

Could you give any advice or tips to a student preparing to go or tell them anything you wished you knew in advance?

Take a 4 way plug socket with you as well as an adapter, they are invaluable! You will be able to pick up a phone for about 30 dollars so don't worry about a mobile. Set up a bank account when you get there, with NAB is best, as they have a cash point on University Campus - Australian cash machines charge a fee if you try and withdraw money from a cash point that isn't your banks. If you drink, buy duty free on your way in, alcohol is expensive!

Would you say it is cheaper or more expensive to live than Sheffield?

It is definitely much cheaper to live in Sheffield, although I lived on college so whilst it was more expensive, it meant all my food was included.