Santiago Romero
Spring 2024 Study Abroad student from the University of San Diego
San Diego, United States of America
I am a student in the study abroad program from the University of San Diego. I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science. Before I came to Sydney I was extremely
worried about what life would be like over there. When I first arrived in Sydney, it felt a bit
strange to think that this is where I would be spending the next five months. The initial
adrenaline rush that I felt after that feeling really sunk in was truly exciting. In less than a week, I felt like I had explored Sydney more than I have ever explored my city. I am normally a very shy and quiet person, but in Sydney I found myself doing things that I wouldn’t normally do. The second I saw something that I wanted to do I didn’t
stop and wondered if I should do it or not
I would just go for it. From rock climbing and caving to free diving and hiking in the
wilds. I love how all of Australia is so full of nature. I loved to spend the whole day
on a walk where I would just get lost in the city and admire all the different sights. Some of my favorite places that I went to were the cliffs at Manly Beach, the Royal National Park, and Jubilee Park which although not as exciting as the first two I found it very soothing. I also found it kind of funny how a lot of animals that I see in the US as pets or some exotic and wonderful animals were seen here as an everyday occurrence or in some cases pests like the ibis bird which some
people even go as far as to call it a bin chicken.
While the natural side of Sydney was beautiful, the city side was incredible as well. Walking through the city there are little nooks and crannies that lead to giant malls full of all sorts of little shops. I personally think that if I wanted to see every shop that it would have taken me
months to do it. However, this meant that as I would head back home I could take a different route and I would see little spots that were really amazing like the
shopping arcade or all of the different markets that pop up all around the city on Fridays and Saturdays.
Something that I will say about Sydney is that any activity can get very expensive very quickly which is why I would recommend having a fixed budget per
week. The school side of Sydney at UTS was also very enjoyable. I loved doing my work in the library which was surprisingly always full.
Something I struggled with at first at UTS was adjusting to a type of teaching method which was very different from what I am used to. Luckily most of my teachers were very supportive and would help me out if I had any problems. Overall the peace of mind and the fun that I had at Sydney were experiences that were unlike those of any other place that I have ever been to. If I were given the opportunity I think that I would choose to come live in Australia after I have completed my studies. If I had to recommend anything to future students it would be to try everything that comes to your mind. You only live once, and once your budget is depleted don’t worry because there are so many fun things that you can do for free.
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