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Studying Abroad Down Under
October 12th, 2020
Where did you go?
Sydney, Australia!
What was the campus like (both scenery and environment)?
Similar to NYU-NYC there wasn’t a true “campus” however, we had two major areas that I associated with the campus: the dorm (Urbanest) and the NYU-Sydney building with all of the classrooms (The Science House).
Urbanest and the Science House were not close to each other (40 minutes walk) however I didn’t mind as during the walk to class took you through “downtown” Sydney starting from Chinatown to the rocks.
Sydney is also an amazing place to be for athletes, and in particular swimmers. I was in swimmer heaven, trying out different swimming pools whether it was an Olympic-sized pool or an infinity pool that was connected to the ocean like the Bronte Baths.
Did you learn a bit of the language?
In Australia, the national language is English, however, they have different slang than Americans do. For instance Thongs = flip flops, swimmers = swimsuit.
How was the culture of the city you were in?
The culture in Sydney is very relaxed compared to NYC. Australians enjoy the sunshine and value having fun.
What was your favorite thing to do in the city?
My favorite thing to do in the city was to go to the beach. I know lots of people think Bondi Beach is overrated, but I loved going there. There were a few times that my friends and I went to Bondi and saw the show Bondi Rescue being filmed. I also enjoyed going down to the Circular Quay and the Rocks. Didn't get to go to the Opera House, but when I return it is the first thing on my list!!
How did you meet the majority of your friends?
During my stay in Sydney, my suite became really close. In Sydney at Urbanest, suites were comprised of 6 individual bedrooms, a common area, and a kitchen/living room. I feel really lucky to have lived with my suitemates as they were all amazing people. I also met other friends through classes and sometimes even through outdoor activities. (I actually met someone from my high school one day at UTS. What a small world.)
Any locations/events/restaurant you recommend people to look into?
Being so close to Asia, Sydney and Australia are known for its amazing Asian cuisine. We were especially lucky since our dorm was situated in the middle of Chinatown. My favorite restaurant to go to was the Chinese Noodle House, located right by Urbanest, with my friends.
What classes did you take?
I took Introduction to Marketing, Global Media, Management and Organizations, and Experiential Learning. NYU Sydney’s classes were clumped together in 3 hour time periods, which meant I was able to take all of my classes in 2 days, have 2 days to intern, and 3 days to explore.
I interned at Taurus Marketing for a month in Australia and I loved it. I met a few friends from there and worked with amazing women. It was truly an amazing opportunity to not only get my start in marketing but also have the experience to intern in a foreign country.
How did you balance school and exploring a new city?
Being in Sydney is a once in a lifetime experience, so I did my best to try everything possible to explore. For example, my friend Cora and I got swim passes for the local swimming pools and swam each day. I also signed up for all of the excursions NYU Sydney offered, for example, Surfing lessons, Blue Mountains (2-day trip), and Broken Bay.
Pictured below was the set of Q&A, a debate show in Australia that we got to go see through my Global Media Class!
My advice is, do your homework when you have the time, so when you want to go explore, you’ll be available to do whatever you want to do.
Do you see yourself living in this city? If so, why?
I would love to live in Sydney full time. I often joke that I will move there without warning anyone haha. I am a really avid swimmer, and I loved being able to swim whenever I wanted to in Sydney. I also loved the food and the culture.
What is your most memorable memory from studying in this city?
My most memorable memory from studying in this city was exploring the city with my friends. Whether it meant just walking around, getting Tea, going to the library, or eating out at a restaurant.
Fun Fact about Sydney & Marketing:
Dumb Ways to Die was a public service campaign to enforce Metro safety in Melbourne Australia. Click here to learn more! Another very popular marketing campaign that originated from Sydney was Coca-Cola's Share-a-Coke campaign. This campaign was so successful that it was replicated all over the world.
Did you travel to any nearby countries/cities while you were there?
Other than the Blue Mountains trip, which is about an hour away from where we were in Sydney, I didn’t get much time to explore other parts of Australia due to study abroad being canceled because of the COVID-19.
A few of my friends and I went to Queenstown, New Zealand for spring break. It was amazing! It’s this very quaint area and is a really cool place to be if you love the outdoors. My friends and I went on hikes, white water rafting, paragliding, bicycling, and of course, we found many brunch spots. During this trip, my friends and I also binged watched the entire show of Sky Castle.
Interested in speaking with Camille about her study abroad experience? Sign up for a coffee chat!
Camille Rochaix is Marketing Society's 2020-2021 Co-Vice President and Founder / Editor of the Marketing Society Blog. Camille is currently a Junior at NYU Stern concentrating in Marketing and minoring in Media, Culture and Communications and Business of Entertainment, Media & Technology.