51社区黑料

Exchange Q & A with Melody Tymm

Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia (Spring 2024)

When and why did you decide to go abroad, and how did you figure out where to go?

I wanted to go somewhere warm, that spoke English, and so that I could get better at surfing! This university is not near the beach and is a good transit away but it鈥檚 totally doable and I would go to Manly Beach all the time because it was the easiest to get to. The transit includes a ferry ride which is super fun! 

Where did you stay while you were there?

Student Village North Ryde, a 10 min walk to campus. 

What preparations did you have to make before you went abroad?

The visa was stressful make sure you choose the correct stream early! 

What were some of your most memorable experiences?

Surfing at manly in the morning, the BIRDS sound so funny, rock climbing at the bouldering gyms, the beautiful campus, the fashion, the  nightlife and the metro is so nice to ride and explore. 

How did your time abroad enrich or add to your knowledge of Geography? Were you able to apply things you learned at 51社区黑料while abroad?

Yes I took geog courses and the instructors were great! Comparing lives and normalities between classmates was fun. Basic geography concepts were carried through like global cities and gentrification in places I鈥檓 not used to studying like in Vancouver. I was able to use my 3DGIS skills for a project which made it fun.  

Did you have a favourite course you took while abroad?

Geog 100 was a basic course I still needed to take and it was a good overview. 

What advice do you have for other students who are considering studying abroad?

Specific to this university, I had not the best experience moving into Student village north ryde because the photos they displayed online were the newly renovated rooms and they did not specify not all of them are like that. I was able to move to a newly renovated place within the village which was great and I think they鈥檝e since changed the website to clarify that but just be aware! The old ones are not great they have mold issues so just ask for a renovated one. The village is super social though they have events to meet people! More social than the on campus residence. 

Also be aware it鈥檚 super hot and humid you鈥檒l need a fan asap, but when it gets to May and June it can get super cold especially at night so bring coats!! I bought a space heater because there鈥檚 no heating (Australia I learned is bad at building places with insulation because they think it鈥檒l be nice weather all the time). Also when it rains there it鈥檚 extremely heavy and strong and can flash flood easy. Rain is more common than I thought! 

But super fun and so glad I did it!