UU Study Abroad Report Form

Transcription

1 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: University College of Utrecht Level: bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Bachelor of Science Destination city & country Adelaide, Australia Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 12/02/2017 Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 22/07/2017 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. Preparation Exchange/placement application process: The placement application process was clear Counselling/support at home university: The support was very helpful Academic preparation: There was little academic preparation Language preparation: There was no language preparation required if you speak English Finances: Was clear Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): It was well organised Academic quality of education/placement activities: The academic quality was good and similar to my home university, the level was just slightly lower Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: They were very helpful and supportive Transfer of credits: - Student life Welcome/orientation programme: Great introduction week that helps with getting to know the university and city

2 Accommodation: Many different options for different price ranges Leisure/culture: A small city but it is easy to navigate and has plenty of activities Suggestions/tips: Really try to make the most of the time you have because before you know it, you will already be heading back home. Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Yes, the academics and city are good. Since it is a smaller city, it is not too overwhelming when you first arrive. Do you have any additional advice or comments?: - Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht +31-(0) exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

3 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: Geosciences Level: bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Earthsciences Destination city & country Adelaide, Australië Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 15/07/2016 Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 01/06/2016 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. Preparation Exchange/placement application process: In my opinion this was a rather smooth process, and as long as you kept doing what was said in the s send to you, I never felt stressed or like I was behind on schedule. It was sometimes confusing to find out where to find certain information, but I could always send my questions in s to the international office and then I got swift and helpful replies within a couple of days. Counselling/support at home university: Support at Utrecht University was abundant and helpful, whenever you are in need of help you can always go there and they will help you or refer you to the person is better equipped to help you. Academic preparation: I mainly followed courses outside of my normal major, which let me with minimum academic preparation for some of my courses, but this did not lead to many difficulties. I sometimes had to ask a few more questions to become more familiar with some terms and knowledge that was considered to be prerequired for the course. Language preparation: I did not really have any language preparation, but since Australia is an English speaking country anyway, this was not really needed. My level of English was sufficient when I came here and by talking to your friends and fellow students, your English improves very fast, giving you enough confidence to start speaking freely in no time. Finances: As you have probably heard plenty of times already, studying in Australia is heaps expensive. I can most certainly agree with that, but by slightly changing your lifestyle and borrowing some extra money from the Dutch government this is not something anyone cannot handle. However, I can

4 advise anyone thinking about coming here to not care much about the money, just make sure you have it (borrow it) and then live your life here. Spend money where needed and above all don t pass on fun activities just because you want to save some money (worst excuse ever). Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): I found the content of my courses interesting overall, some smaller topics within my courses were a little boring, but that s the same with courses in Utrecht. Overall I only had some minor organisational issues, nothing really worth mentioning. Academic quality of education/placement activities: The quality is sufficient. Overall I needed a little less time for my education than I needed back in Utrecht, but that is what you want during your exchange. You don t want to study all the time because you want plenty of time to explore the country and have fun times with your friends. Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: Not that much, but then I do have to admit that I didn t really seek any counselling/support either. So if you look for it, I am pretty sure that you can find it. Transfer of credits: Starting this whole circus now. I hope it will be a smooth process but since I will not be back in Utrecht for a while, I will have to arrange everything online which might prove to be a little more challenging. Student life Welcome/orientation programme: I felt like my orientation programme was a little less abundant because I came the second semester of the year, I feel like the programme at the start of the year is bigger. However, it was a good time to get to know people and make friends quickly. Also my accommodation offered heaps of free meals during the first week. Accommodation: The Village is the best, if you think it is worth spending a little bit more on accommodation then you should most definitely come to the Village. I had the time of my life here with a lot of my friends living only a minute away. The Village is way better than Urbanest, Urbanest has a better location, but that is about it. The Village has a better atmosphere, organises more activities, is a bit cheaper, and has bigger rooms/kitchen/bathrooms/common areas. Leisure/culture: I am still not really sure what people meant by getting a culture shock since I personally did not experience anything like that, but then I did also not experience a jetlag or anything. So I recon it is one of those things that differs per person. Suggestions/tips: Live your life to the fullest during your exchange. And definitely go on exchange, it will be the best time of your life, promise! Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Absolutely! I for one had the time of my life and so did all my friends, I haven t spoken to anyone

5 who regretted coming here for a moment. Adelaide as a city for tourists is not really the place to be, but as a student you will find it very liveable and friendly and you won t feel like you live in a huge 1.3 million residents city. Do you have any additional advice or comments?: Sort visas out in time if you need them. I am stressing out at the moment because I need a working visa for New Zealand and I might have applied too late, which sucks big time Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht +31-(0) exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

6 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: Geosciences Level: X bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Human Geography Destination city & country Adelaide, Australia Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange X study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. Preparation Exchange/placement application process: I applied for 3 universities. Adelaide was my third choice. At first I was told that I was not allowed to go to Adelaide, since my grades were not high enough. I was told to apply for one of the rest spots at another university instead. Quite devastated, I applied for Deakin a few weeks later. After my application there I received an that it was not possible for me to go to Deakin, since too many people applied for that, but they had made an arrangement with Adelaide that I would still be accepted, regardless of my grades. I ended up going to Adelaide after all. Counselling/support at home university: There s a pre-departure meeting and it s possible to mail out whenever you have a question. There is not a lot of active counselling though. Academic preparation: Before I went to Adelaide I had already finished my bachelor s degree, therefore I had all of the knowledge necessary to follow my courses in Adelaide. Language preparation: Most of my courses and all of the literature of my degree in Utrecht were in English. Furthermore I had followed the bilingual stream in high school, the combination of this made it possible for me to speak, read and write English fluently. Finances: I had been saving up for this for a very long time, DUO provides all the excesses. Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): It was difficult at first to find courses in Adelaide that I found actually interesting. The first time I

7 checked the courses for 2017 were not yet online, so I figured out some courses I wanted to take and they turned out not to be available when I actually had to apply for courses. Eventually I chose 5 courses instead of 4 to give myself room if I ended up wanting to drop courses. Eventually I took 3 courses. Academic quality of education/placement activities: The quality of education in Adelaide was really high. The academic level was, compared to Utrecht, a little lower. I really appreciated the fact that there was a larger focus on teaching in Adelaide. In Utrecht, every once in a while, it s as if a teacher s main focus is doing research, rather than teaching. In Adelaide I found that the teacher s main focus was on teaching and that they invested more time and effort in providing good lectures and good tutorials. Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: There s all sorts of counselling and support available, but I haven t used any of it so I don t know about the quality. Transfer of credits: This has yet to happen. Student life Welcome/orientation programme: The orientation programme was very clear and gave great possibilities to meet other students. They introduced us to Australian habits and cultures. We were also encouraged to go out to the rest of the orientation week and join one of the many Adelaide clubs. This was definitely really nice and it made sure that I joined a club and meet people and make friends. Accommodation: My accommodation was fine, I did not use any of the University s accommodation though. Leisure/culture: During orientation week I had joined the mountain club, which provided lots of nice trips and possibilities to meet people. Also, a lot of students lived closed to each other so we would meet up at one of the residencies. Traveling in and around Australia is really easy and the fact that there s two weeks of in the middle of the semester makes sure there s enough possibilities. Suggestions/tips: Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Yes! Adelaide is a really big village. It s not as busy as Melbourne or Sydney and therefore cheaper to live in too. There s enough to do in the surrounding areas and there s a bunch of internationals to meet and hang out with. The university is well-organized and studying there is quite comfortable. Do you have any additional advice or comments?: Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht

8 +31-(0) (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

9 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: Geo sciences Level: bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Earth Science Destination city & country Adelaide, Australia Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 07/02/2017 Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 13/08/2017 Preparation Exchange/placement application process: As an earth science student I still wanted to do geology courses. The University of Adelaide has a good geology department and their focus lays more on the metamorphic geology and exploration methods, something that was still missing in my bachelor degree. At the end of January I received the that I was chosen to go to the University of Adelaide. Counselling/support at home university: The one meeting for exchange students to Adelaide (and Queensland and Western Australia university) I missed due to the length of my experiments for my bachelor thesis. After this meeting I still got an with the necessary tips for arranging everything for Adelaide and the international officer always answered my s quickly. Academic preparation: The chosen courses didn t need an extra requirement as I already studied earth sciences. Language preparation: As my study is given in English and I had a high grade for English in high school, I didn t had to fulfil anymore requirements. Finances: Australia is very expensive so I had to hand in mind that I had to invest my savings in this exchange. For example, my house was already around the 6800 dollars (which is 4800 euro at that time which means 800 euros a month).

10 Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): Unfortunately a lot of courses I was interested in where given at the same time period. The university told me that I could still do both courses as the lectures are recorded, but I still didn t feel okay with that so I changed them. If you re doing sciences courses the course can be either easy or very hard, because they discussed different things in the prerequisite courses. Academic quality of education/placement activities: In December the registration for enrolment opened and the university contacted the exchange students to inform them over limited places for some courses and it recommended us to enrol on the first day. Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: I know there are a lot of institutions at the university that can help you with your disability, writing and mathematical skills and for counselling, but I didn t use this option so I cannot give any information about this. Transfer of credits: 3 credits is equal to 7.5 ECTS, so you need to do 4 courses in a semester to have a standard workload. Student life Welcome/orientation programme: There was a separate introduction week for the international students, where we got a lot of booklets about studying in Adelaide and how the university worked. This included the internet access, printing and the option for counselling. Accommodation: There are multiple university arranged accommodations that lay in the centre of the city, but they are also expensive. That is why some students first go to a hostel and search a room from there. The suburbs are way cheaper than the university arranged accommodations, but then you re dependent on public transport. The university arranged accommodations also organize some events for the residents so that is a nice way to meet people. There is an accommodation service at the university and they can also help you. Leisure/culture: The Australian culture is very relaxed (No worries mate!) and they are very kind towards foreigners. They love their food, wine, festival and coffee culture, especially in Adelaide. In February there are three festivals at the same time causing all the Adelaidians to go to the streets.

11 Suggestions/tips: Try to do a lot of hikes around Adelaide, the nature around Adelaide is beautiful and you can spot koala s and kangaroo s just out of the city. Also the beaches are beautiful. Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Yes, Adelaide is a smaller city than Sydney so you do not have the feeling you re drowning in the city and I fell in love with the coffee, hike and no worries culture. I will especially miss that last part. Do you have any additional advice or comments?: - Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht +31-(0) exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

12 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: University of Utrecht Level: bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Pedagogische Wetenschappen (Pedagogical Sciences) Destination city & country Adelaide, Australia Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. Preparation Exchange/placement application process: I selected 3 universities in the United States as my choices, but I did not get selected for any of these destinations. Little did I know this was the best thing that ever happened to me! On the list with destinations that were left I saw some spots available for unis in Australia and thought: Why not?! So I researched the different cities and universities in Australia and selected Adelaide as my first (second haha) choice. Mostly because I read online that Adelaide has a great atmosphere and is a bit smaller than Sydney or Melbourne. I don t like very big cities and a big pro is that the Uni of Adelaide is right in the city centre! (not the case with Sydney for example) Also, I read that other students had great experiences in Adelaide. Luckily I got selected for this uni! Counselling/support at home university: The support I got was very good. I received many s about what steps to follow in order to successfully enrol in the exchange program and there was an exchange meeting for all the students that were going to Australian cities. Here I was able to ask some questions and get some useful tips. Academic preparation: I did not prepare academically since I did not think this was necessary. I read in previous students experiences that the academic level was not much higher than the level we are used to at the UU so I did not worry too much. Language preparation: I did not really practice my English since it was of a sufficient level already. I did have to take a TOEFL test in order to submit my application which I did. It does cost some money (I believe 250 euros or something which I think is a bit excessive), but you do need it in order to apply to the uni

13 of Adelaide. Finances: Upfront I knew my parents would support me financially for the time I was studying in Adelaide. The traveling I payed for myself which I did by saving up from my part-time job. Tip: the visa is expensive, don t be shocked: just pay it it s worth it! ;) Do realise Australia is a ridiculously expensive country (rent, food, alcohol, ciggies)! Grocery shopping is more expensive than in the Netherlands but you will get used to that quickly. The crazy prices of alcohol and ciggies (cigarettes), you do NOT get used to. Be prepared to pay 10 dollars (7 euros) for an average glass of wine in a restaurant/bar and pay at least 20 dollars (14 euros) for a six pack of beer. Cigarettes cost 26 dollars a pack (18 euros) so make sure you ve lowered your nicotine intake to a reasonable amount before you go. Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): I browsed the site of the uni of Adelaide in order to find courses I could take. There is a really easy search engine that allows you to filter on semester, degree and even exchange so you can easily figure out what courses you can take. There are many interesting courses available, the only thing you have to make sure is that the courses you want to take don t require a certain entry level which you don t have. If you think you have the qualifications to take an advanced class you have to give a summery of the courses you have taken, which you think will be sufficient as a prior knowledge. Make sure to get your courses approved by the Exam committee of the UU so you are sure you can get your credits transferred when you go back. Academic quality of education/placement activities: The academic quality is really good, just very different than the UU s. The professors are very inspiring and the teaching form is very different from the Dutch (it s more egalitarian than hierarchical like in the Netherlands). I took two Anthropology, one Psychology and one Linguistic course and only for the psych course I had to take an exam. For the other courses I had to write an essay, a reflective journal, and/or do a presentation. It was easy to get a good grade since the professors reward hard work. If they can tell you really made an effort they will reward you with a high grade. Don t be afraid that the courses (unless wrongly chosen) will be too difficult, it s very doable! An Aussie friend of mine at uni told me that almost nobody ever has to retake an entire course. It s almost always possible to figure something out with the professor. Oh and also: you often get a mark for participation (10%) which helps you a bit too ;) Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: The support from the uni of Adelaide is great! You receive s about what steps to take to set up your student account, student- , enrol in the courses of your choice and more. It s an easy to follow step by step procedure, but does takes some time. You have to manage your schedule yourself which makes it a bit of a puzzle, but it works out in the end! Transfer of credits: Transfer of credits went quite smoothly. I received an official transcript from the Uni of Adelaide which I needed to provide the UU with, per . However, the UU requested a hard-copy version which I did not have! At the end (some s back and forth), the UU approved of the ed version they received and I received my credits. The calculation of grades worked out well (I got an

14 8, two 8,5 and one 9) which I think was a good translation of my Australian grades. Student life Welcome/orientation programme: The first week of university is O(rientation)-week where you get to take a lot of informative classes about the city, safety and Australia in general. Everything is very well organized and people are super friendly! It is nice to get to know your uni this way and to meet new people! Accommodation: Before you go: I did not arrange an accommodation upfront, because I had read that it was quite easy to find an accommodation on arrival. I booked a hostel for the first week (Backpack OZ which I can recommend 100%!!! This is a great [clean!] hostel where I met so many new people and made my first friends!) and from there I looked for an apartment. Do not go for the temporary accommodation they offer you (in the old hospital), a nice hostel is way more fun. Also realise that the uni of Adelaide provides a free transfer service to pick you up from the airport and bring you to your accommodation. How to find a place: The uni of Adelaide has a website you can login to and browse for apartments. It is very easy and I immediately made some appointments to visit the apartments. In order to do this and to communicate with landlords, you HAVE to have a Australian sim card! Make sure this is one of the first things you do when you get to Australia since it makes life soooo much easier! First I got a prepaid sim card (Telstra is a good provider) that allowed me to call and text but I did not have any data, which was a bit inconvenient. The Adelaide CBD however has free wifi so as long as you re out on the streets in the CBD you can connect to wifi (amazing! google maps saves lives!). When you have found an apartment (and have an Aussie bank account) you can get on a Telstra service plan via Aldi (YES the cheap supermarket which we know from back home), browse the website. When you find a place: Doing this I found an amazing apartment right in the CBD, just down the street from my beloved hostel. I ve had the luck to meet two lovely girls living with me (one from Brazil, one from Hong Kong) who I have developed amazing friendships with and have learnt me so much from them. IMPORTANT: Do NOT (emphasize on NOT) arrange an accommodation the uni offers like the village or urbanest. It is crazy expensive, small and a bad environment (ZEER ONGEZELLIG like we would say). I know it s scary to go there without knowing for sure you ll have a place to stay, but taking a week to look for an apartment will save you so much money and gives you more freedom! (note: do arrive 1 to 2 weeks ahead of O-week to ensure yourself of enough time to fine a nice apparent). Leisure/culture: Australia is amazing and Adelaide is very cute! Every night there is something to do! You can dance salsa at Casablabla, party at Hindley street, have dinner around the city in so many cute little restaurants, or visit some free art galleries. Even though Adelaide is a small city compared to Sydney or Melbourne, the atmosphere is great and everything in the CBD is in walking distance. Out and about I have met many Aussies whom I became really close within a short amount of time. They have showed me the real Adelaide and South Australia. AND what they say is true: all Aussie

15 boys are way hotter than the Dutch (just make sure not to fall in love ;) It s a damn long flight) Suggestions/tips: GO GO GO! Adelaide is a great home base to explore the rest of Australia from. After traveling around Australia I was relieved to get back to Adelaide all the time. It s just lovely and feels like home so quickly! The atmosphere is great and it s a very safe city (I ve never felt scared walking home alone Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Definitely!!! Adelaide is the best and I still miss it every day. The time I ve had studying there has made me grow as a person so much and even though it s cliché: I would not have been the person I am today if I had not been on this exchange. Do you have any additional advice or comments?: GO! Take some time to settle (start at backpack OZ), get a sim card, get a bank account (I got one at NAB), find an apartment, take your Uni classes, party a lot (so much fun!), find a cheap bike at Gumtree (your friends will laugh at you for riding a bike, but once they re drunk you ll notice they secretly love it and want to ride it too), plan trips to other cities (visit Tassie too!), get to know the real Aussies (they re the best, so funny, such good company!) and have the time of your life!!! AND: save up some (read: a lot!) of money in order to be able to do all the things you want to do. Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht +31-(0) exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

16 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: Social Science Level: bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Clinical and Health Psychology Destination city & country Adelaide, Australia Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. Preparation Exchange/placement application process: I already knew for a long time that I wanted to go abroad so I attended some information meetings at the uni and decided to go on an exchange semester. Adelaide was a left over place for me since I was not accepted for my first two choices. At first I was disappointed that I was not accepted for my first choice but eventually I am not unhappy about it at all! I always wanted to travel Australia so studying there and combining it with traveling was the best I could ask for. If you re not selected for your first choice, don t let it take you down, another destination will definitely be as good (or maybe even better)! Counselling/support at home university: The counselling and support of the International office, in my case Nyncke Kramer, was really good. I had to fill in a lot of paperwork and arrange things but with her help it was not a big deal. She always responded fast and helped me out where needed. Academic preparation: I didn t do that much academic preparation. I had to send my Academic transcript and my VWO grading list to the Uni of Adelaide. Besides that I searched on the Adelaide Uni website which courses appealed to me and which my home university would give permission for. But you don t know which courses are available until you arrive in Adelaide so in your first week there, you can choose which courses you want to follow and which are available to you. Language preparation: I had to do a TOEFL test to get accepted and a minimum score to get accepted to follow Psychology courses. With some preparation the TOEFL test it is quite easy to get a good grade, but it is really expensive though. Plus: do it in time because dates to take the test are limited and it takes 2

17 weeks orso before you get your score! Finances: Since I already knew for a long time that I wanted to go abroad some day I saved up some money. Besides that I had the OV-refund + DUO support (studiefinanciering) and some financial support of my parents. But don t underestimate it; Australia is expensive! Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): Like I said before, I searched on the Website of Adelaide Uni which courses were provided and which sounded interesting to me before leaving. But in the orientation week I could see which were available and which courses I could combine in my schedule. The staff at Adelaide Uni is very helpful if you have any questions or don t understand something. Academic quality of education/placement activities: It depends on the courses you take what the academic level is. Overall I can say that the level is lower compared with the university of Utrecht. Adelaide Uni feels more informale and there are more small tutorials with discussions than actual lectures. Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: Everyone is really helpful. If you have any questions or problems there is always someone who is willing to help you out or send you to someone else who can help you. Transfer of credits: Transfer of credits was really easy. Adelaide uni sends your grades to Utrecht were you only have to pick up your academic transcript at the international office and bring it to your STIP (study information point). One thing; it takes a while before the transcript arrives in Utrecht. Student life Welcome/orientation programme: The orientation week was a good combination of fun and practical information. They organised a lot of fun activities like, going to pearl harbour, wild life park, parties, bbq s etc. Because of that I made a lot of friends during that week who were still friends at the end of the semester. Besides fun there were also al lot of practical lectures about the enrolment of courses, life in Adelaide, participating in (sports)clubs, activities, housing, costs of living etc. It was a really informative and fun week! You definitely have to attend this week. Accommodation: I didn t arrange an accommodation beforehand. I stayed at the contemporary accommodation, the hospital, offered by the university for the first week. It s a horrible place but just fine for one week to find something else. It s close to the uni and there are a lot of other international students who are looking for a room. During the orientation week and also after that there are a lot of possibilities to find a good accommodation. The biggest adventage of searching for housing at destination is the fact that you can find a cheaper than the accommodation offered by the university (urbanest). Besides that, you can choose your housemates and where you want to live. It might sound a little bit scary going there without a permanent place to stay but there are lots of people who can help you and are also searching, everyone managed to find good accommodation! I

18 found an accommodation during the orientation week where I met a swedisch and finnish girl who were still looking for a third housemate at UV apartments really clean, nice and central place close by the uni! Leisure/culture: There are many (sport) clubs that you can join. During the orientation week they will be presented. I joined the mountainclub, which organises really nice (and cheap) trips, for example to flinders range which was the most awesome trip! They also organise surf trips and other events you can join. Besides that I joined the volleybal club and runningclub which are both really cheap to join. You are really free to decide wheather you want to attend a training or not. Almost all clubs are really easygoing so you can always just join once to see if you like it or not. Definitely join one to meet people and having fun! ESN (the international students organisation) organises a lot of trips, activities, parties and events for international students for a really good price! Really really good and so much fun! Suggestions/tips: Make sure you join a club and attend a lot of the trips/events ESN organises! Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Definitely! Adelaide may not be as popular as Sydney or Melbourne but it s and underestimated place. It has so much to offer; it has beautiful vineyards, beaches, parcs, closeby the outback for amazing trips, transport is easy and cheap, nice people and the university is perfectly arranged! I had an amazing time! Do you have any additional advice or comments?: Save up enough money so you don t have to care too much about that and can make the best out of it!! Make a lot of trips and just enjoy your time because time flies! It s over before you know it. And definitely travel through Australia and other countries (new Zealand) after your semester! I have so much more to tell and suggest you so please feel free to contact me! (ask the international office for my contact details) Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht +31-(0) exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

19 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: Faculty of social sciences Level: X bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Psychology Destination city & country Adelaide, Australia Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange X study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. Preparation Exchange/placement application process: I didn t originally apply for the University of Adelaide. When I received the denials of my first choices, I immediately looked if there were any rest spots. Because I really wanted to go to Australia, I decided pretty fast to apply for the spot in Adelaide a decision I will never regret. I don t think the application process is too much work. Counselling/support at home university: I received really good support (Thanks for that!). Everything went smoothly from the application process to the transfer of my grades. Academic preparation: I didn t do a lot of academic preparation. I had a look at the courses the University of Adelaide offers and which one I could pick. There were not a lot of psychology courses left (cause I already had some of them in Utrecht), so I also picked courses from other degrees. I would recommend doing that because you can pick first level courses and learn something completely different and new. I also signed up for the tutorials. Language preparation: I needed to hand in an English certification. I did the IELTS test in Germany, which went well. Finances: Australia is a very expensive country. In the 6 months I have been there, I probably spent double as much as I would spend in the Netherlands. Rent is really expensive (I paid around 500 Euro a month) and is paid per week. If you have a good look in the supermarkets you don t necessarily need to pay a lot more than in the Netherlands. However travelling is a very expensive (but a

20 must-do) thing. I saved a lot of money and my parents could give me a lot as well. Working in Australia is good paid though. You could earn around 20$ per hour. I was thinking about working in Adelaide, however if you are there once, you have so many things to do and see and no time for work. Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): I actually enjoyed the non-psychology courses a little bit more than the psychology courses. All in all I was happy with what I picked. The courses were well organised. You could still change courses in the first couple of weeks (which I didn t do, so I am not too sure about that). Academic quality of education/placement activities: I think the academic organization is kind of the same in Adelaide as in Utrecht. I had tutorials and lectures in all of my 4 courses. I needed to write either essays, practical reports or do a presentation in all courses (2 in each). I had to do 3 exams, which went well. I think I studied a bit less than in Utrecht (but that s also because of the great relaxed atmosphere in Australia :P) Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: There was a lot of support available at the University of Adelaide. If you have any problems you can always go to an International Office. Transfer of credits: I looked for courses I wanted to choose and sent them to the Examenscommissie of my faculty before leaving the Netherlands. They needed to have a look at them to transfer the courses and grades into Osiris after my return. I took two Psychology courses (level 3) and two other courses from philosophy and gender studies (level 1), all were accepted from the Examenscommissie. Student life Welcome/orientation programme: The orientation week started quite early. I made some new friends during that time. However the programme was not too usefull. The last day of the orientation week there was a trip to a national park and harbour organised which was really cool. Accommodation: The first week I spent in a hospital with a lot of international students. I met my first friends there. If you go there, don t expect too much from the hospital. It s not a hotel. Doesn t has a big kitchen or free Wifi (you can log into the University s wifi though). I thought it was fine to spend there the first nights. I had my own bedroom and a shared bathroom. You can furthermore explore the city and university quite good as the hospital is directly near the uni. I looked for a room in Adelaide when I arrived. That was a little harder than expected but I did find a room in my first week. I was looking for a shared student house. However the first couple of rooms I visited were either in a bad state or it was a room available in a family house. During my last days I found a really nice house in a suburb in Adelaide (between the beach and the city). I had 4 other students as housemates, who became good friends of mine. One of them was an Australian girl, the others were internationals. I enjoyed looking for a room when I arrived in Adelaide. I do know some people who looked for a room before they arrived in Adelaide which is good as well. There were some student appartments on North Terrace which is a really good location. I also had some friends who stayed

21 in Urbanest. I didn t want to go there, because I thought (and still think) it is way too expensive and I was afraid it could be kind of a controlled atmosphere. This is not the case though. The staff is really relaxed, we almost hang out at Urbanest every night. The rooms and especially kitchen were not as nice as expected and kind of dirty. The room I found was the best I could get. I would definitely do the same thing again. I loved my house and housemates. I do had to ride the bike for about 30 minutes to the uni and city. Leisure/culture: Adelaide and whole Australia is such a nice and friendly country. I experienced so many kind situations especially in my first time when I didn t had a clue how the busses were driving or where I needed to go. There was always some stranger helping. The people are relaxed and you should just go with it and don t be stressed it will all be alright in the end. There are a lot of sport activities possible. I joined a running club, organized from Nike. Every Tuesday and Thursday a lot of people met in the city and took a run through Adelaide. There are also a lot of nice bars and clubs! And a lot of nice things around Adelaide to do, as the Wine valleys. But also Adelaide has some beautiful parks. You should just grab your bike and take a tour you will fall in love with Adelaide. Suggestions/tips: Don t think too much about the money. It will be a really expensive Semester.. but also the time of your life. Go travelling as much as you can! I saw so many things. I feel like I have seen almost everything I wanted to see from Australia (there is always more to see of course). Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Yes. I love Adelaide. I will definitely come back. I made so many friends from all over the world. Australia is such an impressive country. You will learn a lot about yourself, make new friends, experience a lovely country and have a relaxed half a year (or year) if you want to. Do you have any additional advice or comments?: Go abroad!:) Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht +31-(0) exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

22 UU Study Abroad Report Form Faculty/college: Social Sciences Level: X bachelor master PhD other Name degree programme: Sociology Destination city & country Adelaide, Australia Name host institution and/or company/organisation University of Adelaide Purpose of exchange X study/courses work placement field work other Departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 16/07/2014 Return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 20/01/2015 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. Preparation Exchange/placement application process: This was all very straightforward, just a couple of days after we applied for Adelaide, we heard we could go. Counselling/support at home university: I have been to the pre-departure meeting, but you really have to figure the whole process out by yourself. Academic preparation: None Language preparation: None Finances: DUO Max loan Total Savings + 200per month parents + public transport fee Study/placement abroad period Study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues): I had 4 courses, which is the equivalent of 30 ECTS, which were all given simultaneously. I had lectures and tutorials every day, but some days were longer than others. Interestingly, all tutorials and lectures were only 1 hour. Academic quality of education/placement activities: It is very comparable to Utrecht. I found that the year1 courses I had in Adelaide were easier, but

23 that was just because I was already in my fourth year before going to Adelaide. Expect more hours of colleges/tutorials, but I found this amount to be perfect for me. Counselling/support at host institution/organisation: Adelaide was very helpful towards their international students, a lot of effort was put in the welcoming programme and if you had a problem, they were more than willing to help you. Transfer of credits: 30ECTS Student life Welcome/orientation programme: First week was chaotic for me, but very well organized by the university. You have to arrange so many things that we did not even go out or have a party in the first week of the programme. They organized welcome lectures, BBQs and a tour through the city etc. Accommodation: I did not stay at campus, for 580 euros a month I thought this was way too expensive. My budget was also not able to cope with that high price. After just 1 week, me and a friend found a nice house for 400 euros a month which was actually close to the beach and had internet included (something campus did not). Leisure/culture: Good bars and small clubs Friendly people The sea Coffee culture Suggestions/tips: Do not immediately settle down in Campus, it is an absolute rip off. Also, the hospital-hotel they offer in the first week when you arrive is very expensive and is not nice at all, you might be better off staying at a hostel paying less than the 200 dollars they charge for the room in the hospital. Conclusions Would you recommend this host organisation/destination to others? Please explain: Definitely, it was the best experience in my life. All the things I typed here do no justice to the enthusiasm I have when speaking about the exchange period. Do you have any additional advice or comments?: If you are still in doubt, don't be. Contact details Student Services / International Office Visitors address: Bestuursgebouw, Heidelberglaan 6, Utrecht +31-(0) exchange@qdesk.uu.nl (information) / verslagen.internationaloffice@uu.nl (report)

24 Experience story Adelaide. To give you the best possible view on my experience in Adelaide I will tell you something briefly about 3 things: The city and its surroundings, studying and the fun I had with the people I met over there. The city. Adelaide is a beautiful city with amazing parks, ok public transfer, clean streets and more bars then you can count. However, it is also the city young couples go to with their first born children because of the atmosphere. It is safe, and very relaxed. So if you want to party all week long, I recommend looking for another city such as Melbourne or Sydney. Adelaide is a little cheaper then the 2 mentioned above, but if you are going to Australia as a Dutchy its going to be expensive anyway.. Studying in Adelaide: My opinion was that the level of courses was a little lower, but the amount of time that you have to spend on assignments and quizzes is more. The funny thing is that I didn t found this annoying or anything. Because you will not have that many social obligations. Such as sports, roommates, parents etc. You will find that the extra time you have to do on assignments is really easy to schedule in your agenda. Furthermore, the guidance that you will receive from Uni is really good. If your into history, take the course: Revolutions in Modern Europe. The lecturer that I had was amazing! And if you like entrepreneurship take part in the echallange. You get the change to set up your own business together with experts in the area that you want to start in. After 10 workshops you have to present your business plan. A really cool experience! Fun stuff to do: The surroundings of Adelaide are beautiful and there is lots of stuff to do. There is the wine area called: the Barossa Valley. You can do an amazing hike to the top of Mount Lofty with at the top a breathtaking view over the city. Surf at Seaford or any other of the surf spots and enrol at any of the sports that the Uni has to offer. Besides the fact that you can do all sorts of cool stuff, the most valuable aspect of my exchange was the people I have met from all over the world. For example, I now have friends in Norway and Brazil. The people that I have met made up for the fact that Adelaide is not the party city I thought it would be. And make sure you make amazing trips while you re in Aussie! The amazing landscape and nice people make it a perfect place to spent 6 months (or more!).

25 UU Study Abroad Report Form faculty/college level name degree programme Humanities Bachelor History destination city & country Adelaide, Australia name host institution and/or University of Adelaide company/organization purpose of exchange Study/courses departure date (dd/mm/yyyy) 14/7/2014 return date (dd/mm/yyyy) 7/1/2015 You are requested to write on the following topics. Text boxes will expand automatically while typing. preparation exchange/placement application process How I ended up going to Adelaide was a little weird, after my first three choices were not possible I randomly selected it from the places that were still available in March. Communication with the university was very slow, which was a little bit annoying because their semester started way earlier than ours. All worked out in the end, but don t freak out if your application takes longer to process than they initially stated (they are dealing with a lot of exchange students). It was not difficult to apply, but there were many little annoying steps and a lot of waiting. counselling/support at home university I liked the pre-departure meeting and the contact with the regional adviser. I could always reach her by if I had a question. academic preparation None, I went mainly for the experience and the courses all counted for my free choice courses, therefore I did not need to prepare anything. The courses turned out to be the same level as back home, only there was a lot more guidance from the university. I hardly doubt exchange students would encounter any difficulties that they could not work out with the University of Adelaide. language preparation I was lucky enough to have acquired my CAE and CPE whilst in high school, so language preparation was not necessary. Finances Always wanting to go abroad I had saved up a nice sum of money before I went. You absolutely need that when going to Australia; it is ridiculously expensive. study/placement abroad period study programme/work plan (concerning content and organisational issues) I picked courses that sounded nice to me from their syllabus. You can do that before you go, but you can even arrange it on the spot whilst you are there. If there is any overlap or if there are any issues the staff of the university is very happy to help you find a solution. academic quality of education/placement activities The education seemed a little easier to me, mainly because Australians help you with everything. While is Utrecht you have to figure most things out yourself, in Adelaide they were very laid back and checked upon you to make page 1 of 2