GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE EXPERIENCE REPORT
Please write this report in English
The student report will be published on the:
 Study Abroad website (under “Experiences” from partner universities)
 "Study Abroad Information" TiSEM Blackboard page (course code FEBSAI)
 TiSEM students’ exchange blog
 Liberal Arts and Sciences students’ blogs
Please let us know if you do not want your report to be published.
ANR: 527304
Name: Jolijn Verhagen
E-mail: j.j.a.verhagen@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: 1
Fall 2014
Academic year: 2014-2015
Host University: Macquarie University
Country: Australia
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
My exchange university, located in Sydney, was named Macquarie University. Sydney is an
amazing, dynamic city where there is always something fun to do. The city centre, with the
Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, is beautiful. And even after half a year I continued to
discover the most beautiful small spots that had amazing views of the city. I think you can
never get bored of Sydney because it is so big and has so many amazing secret spots. Also
there are all these areas which make you feel like you are in a different city, for example
Chinatown.
My university was located in the west side of Sydney. I think that the only big disadvantage of
the university is the location because to get to the city centre it takes 40 minutes by train.
The campus has really beautiful green surroundings with a big lake where you can easily
study when the sun is out (which is almost always). Compared to Tilburg University the size of
the campus is a lot bigger with more buildings. There is a really good sport centre located on
campus and there is also a café located in the middle.
If you want to go out for dinner you should go to a nice restaurant which has student deals
located near the student housing location called ‘’The Village’’. But if you want to have a nice
meal and you have enough money then I would say that The Rocks is a really nice area
where you can have a nice, not too expensive, dinner. I also recommend going to ‘’Pancakes
on the Rocks’’ which is located in the Rocks. They serve amazing pancakes which are
especially good after having a night out in the city, because this restaurant is open all day and
night.
Having a drink and going out in the city is always fun, because there are so many places to
go. I would advise Scary Canary or Scubar, which are both real backpacker bars. Scubar is
especially fun on Mondays. You have to go to Ivy on a Thursday night, this is a really fancy
club in the middle of Sydney with a swimming pool. On Thursday night it is free entry! And if
you want to experience an even better club with really good DJ’s you should go to Marquee,
although the entry fee is sometimes really high. Closer to University you have a bar called
‘’The Ranch’’. This bar is basically the bar every student living on campus goes to every
Wednesday. Also on Thursdays there is a big party at uBar every two weeks, also located on
campus.
The interesting things to see in Sydney are of course the Opera House, Botanical Gardens
and the Harbour Bridge. But there are also really nice areas like The Rocks and Surry Hills
that are definitely worth visiting. In my experience, the best way to see the city is to just walk
around and discover places by yourself.
The biggest difference between Macquarie University and Tilburg University is the size. With
almost 40.000 students Macquarie is a lot bigger than Tilburg University, which has only
14.000 students. Macquarie has a lot of international students, around 12.000 students are
international which creates a really dynamic campus. The study structure is almost the same,
although there are more assignments at Macquarie compared to Tilburg University. But the
exams are a bit easier than they are in Tilburg and also they are of less importance because
a big part of your grades are the assignments.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
I received the pre-arrival information really late. I think it was only 6 weeks before I was
travelling to Sydney that I received my important papers and my official invitation to study at
Macquarie University. Apart from that everything was regulated really well, with an exchange
coordinator at the University that I could email at anytime.
Visa procedure and arrival
At the time I finally got my official papers from Macquarie University I could arrange my Visa.
This was really easy and only took me around 40 minutes. I received my visa 3 days after I
applied for it. My visa was pretty expensive, although I no longer remember the exact price, I
think it was around 300 euros.
After a really long flight my arrival was organized really well. I applied for a free university
shuttle bus from the airport which took me all the way home. So by the time I arrived at the
airport there was already someone waiting for me who drove me to my new house where I
was immediately welcomed by the staff from where I was going to live.
The reception at the University was really helpful and I could always ask my study abroad
advisor for help. Administration for subjects went really smoothly and I did not encounter any
problems.
Orientation/Introduction activities
When I was at home I received an email with the information about an introduction weekend.
You could choose between a surf weekend or a trip to the Blue Mountains. I chose the surf
weekend and this was the definitely one of my best decisions. The surf trip was amazing and
gave me the real Aussie feeling. I met almost all of my friends at surf camp, so this was a
really good start of the semester. After this weekend there was an orientation organized by
the university which was full of trips to the beach, zoo and also some parties. In the same
week there was also an introduction from my housing which I went to mostly with the friends I
made at surf camp. I did not have a buddy at the university.
Housing
For accommodation you have two main choices. You could choose to live in ‘’Macquarie
University Village,’’ which is accommodation on campus. You could also choose to live in the
city or at one of the beaches. I applied to live in The Village whilst I was still at home which I
do not regret. A lot of exchange students live in The Village and so did most of my friends.
The big disadvantage is that the campus is quite far out of the city centre. The prices of living
in the city are similar to the prices of living in The Village.
Living Costs
If you want to live in Australia you will have to save some money because it is just really
expensive. I also traveled a lot during spring break and after my semester which also was a
lot of money but totally worth it. I borrowed some money from my parents to pay for all of it
and I was lucky enough to still receive my money from work at home without working.
The living expenses in Sydney are really high compared to Tilburg. I spent most of my money
on my rent and travelling. I would advise future students to save a lot of money for travelling
because Australia and New Zealand, which I also visited, are beautiful countries. But I would
also advise to just go out and have a really good time while your living in Sydney.
Please outline your approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange:
 Housing = 800 Euro
 Food = 200 Euro
 Transport = 50 Euro, I got 50% off my transport because I was an exchange student.
 Books= I only bought one book for 50 Euro.
 Miscellaneous = 150 Euro
 Traveling = around 3000 Euro
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date & introductory week
Arrival date: 19th of July
Start introductory week: 25th of July
 First day of the semester?
4th of August
 Last day of classes?
7th of November
 Mid-term break? 22 September – 5 October
 Examination period? 17 November – 5 December
 Any special events? No
The International Office
There is an international office located at the University. Everyone has an exchange
coordinator who is working at the international office. They provided me with enough
information and I could always walk by and ask questions.
Exchange promotion
I talked about Tilburg University to other students.
Social Activities
 Which social activities are organized by the university/students for exchange students?
There are special events for exchange students, but mostly the events that are organized are
for every student. The surf camp weekend at the beginning of the semester was especially for
exchange students and also some of the introduction activities were only for exchange
students.
 Is there a student organization for international student?
I did not really look into this because I do not think you need it because you already have a lot
to do.
 Did you have contact with local students?
Yes with some that were living on campus as well. But mostly I had contact with other
exchange students because they also want to travel and discover the city more.
 Did you have contact with other exchange students?
Yes we had a big close group of exchange students that were mostly living in The Village.
Within this group I made a couple of really close friends who I will definitely see somewhere in
the future and I still have a lot of contact with.
 Did you travel to other places/countries during your exchange?
I traveled the East Coast of Australia and of course some places around Sydney. I also
traveled to New Zealand, which is absolutely beautiful. So if you have time you should
definitely visit New Zealand.
Culture and Language
 Did you experience culture shock while on exchange?
Because of the similar culture I did not experience any culture shock.
 How would you compare your host culture to your own culture?
The only difference between the cultures of Australia and Holland is that Australia is more
laidback.
 What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange?
I learned that the Dutch are really direct and just say what they think. Most of my friends really
appreciated this, but my American friends, in particular, were the opposite.
 What was different about your host culture than you expected?
I did not experience anything different to what I expected.
 How would you describe your host country’s culture?
I really liked the culture in Australia. If I would have to describe it in a couple of words I would
say: laidback, relaxed, social and outgoing.
 What did you like and not like about your host culture?
What I liked the most about the culture is that everyone was so polite and always willing to
have a chat with you. What I really learned from their culture and I think was really good for
me was the no worries mentality, it’s gonna be alright. What I disliked about the culture and
other cultures as well is that they are always half an hour late. But after a while I got used to
this and knew that I could be late as well.
 Do you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to
learn more?
I do not know if you can learn that much because it is so similar. I would like to learn more
about the Australian culture but I did not have the chance to visit the outback of Australia
where I think you really experience the Australian culture.
 If you travelled to other cities/countries during your exchange, were they different than
your host city/country, and how?
I travelled the whole East Coast of Australia which was really beautiful. It was also really
touristic and I especially advise visiting Byron Bay for as long as possible because this is
absolutely my favorite town with its laidback surfer attitude. I also visited New Zealand which
is even more beautiful than Australia but less touristic.
 Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
No not at all.
 Did you follow language courses during your exchange?
No
 Did you follow the Erasmus Intensive Language Course?
No
Personal Development
 How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social point
of view?
I really learned a lot from different cultures and my cultural perspective has grown. I also
learned a lot about myself. Although I was already really social I think it still improved this
because of the fact that you are all on your own in the beginning and in the end your going
home with a couple of more best friends.
 How do you think the exchange experience will influence your future career possibilities?
I think it definitely has had a positive influence on my future career because my English
improved a lot. Before my exchange I was afraid to talk in English while I’m now so
comfortable with it.
 What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange?
I learned that every culture is different but that it does not matter where you come from
because real friendships can cross borders.
 Would you do things differently if you had the chance, and what would you do differently?
No
 What was your best experience, and what was your worst experience?
I can’t really say what my best experience is because I have so many. If I would have to
choose I would say travelling the East Coast and traveling through New Zealand. But I think
the whole exchange was one big highlight because of all the amazing people I met and just
the normal life you’re living there with your new friends. For example, I also just loved the
days that we just went to the beach all day with friends and had so much fun or going to
parties and coming home at 7 in the morning.
I did not really have a worst experience. If I would have to say something it would be that I
came home after partying and found a really big spider in my room.
 What will you never forget about your exchange period?
All the amazing friends I made and the most beautiful things I saw in Australia and New
Zealand.
 What was the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange
period?
I think that you just have to do it. If you are doubting all the time you’re going nowhere. You
just have to go for it and it will turn out to be amazing.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
 In what language(s) are the courses offered at a partner university?
English
 Did you follow any courses taught in the language of the host country?
Yes because they were only in English
 Which courses did you take and why?
Cross-cultural Management – I thought it would be interesting to study this subject because I
was on an exchange with all kind of different cultures.
International Finance – My major in Tilburg is Finance and I thought it would be interesting to
see how it was studied in Australia
Macroeconomic analysis – Because I liked to expand my general economics knowledge.
Microeconomic analysis – Because I liked to expand my general economics knowledge.
 Which courses would you recommend?
I thought Microeconomic analysis and cross-cultural management were really interesting. I
learned a lot from cross-cultural management because I had to write a lot of essays.
 How would compare the academic level at your host university to the academic level at
Tilburg University (e.g.: level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English,
workload, etc.)?
The workload in Australia is a bit higher during the semester because you have more essays
and for some subjects I had midterm exams. The level in the lectures is the same, but the
exams are easier than in Tilburg. Also your final exam does not count that much because you
already did a lot of other grades.
 Is the teaching style primarily practical or theoretical?
The teaching style is the same as in Tilburg, mostly theoretical.
 What teaching method is practiced by the host university: case studies, group work,
seminars or lectures (or a mix)?
For every subject you have a lecture and a tutorial each week. The tutorials are obligatory,
the lectures you do not have to go to. I had some group work but not a lot, mostly I had to
write essays on my own.
 How would you describe the relationship between the students and the teaching staff?
It is more informal than at Tilburg University.
 In general, were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange?
Yes
Exams
 What types of exams did you have to sit?
Midterms, essays and end exams.
Other
 Can students easily access the library and its resources?
Yes although the library has computers where you cannot save anything which is really
annoying. There is a lot of space, although with exams it is really busy and you have to get
there early to get a spot.
 Were there public computers available on campus/in university buildings?
Yes in the library and in other buildings as well. But as I said you can not save anything on
them so it is easier to bring your own laptop because they have a lot of charging spots.
Description of Courses
Please list all courses you have taken at a partner university in the form below:
 Course title and code
 Course level (BA/MA)
 Prerequisites, if any
 Form of exam
 ECTS credits you have obtained in total:
 Comments: Relevance, Difficult/easy, Practical/theoretical, Enrolment problems
Example:
Course name:
Prereq.
as
Econ360 International Finance None
Econ203 Microeconomics analysis None
Econ204 Macroeconomics analysis None
BBA340 crosscultural management None
ECTS for every subject were 7.5
Exam
Major at BI
Approved
Written
Written
Written
Written
Finance Elective Yes
Economics elective yes
Economics elective yes
Extra
Yes
Tips for the future students:
 Would you recommend an exchange period?
I think everyone should do it because it is an amazing experience.
 Would you recommend your host university?
Yes definitely, they really try to make you feel comfortable. And of course the fact that it is in
Australia is amazing.
 What should prospective students absolutely not forget before going on exchange?
Arranging housing, this really relieved me of a lot of stress.
 How can they better prepare before going on exchange to this destination?
You can never really prepare for going on an exchange. Just go for it and especially in the
beginning try to go to a lot of social events.
 Was there anything you should have arranged before departure that you haven’t?
No
A picture is worth a thousand words
New Zealand
New Years in Sydney
Blue Mountains, Sydney
A night at the bar on campus, Sydney
Whitsundays, Eastcoast Australia
Contact details:
Can the International Relations Office share your e-mail address with prospective exchange
students, so that other students could contact you for more information?
Yes