Experience Report – Sylwia Smosarska – University of Western
Australia
Name: Sylwia Smosarska
E-mail: s.smosarska@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: Semester 2, 2015
Academic year: 2014-2015
Host University: University of Western Australia
Country: Australia
TOPIC: Admission, arrival, housing
How was your arrival organized? Did someone pick you up from the airport/station?
The University of Western Australia offers an airport pick up service from Perth Airport for incoming
exchange students. The service was free, and they are offering to drop you off at every location you
want, whether that is the University accommodation, or a self-chosen hostel.
Was an orientation or introduction activity organized?
We got a mentor assigned, who was also a University Student. She told us about the working ways of
UWA and the things we have to complete before the semester officially started. There were lots of
activities organized which we were obliged to attend, in order o get to know the University, the
lecture theatres etc. There were also voluntary activities, which needed to be paid, such as a
Waterpark, a city tour, shopping malls etc. The university put a lot of effort to make us feel at home,
and get to know the other exchange students. There were also some welcome parties.
How was accommodation organized? Does the university provide you with accommodation? What
kind of accommodation does the university provide? Did you have to book your accommodation in
advance or did you have to search for a place to live after you arrived?
The University provides the students with accommodation. There are 5 colleges in which you can be
situated. The problem with this though, is that it’s relatively expensive (400 dollar a week), and you
have to apply for it really early in order to get a spot.
When you choose for a private shared house, you can search for it already while being in the
Netherlands, and arrange some meetings after arriving. It can be advised to arrive one week earlier
though, and look for accommodation from your hostel, just to be safe. It is relatively easy to find a
private house, and the prices are lower. I personally paid 200 dollars a week, but you can get a room
from 120 on already.
TOPIC: Location of university/city Please describe the city you lived in. Where is the university located
in the city? What is the best place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? What are interesting
things to see and do in your host city? What was different than in Tilburg?
The University of Western Australia is situated in Perth, one of Australia’s biggest cities. It is relatively
new and small compared to cities such as Melbourne and Sydney though. It is a diverse, multicultural city, full with backpackers, students and working holiday people. You get to know tons of
different cultures and nationalities, and the city has everything you need (beaches, nightclubs, cafes,
malls etc.). The University is located next to the biggest people in the world, Kings Park, which is the
city’s biggest pride. It is located 10 minutes from the Central Business District, and 15 minutes from
the beaches. The river is next to the campus, which offers you a beautiful place to study after and
between classes.
There are different places to club, and every day there’s a different suburb where everyone goes to.
If you want to meet a lot of international people, Northbridge is definitely the place to be in the
weekends. When you want to meet more locals, you can better spend your nights in Subiaco on
Wednesday, or Claremont on Thursdays. Every Tuesday there is a backpacker’s night at the Hip-E
Club in Leederville, where you get a free meal and a free drink, and where you can meet a lot of
exchange students.
Fremantle , the old part of the city is definitely something you have to visit while being there, and
definitely make sure to check the Cottlestoe and Scarborough beach during sunrise.
TOPIC: Academics
Which courses did you take?
I took the following courses at UWA:
-
International Commercial Law
-
Crime and Society
-
Evolution of Human Rights
-
Australian Legal Principles
Which courses would you recommend?
I would definitely recommend the Australian Legal Principles course. The teachers are very strict, and
this is the course which requires the most effort, but it is definitely worth doing for a law student.
You get to know a whole different law system, compared to the European Law, and the way in which
it is taught really challenges you, and introduces you to the Australian History. It really adds a lot to
the whole experience of an exchange in Australia.
What did the courses add to your program at Tilburg University?
It taught me a whole different approach to the law system, since Australia is using the common law
system, while the Netherlands use the civil law system.
Since in the Netherlands „Rechtsgeleerdheid’ consists of only Dutch Students, working in an
international environment with students all over the world, it teaches you a whole different
approach to team work and the act of studying.
How does the university compare to Tilburg University concerning the level of the courses, use of
extra material, level of English, workload, etc.?
The level of courses and workload is comparable to the courses in the Netherlands. The only thing
that made it harder was the constant use of English, and the translation of legal terms in English. It is
an English speaking country, so the level of English is extremely high, especially for students from a
mostly Dutch course. The students are more engaged in the tutorials though, since every time a little
presentation had to be given in every course. This is not the case in my courses in the Netherlands.
Overall, were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange?
I finished all my courses with a distinction, and an average that is higher than the one I had in the
Netherlands. All my papers were at least graded on 80% and my theses is still in the process of being
published. I can therefore state, that overall, I am happy with the academic achievements from this
exchange.
Please describe the campus of your host university
The UWA campus is absolutely stunning, and it is really and once in a lifetime experience to study
there. It takes at least 20 minutes to walk from one part of the campus to the other, and it is a great
mixture of old beautiful building, and modern architecture. It is located in a great area right next to
the river, and the river is on walking distance from every building.
TOPIC Social life
Which social activities organized by the university or students?
The University itself did not organize a lot of activities. The most activities were organized by student
organizations such as `Leisure` and `Perth International`. There were mostly parties, pub-crawls, and
quizzes. A lot of activities were also organized by the colleges where the people slept in.
Did you have contact with local students? Did you have contact with other exchange students? How
did you get along with the local students and other exchange students?
During the first welcome party, I met a Dutch guy, who has lived in Australia all his life, and we
became pretty close friends. Through him I got invited to a lot of parties at his house, where I met a
lot of local people. Otherwise I would have mostly spent my time with other exchange students,
since the tutorials and lectures, and the most parties at the University were full with exchange
students.
I could get along pretty well with everyone, all though there were some difficulties because of the
different cultures and nationalities. Especially with the Italian and French people, since I could not
understand their English most of the time, because of the accent.
Did you travel to other places/countries during your exchange?
During the Easter Break I flew to Hong Kong, because of the mandatory study trip which was part of
Outreaching.
During the weekends we visited a lot of national parks and places along the West Coast such as
Margaret River, Serpentine Falls etc.
In the end of my exchange period, I travelled the East Coast for 3 weeks, from Sydney to Cairns, and
ended my trip with a 2 week holiday in Bali.
TOPIC: Living costs
How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg
University?
I financed my exchange period with the normal DUO grant, my savings, and some help from my
parents. Everything in Australia is extremely expensive, and you can expect your expenses to be 3
times as high as they would have been in Tilburg.
What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? What did you spend most of your
money on? What would you advice future students to spend their money on?
My expenses are like stated before, much higher than they would have been in Tilburg. I spent 800
dollars a month for rent, 200 dollar a month for food and drinks, and around 200 dollar a month for
parties.
I would advise future students to pre drink at home, and get into clubs before 10. The entrance fee is
than limited, but the drinks will be still horribly expensive (8 dollar a beer).
By staying in a shared house instead of the colleges you can save money for travelling, instead of
overpaying rent, and the best thing is to get vegetables and fruits at the Subiaco markets in the
weekends, cook for yourself, and buy food in the specials from Coles and Woolworths.
TOPIC: Culture
Did you experience culture shock while on exchange? How would you compare your host culture to
your own culture? What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange? What was different
about your host culture than you expected? What did you like and not like about your host culture?
Do you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to learn more?
How would you describe your host countries culture? If you travelled to other cities/countries during
your exchange, were they different than your host city/country, and how?
I cannot say that I really experienced a culture shock, since Australia is a western country with a lot of
European influences. After spending 6 months there, it definitely feels like a second home. The fact
that the people are way more friendly and welcoming helps this process. I was invited to a lot of
parties, and introduced to all their friends.
The thing that I could not really adapt to myself was the whole laid-back culture. It is great to
experience, but when you really want to get things done, it can be really stressful. I had a lot of open
book exams for example, with no pre-scribed textbooks. Whenever approaching a teacher about this
issue, the answer was always „No worries, everything will be fine“. Since I am not used to such an
approach, I had some issues to deal with this.
The differences within Australia are huge too. The east coast is way more chilled and laid back than
the west coast. In the west coast people are more keen to achieve things, while the east coast is
mostly about the chilled „surfers style“. At the east coast I could also experience the real Aboriginal
culture, by going on an Aboriginal camp. The influences of the Aboriginal culture are still visible and
remarkable everywhere around Australia, so experiencing that part of the country’s history really
added to the real culture experience too.
TOPIC: Personal Development
What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange? Would you do things differently if
you had the chance and what would you do differently? What was your best experience, and what
was your worst experience? What will you remember forever about your exchange period? What was
the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange period?
The change you go through during an exchange is amazing. You learn to deal with all the problems
yourself, rely on yourself, and solve problems in a creative way. By getting to know a lot of people
from different countries, and encountering their ways of viewing life, you really get to know yourself,
and what is important in life. You will definitely learn to value life, and what you have in life more
and you will be more open and understanding to other people. You will learn to interact with
everyone and not to judge before speaking to someone. Australians teach you the small talk, and
sometimes you end up finding friends for life at a bus stop (happened to me haha!). You will
definitely become more confident and interested in the world and people around you and these
small changes eventually define you in life.
The people I met, and the places I visited, I will treasure for life, and Australia with its people will
definitely be as a second home for me. If I could go back, and do it all over again, I am 100 % sure I
would not change a thing.
TOPIC: Tips for future students would you recommend an exchange period?
Would you recommend your host university? What should prospective students bring with
them/leave behind? What preparation is required for going on exchange to this destination? Was
there anything you should have done in preparation that you didn’t do?
An exchange is something that you will never forget, ever in your life, and I can say that this was
literally the best time of my life. Getting out of your comfort zone, encountering new things,
experiencing new problems that you have to deal with by yourself, is definitely something that
changes you for life, in a positive way. Every exchange has it´s ups and downs, but the positive things
definitely outweigh the negative ones.
The University of Western Australia can be definitely recommended, and it definitely makes your
exchange period complete. It is a beautiful campus, and the education level is excellent. The same
counts for the facilities.
By studying there, you get also enough travel opportunities, that make you encounter the real
Australian way of living, and makes your experience unforgettable!
TOPIC Pictures
Swan River Perth
Mexicana University Party
Cottlestoe Beach
Rottnest Island
Lancelin Sand dunes
International Party
Serpentine Falls
Kings Park View
Sydney Opera House
Bleu Mountains
Rainbow Beach
Champagne Rocks Fraser Islands
Great Barrier Reef
Rainforrest Cairns
Farewell Party
UWA Winthropp Hall (Graduation Building)