Sydney Life

So, I finally got the magic letter.
The letter I’d been waiting and waiting for.
The letter *drum roll* was to say that I was officially going on exchange to the University of Ottawa, Canada, next semester!

I received the news just hours before my final exam for the semester, Media Law and Ethics, and spent the remaining time leading up to the exam unable to concentrate on Kant or Mill or theories of the fourth estate. All I could think about was the sweet escape!

I have been dreaming about exchange since I was in high school - it is something I’ve always wanted to do and something that I knew I had to try.

If you’ve ever thought about exchange, my main advice would be to start thinking about the application process as early in your degree as possible. I applied in September last year, and I’d been thinking seriously about going since the January before. I was silly enough to miss the cut-off deadline for first semester exchange last year, and so the most important thing to remember is that you’ll need to keep on top of the organisational side of things if you’re serious about heading OS.

But don’t let that put you off! The first stop if you want to find out more is to go to one of the exchange information sessions that get held regularly. Click here to find out dates and locations of the next session.

After that, you can visit the Exchange Office, which is all the way down the other end of campus, past the Aquatic Centre. They’ll give you the application form and from there you can start researching where to go, how much it will cost and what you will study.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’m faced with the glamorous (but ever so exciting!) task of organising flights, visas, insurance, backpack contents and hundreds of other last minute things I’m certain I’ll forget! I can’t wait :-)

The exchange website address is:
http://www.usyd.edu.au/stuserv/international/