Fall 2016 Participant
Simply living in Sydney and learning how to function in a big city was a great learning experience for me personally. Attending a university in a big city was a sharp contrast to my experiences at KU, so it required an adjustment period but was ultimately extremely rewarding.
Fall 2016 Participant
Aside from exploring Sydney, the best part of my study abroad experience was having the chance to live with students from several different countries and experience a variety of different cultures. UNSW places a great deal of emphasis on their exchange programs, which makes it a great place to meet people from all over the world.
Fall 2016 Participant
The university system in Australia is very different. Both in terms of grading and teaching methods, you may find that you're not able to achieve the same level of success that you have at KU. I would not recommend attending UNSW if you're not able to handle criticism from instructors, as UNSW employs relatively high profile architects as its studio instructors so the studio environment can be very intense. I learned a tremendous amount while at UNSW, but it was certainly difficult at times and the program probably isn't a good fit for everyone.
In terms of living at UNSW, I would NOT recommend living in university housing. It's extremely expensive and you won't have the same opportunities to meet other international students. Most Australian students live at home, and many of the European students opt to live in sharehouses in the surrounding suburbs. I lived near the beach in a house with students from the US, Denmark, England, and a few other countries. It was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.