Sydney

First of all, make sure to pack lightly! You will definitely want to bring home
souvenirs. On your first day in your study abroad program, you will definitely feel
jetlagged and tired - try not to relax or sleep until the local evening time. You want
to remain as active as possible, to decrease the effects of jet lag and to make the
most of your trip meeting new people, exploring a new city or country, and trying
new cuisines and learning about a new culture. Even if you are on a low budget,

Every morning was new and exciting during my time in Sydney. Especially during
the weekend, I never knew what I would do and where I was going next!
However there were a few routine places I would go to, for food and classes.
First every morning I would wake up, get ready for classes, and talk to my family.
In Australia the time zone is very different from back home - Sydney is 14 hours
ahead of where my family lives in New England! I would often be having
breakfast while they were having dinner; or be going to class when they were

One challenge I did not expect to encounter while in Sydney were the hours of
operation for restaurants and businesses. In the United States, many grocery
and convenience stores, restaurants, etc. open early and close late - many
staying up until after midnight. But in Sydney, most businesses did not open until
10 am, and often closed at 5 pm. The latest restaurants stayed open until 10 pm
- so the only midnight snack available to me was at McDonald's! Because of this,

Before studying abroad in Sydney, I thought of Australian food as “meat
pies” and “vegemite.” And while I did get to try these famous classic
“Aussie” foods, I learned that Australian cuisine encompasses much more,
and similar to the United States, Australia is a country with cuisine coming
from all around the world! My two favorite places to eat routinely was North
Indian Cuisine on George Street (which gave me the largest vegetable
samosas I have ever eaten!) and Miso Japanese in the World Square (I just

Although there are many study abroad guides and checklists out there, there are some bits of advice I’d like to share with those who are planning to study abroad in Sydney, Australia based off of my own experience studying abroad there this past semester.

Bring a Book

One question friends and family kept asking me before I went to study abroad was, “What do they eat in Australia?”