Jan von der HSG ging an die UTS

The University is very well organized! Course requirements, due dates, examination
information you name it. The lecturers and tutors are very supportive and answer all
the question you as an exchange student may have. The UTS is located just five
minutes away from the central train station. It offers lots of extracurricular activities
including sports, extra tutoring or cultural excursions. The university is very diverse,
many Asian and Arab students. Therefore the overall level of English is lower than you
might expect. The courses are structured in a way very similar to how we know it from
the HSG. Weekly lectures are complemented by tutorials which are much less formal
and ideal to ask questions.

Courses I took:

Fundamentals of Business Finance
This course was very well structured. The lectures built up on each other and offered
insights in the world of finance. Viney, the course coordinator, is really enthusiastic and
it’s fun listening to him. Two online quizzes (10% each) and one assignment (20%)
already account for almost half of the courses’ final grade. With a little effort and discipline
you shouldn’t have too many issues with Finance.
Intermediate Microeconomics
Microeconomics was probably the course I had to dedicate most of my effort to. The
topics covered, nicely relate to Mikro I at the HSG. Four online quizzes (8.25% each)
urge you to keep up with your studies during the semester. If you do so, you won’t find
the final exam too challenging.
Transnational Management
Similar to “Strategisches Mgmt.” at the HSG. Focuses on cultural differences between
countries and how they affect the strategy, structure and operations of multinational
corporations with subsidiaries all over the world. The courses’ overall content was very
interesting. However, the lecturer (native Chinese) struggled a bit with the language
which made it a bit hard to follow from time to time. The essay (50%, 3000 words)
requires some time.
Information about going abroad
Most importantly the UTS doesn’t require any kind of language certificate! The arrangements
however, were rather time consuming. The time difference played it’s part
as well. I highly recommend to partner with a company that is specialized in those kind
of things. I decided to go with the NPO StudySmart. Patricia is highly supportive and
managed all my due dates and reminded me of stuff I never would have thought about.
The Visa process took me only about 30 minutes with cross-checking by Patricia.
Living Arrangements
I studied at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) from July to November 2018.
For the time of my studies I stayed with a host family in Kirribilli, a wonderful neighborhood
just three train stops out of Central Sydney. In case you’re interested: debra.heitmann@
y7mail.com. This living arrangement allowed me to interact with locals and get
the full Australian experience. Life in Australia and especially in Sydney is crazy expensive.
Public transport is reliable but expensive as well. Banking in Australia is just
as popular as in Switzerland. You can open up a free student bank account at the
Commonwealth Bank in ten minutes time.
Australia
Life in DownUnder is more relaxed and much less competitive than what we are used
to. Keep that in mind especially when you form groups for assignments. It’s not the
HSG mentality. I had the impression most of the domestic students just want to pass.
Students dress very casual. You’ll have to get used to the accent. At first I struggled to
understand but it gets better after a few days. Visit the famous beaches: Bondi, Manly,
Coogee and Palm Beach. And of course Taronga Zoo! If you end up studying in Sydney
you have to travel Australia before, during or after your studies! If you decide to do
so, Dave is your man! Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!. Have fun!