By Alix Clancy
About me: BSc Zoology student, second year, hosted by the University of Tasmania (UTAS).
Preparing to study in Tasmania was a long process that began over a year before I even arrived. So when all this planning finally came into fruition I was very excited. The journey was a 14 hour flight to Singapore and then another 8 hours to Sydney, then I transferred onto a domestic flight to Hobart which was 1.5 hours. When I finally arrived at the accommodation it was 1pm in the afternoon and I believe I went to bed shortly after at 3pm.
The accommodation was different to the UK in that there were no flats, it was a college set up meaning there was a committee that ran all the events in the building. For the first two weeks before classes started there were welcome actives everyday which allowed me to meet all the new people. Activities were mainly a lot BBQ’s and going out to town. Any nerves about arriving were quickly subdued when I realised the amount of study abroad students I was surrounded by. People from all over the world had come to UTAS, all in the same position of looking to experience the most whilst balancing studying and making friends. I made close friends with a group of girls each of us from a different country: Germany, Australia and Denmark.
Exploring Tasmania
Tasmania is possibly the most unique place I’ve ever experienced. The majority of the island is made up of national parks each conserving some incredible nature. Hobart is surrounded by Mount Wellington and multiple times me and my friends have gone up to watch the sunrise and set whilst overlooking the city. Many students in the college had their cars with them so I was fortunate enough to be able to travel around the island and experience some of the most impressive sights such as: Montezuma Falls, Gordon Dam, Cradle Mountain and South Cape Bay. The college also held camping trips throughout the semester to some of these spots.
The Sandy Bay campus was located close to the beach so for early morning classes that started at 8am me and my friends would go for a morning swim and get coffee and a pastry whilst the sun came up. It was a routine that made getting up early something to look forward too (not every morning though)!
Student Life in Tasmania
The accommodation was made up of three main colleges. Every two weeks one of the colleges would host a themed party and everyone was invited. These parties were great because you didn’t need to travel anywhere to join and often led to going out. These nights were some of my favourites and most eventful by far.
Every Wednesday was student night and meant that everyone went to the same pub down by the harbour. It was a nice easy vibe and an idyllic spot for a mid week beer. The pub was covered in fairy lights and had a converted old school bus out the back everyone squeezed into. For the weekend there was always a group of people up for going out to town and options for those who didn’t. There were two main clubs in Hobart students went to and they were both located next to each other and had free entry so nights out often involved drifting between the two.
Every Saturday was the famous Salamanca markets open till 3 and had some incredible street food such as wallaby burritos, sourdough pastries, twisted potato on a stick and so many other choices. Every Saturday was our mission to try something new. Hobart is an active community always holding events open to everyone. My favourite was Dark Mofo which happened over the month of June and was created to celebrate the winter solstice. There were live shows, winter food markets, and other events constantly happening. I also got to experience Australia’s remembrance day known as ANZAC day, I got to witness a the dawn service commemorating the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who died in the WW1.
Classes and assessment
I was initially worried about starting out under a new academic system in Tasmania however the structure was easier than I thought to understand. Additionally there was a study abroad office on campus that was open Tuesday-Thursday so before the term even started I had visited them to ask questions about timetabling, signing forms and changing units.
As for my classes UTAS made lab sessions a key part of learning. I had two sessions in the laboratory twice a week for the whole semester (sometimes even three) and each session involved studying multiple organisms varying from single celled organisms to fully developed vertebrates. I got to dissect a whole range animals throughout the semester including; a rainbow lorikeet, quail, cockroach, worm, mice, a frog and a squid. Overall I had the most hand’s on experience with many different species throughout the semester and got to study and understand the physiology for each.
The university of Tasmania is structured so that each class has its own unit outline which includes the schedule for each lab session and how assessments are broken down. This helped me to plan out my semester and see when I would need to allocate more time to particular classes. It also allowed me to see when I would have more free time so I could plan activities outside of studying. As for assessments UTAS had continual assessments throughout the semester which was good for me for it meant that my grade wasn’t dependent on one exam and I could gain credit from coursework and topic quizzes.
Advice for those looking to study abroad
My advice for those looking to study abroad is to keep in mind that it is long process of organising however once you’re at your chosen university you have the whole semester to enjoy everything you’ve been preparing for. It involves constantly checking your emails and corresponding between different groups however the experience itself goes far beyond tedious admin. The university has a lot of support in place and is accustomed to helping with whatever questions and concerns you have so be sure to use that. Also be smart to keep on top of uni work so that you have more time to enjoy all the other experiences a semester abroad offers. By staying ahead of studying I could go on more trips away and see more which was a main goal of mine when applying for a semester abroad.
Overall, the experience has brought me so much joy and I have met some incredible friends I will be staying in contact with for a long time. Tasmania is an incredibly niche place often overlooked as the island underneath Australia however despite its geographic isolation it has a brilliant university with students from all ends of the planet looking to meet like-minded people and enjoy the student life from down under. I couldn’t recommend the programme enough.
