Sydney, Australia
Australia
Very diverse in terms of culture, population, climate
and geography, this country has a lot to offer to those who want to have
unforgettable experiences and explore several exotic places (there are 19
Australian World Heritage sites by UNESCO). If you want to live in a country
with a healthy economy and a great lifestyle, this is the place to be!
Sydney
Sydney is a city that breathes a relaxed, yet dynamic and
trendy atmosphere. If you are an outdoor person, the city is great for you to
practise some sports, enjoy the beach or watch the sunset by the harbour.
Because Sydney is a very international and multicultural city, you will never
feel like an “outsider”.
Best places in town
Sydney Harbour – enjoy the amazing views over the Opera
House and the Harbour Bridge. You will never get tired of it! Perfect for
sunset drinks.
The Rocks – right by the harbour bridge, this area is full
of restaurants, cafes, bars and old pubs. It is also really nice to explore the
markets during the weekends.
Royal Botanical Gardens – enjoy the great views over the
city skyline and the harbour during a run or a picnic.
Darling Harbour – this area has fireworks every single
Saturday! They also have the biggest IMAX theatre in the world.
City Business District – you will have all the CEMS classes
in the CBD campus. This area has a mix of both old and modern architecture.
Bondi – one of the most famous beaches in the world. Here it
is very common to see the Australians walking bare feet everywhere. Some people
prefer to live here to stay closer to the beach, surf more often and enjoy the
great nightlife.
Manly – this is one of the most famous northern beaches. It
is very good to surf or just to chill at the beach. There are a lot of cool
cafes and restaurants, as well as barbeque areas by the beach. The ferry ride
to get there is great! I also took my scuba diving license there with PRO Dive
Manly (shelly beach is a good diving spot)!
Newtown – this area is known as being “hipster” and more
alternative. Since it is very close to the university, there are a lot of
students around. King Street is full of bars and restaurants of international
cuisine. It was great to live here because it is always full of people
everywhere. Also, it is the only place in town that does not have a lockout
time at night (in Sydney you can’t enter in bars or clubs after 1:30am, except
for the Newtown area)
Surry Hills – very trendy neighbourhood. There are a lot of
restaurants, bars, cool galleries and boutiques.
Watsons Bay – take the ferry and enjoy the views over the
Sydney skyline while getting a tan. This is one of Sydney’s most famous bays,
but there are many others you should explore!
Blue Mountains – this National Park is very close to Sydney
and it is worth a visit if you enjoy hiking and nature. I encourage you to go
on a day trip to explore the forest, waterfalls and other great views.
Hunter Valley – go on a wine tasting tour and visit some of
the most famous Australian wineries.
Best places to travel
when in Australia
East Coast – explore the East Coast from North to South.
Start up in Cairns and visit the Great Barrier Reef for an amazing scuba diving
experience. As you come down, the Whitsunday Islands and Fraser Island are
must-dos. Whether you like adventure or just chilling at the beach, this is a
great trip to go on with friends, and I guarantee that some places are purely
paradise on earth!
Melbourne – it is completely different from Sydney, more
European. It is very trendy, full of restaurants, cafes and rooftop bars, as
well as cool places to go shopping. It is great to explore the narrow lanes
around the city and the street art is everywhere you look!
Great Ocean Road – from Melbourne to Adelaide, this is also
known as the “Surf Coast” and it has several landmarks such as the Twelve
Apostles rock formations. The ocean views are apparently not that different
than the ones you have in Portugal though.
Outback – visit Uluru (the rock known as the heart of
Australia) if you are curious about going to the Australian desert. It is an
interesting place to go to if you are interested in Aboriginal culture and also
if you want to do some hikes in the red centre! I loved it!
New Zealand – Australia itself has a lot of places to go to,
but a lot of people enjoy going to NZ for a camping trip. It was very
surprising how these to countries are the exact opposite of each other. New
Zealand is purely nature – lakes, glaciers, mountains, green fields, etc. It is
great to rent a campervan and just drive around the country. There are also a
lot of alternatives for the most adventurous spirits (from bungee jumping and
rafting to mountain biking or winter sports).
The university
You will have all the CEMS mandatory/exclusive courses, as
well as the seminars, in the CBD campus, which is in a modern building shared
with other companies. The other courses (electives) are lectured in the main
campus, which is very nice and traditional (it is known as Hogwarts)!
The CEMS courses are all intensive courses (trimestral),
while the others are full courses that last the entire semester.
CEMS Mandatory – Advanced Strategy
This is the typical strategy course. We had a group project
for Suncorp (an insurance company) in which we had to perform an analysis of
the external environment, as well as the internal resources and capabilities of
the company, and then design strategies that fit the company’s mission.
The schedule was a bit intense (only one day of class per
week, but from 9:00am to 5:00pm, which made it a bit difficult to pay attention
in class).
Honestly, you do not learn a lot (taking into account that
all of us already had strategy several times before).
Evaluation method: (1) individual assignment – typical
written essay in which you have to discuss a topic lectured in class with an
example of your choice; (2) group project – described above; (3) take-home exam
– case based.
CEMS Exclusive – Chinese Institutions and Businesses
This is an interesting course if you are curious about the
Chinese economy. You will learn about the key formal and informal institutions,
markets and enterprises of the globalising Chinese economy.
The schedule was also intense (only one day of class per
week, but from 9:00am to 5:00pm, which made it a bit difficult to pay attention
in class).
Evaluation method: (1) in-class exam – short essay about
topics discussed in class, you don’t need a preparation for this; (2) group
case – pick a global Chinese company and study its internationalization
process; (3) take-home exam – the teacher will give you three topics and you
have to write an essay on it.
Elective – Technology Enabled Business Innovation
Understand and apply the concepts, strategies, tools and
technologies necessary for undertaking business innovation.
Evaluation method: (1) individual news report; (2)
individual assignment report; (3) group assignment and presentation.
Elective – Services Marketing
Explore the unique characteristics of service organisations
and the distinctive marketing approaches required for success, which are
significantly different from goods marketing.
Evaluation method: (1) services marketing individual portfolio;
(2) group assignment and presentation; take-home exam.
Housing
I lived at Sydney University Village, which provides
accommodation to students in Newtown. There are several student-housing
facilities besides this one, such as Urbanest, for instance. This is good if
you want to stay close to the university, but this is close to the main campus
(and you will spend most time in the CBD campus). However, I think it was great
to live there, as there were several people from CEMS. The common area has a
Ping-Pong table, pool table and video games. There is also a barbeque area
outside. It is close to King Street, where you find lots of restaurants, bars,
cafes and also places to do your groceries.
The prices of accommodation can range from 200 AU$ to 400
AU$ per week, depending on the location you choose, if you share a
room/apartment, etc.
Visa
You need to take care of the visa before you go – including
a medical check-up. But it is an easy process, nothing to worry about!
Surprises
There are basically no Australians doing CEMS in Sydney,
everyone is an international student! It might be difficult to get to know some
locals, but it is possible!
The weather there is very similar to the one in Lisbon,
which means that it can also get very cold during the winter, so go prepared
for this! Also, it rains a lot during the summer, even though it is hot.
Even though Australians have no typical cuisine, they really
appreciate good food. There is a huge brunch culture and you will have new
places to discover every single week!
It is true that Sydney is a very expensive city, but it is
also surprisingly easy to find a part time job there. If you have a student
visa, you are allowed to work part-time.
Sydney is the coolest city ever and you will have a great
time there… but I guess this is no surprise ;)
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By Inês Dias, Class of 2014/2015
Term abroad - Fall 2014
