Print | Email page

Student Life                

The Australia Studies Centre will introduce you to Christians who express their faith differently and may challenge your ideas of what it means to be a Christian in today’s world. Whether you are dishing soup at your service project, walking downtown streets in an outdoor Easter pageant, worshipping in a denomination you never knew existed, creating a new marketing campaign for class or sharing a meal with your host family, there are oppourtunities to stretch your boundaries.

Activities in the area
As the world discovered during the 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. From the magnificent Sydney Opera House to Darling Harbour to the Blue Mountains, Sydney offers endless activities. Some of the most popular Sydney attractions include Manly and Bondi beaches, the Bridge Climb over the Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Hyde Park, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Taronga Zoo, the Sydney Fish Markets and many others. Sydney is easily accessible through excellent safe public transportation, including ferry service, so students can discover Sydney in a group or on their own.

Cultural opportunities
Homestays
Students will live with Australian families in Sydney and its surrounds, enabling them to experience Australian life firsthand. Generally two or more students stay in each homestay. Families are urged to integrate students into normal family life as much as possible.  When appropriate, students should expect to help out around the house and plan to be home for most meals.

Service placements
All students are required to fulfill 35 hours in a service-learning project to marginalized people in Sydney throughout the semester. This experience is an academic exercise designed to foster connections to the community. Opportunities for placement include inner-city youth programs, homes for the physically and mentally disabled, aged-care facilities, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and evening coffee and food vans for the homeless community in Sydney. The ASC believes that the only way to effectively engage in meaningful art or ministry is by first following the example of Jesus and spending time with those who exist outside the powerful social circles of the day. The service experience is as an integral part of the ASC program and is as essential as any of the academic courses.

Life in Australia 
Life in Australia is similar to North America in some respects. Lifestyle and economic status in and around Sydney resemble many of the large urban centers in the United States or Canada. The similarities, however, can easily lead to complacency about the real cultural differences that exist. Consequently, most travelers to this country assume that (aside from superficial differences) Australians must think and feel like North Americans. Although many Australians appear similar to North Americans, their worldview is unique and different from other countries. Students should come prepared to embrace and explore these differences. 

Living expenses
Sydney is a modern, fascinating and expensive city. It might be like spending a semester in New York City or London. Most things you want to buy will probably cost more than they do in your hometown. Room, board and transportation are provided, but past students reported spending $75-100 (AUD) per week.

Entertainment and eating out is more costly than it is in the United States, and most students tend to spend more than they planned since being in Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For instance, the cost of a regular adult ticket to the movies is $17.00 (AUD). With a student discount, the price may drop to $14.00 (AUD). We also advise students to bring a good supply of personal toiletries like toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, shampoo and conditioner because those items tend to be more costly than in North America. 

Medical services/health concerns
Medical care in Australia is among the world’s best. Adequate health care and emergency services are available in Sydney, and students will be instructed as to what steps to take if they need medical attention. Please note: Participants are expected to cover any medical expenses which might be incurred, and therefore must be covered by a family or institutional health insurance policy. All students must obtain an International Student Identification Card (ISIC) which provides supplemental health insurance to cover certain needs unique to international situations.

Australian customs does not allow prescription medication to be mailed into the country, so students should plan to bring a four-month supply of any prescriptions they use regularly.

Safety
As a first-world country, Australia has many security procedures in common with Canada or the United States.  Staying in Sydney, a large urban area with all the things that go along with urban life, can be compared to a trip to Chicago. There are a lot of great things to do in Chicago, with no particular danger if you behave wisely. On the other hand, some places in Chicago are not safe, especially for a visitor. The same is true of Australia and Sydney. Keeping away from problematic areas and practicing preventative measures will reduce the risk of incident.

Spiritual life
Sydney offers diverse opportunities for Christian worship. Downtown Anglican and Catholic cathedrals provide a liturgical tradition with Gothic architecture, pipe organ and choir. The internationally known Hillsong Church offers contemporary worship and music. Many churches honor an international tradition and offer services in the native language of their people, such as Korean. Students may even have a leadership role in the nationally broadcast Sunday services from the Wesley Mission.

Transportation
Students usually find that they walk much more in Sydney than they would at home, but public transportation is the primary method of getting around the city. Each student will be provided with a travel pass to allow access to public buses, trains and ferries during all hours of service. 

Weather
In the summer, Sydney reaches 110+ F with little or no rain; in the winter, it usually gets to between 55-60 F during the day and most Australian classrooms and homes do not have internal heat, so it may feel colder than similar temperatures in the U.S. It can, however, get cold at night. Since semesters span three seasons, students should plan for hot and cold extremes.

Wesley community and facilities
Wesley students come from all over the world to study the arts and theology. The school has a weekly all-campus "Gathering" or chapel, as well as weekly department chapels. Campus facilities include

• A graphic design computer lab with Macs, PCs, laser and color printers, and most major professional software.
• A fully-equipped Counselling Center, whose staff of clinical psychologists and counselors provide professional services to members of the public and to the Institute community.
• Dance studios equipped with parquet flooring, mirrors, curtains and barres.
• Theatre located on campus and access to other performance venues throughout Sydney.
• Teaching studios equipped with upright pianos, a concert grand piano, two baby grand pianos, electronic keyboards, a keyboard laboratory listening stations, choir and standard classrooms, rehearsal and performance facilities.

Behavioral expectations
The ASC has high expectations for students attending the program.  The ASC is not a short-term mission project or a vacation semester. It is an academic semester and an opportunity to study and experience Australia firsthand.  Click here to view the ASC's behavioral expectations.