UQ Program: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
I must say that there is certainly a difference in academic structure between the States and Australia. There is more workload in the UIUC (University of Illinois, Urbane-Champaign) compared to UQ (University of Queensland), especially in engineering. For me, there were homework, quizzes and lab reports every week. Furthermore, there were at least two midterm exams for most of my courses which made the semester even more intense. However, it is not too bad, as the assessments were distributed throughout the semester instead of cramming everything in the final exam. It is difficult to adapt to the new academic system at first but you will get used to it eventually. The semester becomes easier and less stressful as you are constantly studying for it. Enough of the stressful stuff, let’s talk about the courses available in UIUC. The courses offered in UIUC are really diverse. There are “fun” courses which offer 1 or 2 credit hours which can be used to fill up the minimum credit hours required for your exchange. For instance, there are courses like ice-skating, wine testing, golf etc. You should certainly check it out!
It is extremely easy to make new friends and adjust to your life to UIUC. There is an organization called Illini International which organizes heaps of activities that involve all exchange students. The activities include the returnee reception where returning exchange students meet the new incoming exchange students, buddy BBQ where they match you up with another local student who will become your buddy for the rest of the semester, drive-in movie event, Halloween pumpkin carving event, camping, potluck dinner, bar crawl, you name it - you got it. Remember to check out the Quad day. Quad day is like Market day in UQ but it’s like 3 times the size of Market day. If you like adventure, I personally recommend Skydiving and Illinois Ski and Snowboard. Besides that, check out Illinites at Illini Union. It is a free fun night event which is held once every month at night for students to chill and relax. Here is the link http://www.iuboard.illinois.edu/illinites/illinites.aspx. There are also heaps of bars and clubs to go to meet people, relax and have fun. Murphy’s, Joe, Brothers, Clys just to name a few. You will never feel homesick with all the events going on throughout the semester. In fact, you’ll just wish you can enjoy the time there a little bit longer. If you want to find out more about UIUC, there are many blogs to get more information about accommodation, campus life, studies etc. Here is the link http://blog.admissions.illinois.edu/
Expenses: I think the cost of living really varies among different individuals. I personally spent around 5000 USD in accommodation and food for one semester. (Note: I stayed in one of the residence hall and got a meal plan.) It would be cheaper if you live in an apartment and go out and eat. You will need to consider spending more if you plan to travel around the states and go out for beers every week.
What you got out of it: The things that I got out of the exchange programme were that I got to travel around the States and meet people from all around the world with different personalities. I got the chance to travel to places like Nevada, California, Florida, Washington DC, Philadelphia and even Mexico as well. I did meet a lot of people and we became really good friends in the process which I treasure the most. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I got to learn a lot about life when you chat with people from different cultural backgrounds and see the world from a different point of view. So for people out there who are still thinking of whether they should go for an exchange or not, this is my advice, GO FOR IT and you will never regret it!
5 TOP TIPS:
1. Go skydiving http://www.illinoisskydivingcenter.com/
2. Check out Illinite http://www.iuboard.illinois.edu/illinites/illinites.aspx
3. Go and watch all the sports competition, especially ILLINI football. Embrace the Illini spirit!
4. Check out the rock climbing and sauna at the ARC (Activities and Recreation Center)
5. Check out the hot spa and water slide at the CRCE (Campus Recreation Center –East)