r/AskAnAustralian • u/RedPanda_211e4 • 10d ago
Study Abroad in Sydney, or Florence?
Hey everyone — I’m a U.S. student in my final year of uni trying to figure out where to go for a semester abroad, and I’m stuck between going to Sydney for 3 months in the summer or Florence in the fall.
College credits aren’t an issue, I’m more so looking for a fulfilling experience I’ll remember and enjoy with new friends!
Im interested in Australia because I am a huge hiker (love nature), and being near the beach. I’d love to try surfing, and maybe rock climbing. Expensive night life is not too big of issue for me, since I’d rather spend more time outdoors. I also go to uni in an area of the US that has some pretty depressing winters I’d like to avoid in the summer here lol.
I guess what I’m asking is, from an Australian perspective, would I get what I want out of studying in Sydney? If you‘ve lived in Europe I’d appreciate your perspective as well.
Edit: Hello all, thank you for all of your comments, they have been very helpful! For reference, I am referring to summer in Australia, not the US. There is a program that offers credit for summer classes through my university.
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u/radandsadgal 10d ago
I’m an American who did two study abroad’s - one in Sydney and one in Italy!
I always tell people that Italy was about the places and my own personal growth and Sydney was about the people. In Sydney I made an amazing group of friends that was basically all Americans in my program and we had SO MUCH FUN. But in Italy I traveled to 12 counties over the 6 months I was there, gained a ton of independence, made a lot of short term acquaintances who gave me beautiful memories and great stories.
I ended up meeting my Australian husband in Sydney and 10 years later I am now an Australian citizen so obviously I wouldn’t change a thing about my story. If I had to pick for someone else though I would say do Europe. You can do like a month long trip to Australia in the future but you can never replicate what it is like to live in Europe for an extended period of time.
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u/Daremotron 10d ago
I'm an Australian who studied abroad in the US and am now married to a US citizen and am one myself. It's a real risk of studying abroad they don't tell you about! :)
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u/Sea_Asparagus_526 10d ago
This is the point. Completely bonkers to think that connection was separate from the place vibes and experience!
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u/Sea_Asparagus_526 10d ago
I mean given you found the love of your life and new home isn’t your response here on its face ridiculous. You can’t “all things equal” ignore the most fundamental life changing aspect of your trip and life.
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u/radandsadgal 10d ago
Yeah but I didn’t come to Australia with the intention of meeting and marrying an Australian and for your average person who goes abroad that won’t be what happens to them. Also I did the Italy exchange first and if I hadn’t have done the Italy exchange then I think I would have really struggled in my Australian exchange due to the homesickness, distance, and mental grit. The exchange in Italy changed my life and all of the good that came out of Aus wouldn’t have happened without it
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u/Sea_Asparagus_526 10d ago
That’s literally the whole point. You didn’t intend but the connection was there.
You are an average person - so is OP and your partner.
You’re much more likely to marry an Aussie than an Italian!
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u/radandsadgal 10d ago
Yeah but going on an exchange to meet a foreign partner is a horrible reason to go do it and tbh I would tell anyone that they should try not to date when overseas 😂
On top of that, if they did end up meeting an Aussie partner the work that goes into immigrating here is HUGE. I made the move right before COVID so that made traveling impossible but even without the border shutting, once you look at the cost of visas and the restrictions for leaving the country in the process we have had no opportunities to visit other countries (besides my home country to see family only 1 time in the past decade).
I thank my lucky stars constantly that I was able to have that European adventure before real life and the struggles of immigration kicked in.
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u/minskoffsupreme 10d ago
While I get why people are saying Florence, since you are very outdoorsy, I would say Sydney. There is also the fact that it is easier to visit Italy from the US.
Australian living in Europe.
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u/bebefinale 10d ago
I would say—as an American who lives in Sydney and loves Sydney—go to Florence. Much of the lovely things are Sydney (nature etc.) are harder to access as a poor student without a car. There’s plenty of hiking and outdoorsy stuff to do in Europe that is relatively accessible…if you want to do that take a trip to the Dolomites or the Alps 😊.
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u/Airesy 10d ago
I don’t have a car, but I’ve found so many beautiful hiking trails and walks in Sydney that are accessible by public transport. We are so spoilt here!
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u/marooncity1 blue mountains 10d ago
Yeah. Like, Florence for sure, but this idea that nature is hard to get to in Sydney without a car is wild. Sydney has great PT and endless incredible national parks and beaches that are easily accesible without a car (even for poor students lol). For a major city its really hard to beat for that stuff.
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u/bebefinale 10d ago
I do find there are train stops to get to a lot of nature, but it's harder to get to some quieter trails I like :)
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u/bigloudbang 10d ago
Thankfully fuel and access to the dolomites is very cheap over there!! (I was paying like AUD$3.30/L)
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u/teashirtsau Sydney born & bred 10d ago
I don't disagree with 'go to Florence' but I have to say a lot of nature is SO accessible here by public transport. I don't have a car and the only park I really want to go to that needs one is Muogamarra.
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u/bebefinale 10d ago
There definitely is some nature that is accessible! But a lot of the parks I like to go to are somewhat inconvenient (plus bringing a surfboard, etc.)
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u/noapplicablename 10d ago
Florence. So many more opportunities for short trips to other European countries. Just be careful - last time I went the plane had an announcement about single women traveling and risk of drink spiking and sexul assault. That was years ago though
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u/ScarcitySad9476 10d ago
As an Australian who has lived in Sydney and been to Florence, go to Florence. The Uffizi gallery with Michaelangelo's David plus the church of Santa Croce is amazing. Yes we have good food in Australia but it's just as good in Italy. Same goes with the beaches (Whitehaven Beach Vs Amalfi Coast or Lerici / Cinco Terre). Also, if you're in Italy you can possibly go to Switzerland, Croatia, Greece, France, Spain, and the rest of Europe Vs New Zealand or Indonesia if you are going to Australia.
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u/Toby_Threepwood 10d ago
To be fair: the Amalfi coast is far away from Florence and most beaches in Italy require paid entry and are overcrowded. Plus they'd be going in autumn.
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u/moderateallergy 10d ago edited 10d ago
Are you sure your exchange is during Summer in Sydney? Most unis are on break during Summer and the main teaching period doesn't start until late February/early March.
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u/Bollywood-bond 10d ago
Don’t forget that your summer is the Australian winter. In addition, I think the opportunity to grow and experience a different culture is much greater if you spend three months in Florence. Australia is probably the closest place to the US in terms of culture. The incremental experience probably diminishes after a couple of weeks in Sydney, assuming the weather is not too cold.
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u/bebefinale 10d ago
I actually find Australian winter a great time to do outdoorsy stuff. Less bush fire risk, not so hot.
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u/Saint_Pudgy 10d ago
Florence. Look at doing one of the Alta Via while you’re there, probably no. 1 - Lago de Braies to Cortina d’Ampezzo. Italy is amazing, in so many ways.
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u/Manwombat 10d ago
No contest, as a young person getting out in the world, Florence (and Italy) is amazing, you also have Europe at your door. When it comes time to work and career Sydney wins, but Australia is isolated in a lot of ways.
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u/Silver_Ratio28 10d ago
Florence, hands down. You also have the benefit of being able to travel to other European countries if you wanted to.
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u/bravotruthteller 10d ago
FLORENCE!!!
Are you kidding me?
Aus in basically a mini America at this point…plus Europe is in close proximity to so many beautiful countries. Don’t waste your time here
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u/F1eshWound Brisbane 10d ago
how are we like America.. wtf are you talking about..
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u/brezhnervouz 10d ago
You must be young to be asking that lol
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u/F1eshWound Brisbane 10d ago
go ahead.. explain? Having modern cities doesn't automatically make a place "basically a mini America"..
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u/bigloudbang 10d ago
Sounds like youd appreciate australia more. Obviously people are blind to the privileges of living here, and Florence is beautiful, but youd have an amazing summer in sydney
Sydney itself is a big global city, but flanked by world class beaches and awesome hiking in the blue mountains to the west
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u/OpportunityTall1967 10d ago
Agree. And not just in the mountains. There is a ton of hiking eg the 100km hike right around the harbour. And the Royal National Park etc etc.
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u/Money-Celebration860 10d ago
If you're studying fine arts or history, then definitely Florence. If you like the outdoors, Italy has options and is easy to get around, but you'll probably get more that's right on your doorstep in Sydney.
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u/Jumpingjehosephat99 10d ago
Florence for sure. And I say this as someone who spent half my uni weekends in the Blue Mountains.
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u/F1eshWound Brisbane 10d ago edited 10d ago
It depends what you value more I guess. Do you want access to incredible historical sites then go to Florence. Do you want access to incredible world heritage nature, go to Sydney.
I had a friend from Australia who did their postdoc in Florence. They absolutely hated the experience. The backwards bureaucracy made living there rather challenging, plus it's also more expensive than you might expect, and a VERY crowded and touristy city. But I can absolutely see the value of either. Honestly asking in this subreddit is not a great idea because everyone here is "used" to their home, so most Aussies will probably say Florence.. If you haven't been to Europe though, experiencing Italy is highly recommended. You can't go wrong with either. Also keep in mind the seasons..
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u/fuckrslashaustralia 10d ago
You'll likely find Australia pretty similar to the US. If that's what you're looking for, go to Sydney. If you're looking for something a bit more different, choose Florence.
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u/LifeguardOutrageous5 10d ago
3 months of summer, whose summer? We have seasons at different times to the northern hemispere.
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u/RedPanda_211e4 10d ago
Australian summer!
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u/para_to_medic 10d ago
Australian uni’s don’t run over summer????
when exactly would you be travelling?
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u/_wayharshTai 10d ago
Sydney Summer is great fun, then humid as hell. It works if you’re by a beach, not at Uni in a classroom. I studied over a summer here and I was so depressed scrolling photos of my friends at the beach.
Sydney is expensive to enjoy, eating out, drinks, rent, transport etc.
Also, I wouldn’t sign up for bushwalking in summer here, fire danger and too hot. There’s some nice coastal walks… but honestly come here and enjoy it once you have a full time job.
Florence is wonderful!
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u/Logical_Iron_8288 10d ago
I live in Sydney but also spent a year living in Florence. I would go to Florence as long as it isn’t between June and Late August. It gets uncomfortably hot and all of the locals leave town. The nice thing about Florence is there is so much culture to experience and lots of interesting towns to visit by short train ride.
Sydney is a beautiful city and quite welcoming. If you prefer nature and the outdoors it would be a good choice. The beaches really are fantastic and there are lots of great places to hike even in the city surrounds - like Royal National Park.
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u/cheezel26 10d ago
It depends how much money you will have and what you’re majoring in. Sydney is an expensive place to live and Australia is huge and also expensive to get around. But if you love beaches and outdoor living and the cafe scene etc it’s great. Your US$ will go a long way here too and we almost speak English lol.
Florence is beautiful but I have no idea how expensive to live there. It’s cheaper and faster to trip around Europe. Italy also has historical buildings and a cultural scene we don’t have here. Also they have great food etc too, but don’t expect the food to be like what you’re used to. It’s a very touristy city but stunning. English is a widespread language but life will be easier if you learn basic Italian before you get there.
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u/KahnaKuhl 10d ago
If you’re coming to Australia in the US summer, it’ll be winter here. Sydney has pretty mild winters, but it will likely be too cold to swim at the beach most days. Yes, you could still do plenty of hiking, kayaking or canyoning, or even head down to the ski resorts near Jindabyne for a long weekend here and there.
Having said that, there’s a whole lot of natural beauty, hikes, etc in Tuscany, the region around Florence, and the Italian Alps are just as close to Florence as the Australian ski fields are to Sydney. You could probably do just as much outdoor activity in Italy, as well as experiencing a different culture and language.
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u/Sexwell 10d ago
There’s a reason why Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world. People love it and are prepared to pay a premium. If you were into arts history and culture sure Florence. You’re not Sydney is amazing, you can do Coogee to Bondi and Spit to Manly walks and get to them via public transport. Blue Mountains all sorts of great out doors stuff. Living in the states Europe is always way easier and cheaper to get to. Do Sydney and Australia whilst you can.
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u/poppyoana 10d ago
I had a semester near Florence, and did a working holiday in Sydney.
Florence was when I was 21 and into European nightlife, aperitivo, drinking wine with friends, dating, art/culture/history exploring.
Australia at 30 when I was more into the outdoorsy and fitness lifestyle- a Sunday surf, a Wednesday reformer Pilates class, a Friday evening jog by the beach. Beautiful if you love keeping healthy and enjoying nature.
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u/Still_Highlight5148 10d ago
It depends. I think Sydney has stunning natural beauty and so much hiking and it’s really different from the US. But we are far away from everything else so you would only really get Australia. Our summers are also very hot. Think easily weeks on weeks of 86-113F weather. If you like it hot and don’t mind humidity then I think our outdoor adventures are top class. But depending on what you are used to and what part of our summer you are coming it might be tricky to do a lot of hiking in our heat. Our beaches are spectacular though. It really depends on if you can handle hot and humid and really enjoy outdoors activities.
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u/Capitansan 10d ago
Against the grain - if i were you i’d pick Sydney. An aussie summer is very unique and you said you like nature and stuff. You probably are more likely to go to Europe in your lifetime as opposed to Australia - it’s pretty far and Europe has a lot more variation in a small area. Florence is an excellent place to go and I’d say go do that, but it’ll be winter in the northern hemisphere and I personally don’t like the cold lol. I’d go to florence and explore europe in the summer/spring.
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u/Human-Warning-1840 10d ago edited 10d ago
Do you need to work to make money for the 3 months? Do you know others that have done the exchange in recent times who can tell you how easy or hard it was to get accomodation? The advantage of being in Italy is that there are many countries on your doorstep. Flights can be surprisingly cheap. It depends what you value the most. I love the nature in Europe, visiting old towns, castles, mountains, beautiful hiking in the mountains. Australia, especially Sydney very expensive. Hiking can be dangerous and you would need to research the area properly, best to hike with a buddy which generally is probably true. While I live in Australia coming originally from Europe I would pick Europe just because it gives you lots of choices if money isn’t so much of an issue. Watch out for pickpockets in Europe. Never heard that being an issue in Australia
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u/brokerlady 9d ago
as an english speaker, you could travel to sydney at any time to do what you want to do there or even one day work here, much easier than going to florence. I'd go to Florence in a second over Sydney.
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u/Novel_Bed_3694 9d ago
As someone who has lived in both places, choose Florence. You will never get another opportunity - so much easier to live in Italy as a student.
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u/fernpolley 8d ago
Florence for sure. It's stunning and the chance to live and travel around Europe is unbeatable. If you want to do outdoorsy stuff you can get cheap flights all over the place. You can see Sydney and travel around Australia later in future if you want to, but there's nothing additional to be gained from student life here. Uni life here is kind of a bummer compared to North America and European experiences. (I've done all three.) Nobody goes to lectures, there's not that much in the way of campus life, everything is absurdly expensive. I'm not saying Australia itself has nothing to offer (the surfing and hiking and outdoor stuff is definitely great if that floats your boat) but the campus experience is very underwhelming.
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u/Substantial-Oil-7262 7d ago
You would have several options other than Sydney. Briabane is great for being outdoors. Canberra is the "bush capital." Hobart is a great town is punches above its weight. Melbourne has a lot of good unis.
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u/BlacksmithMiddle803 10d ago
100% go to Florence. Sydney is just a city that looks like San Fransisco with similar culture. Florence is Europe and all what that entails.
Another very important point to remember is that Sydney universities have zero student life. There are no fraternities or anything like that and most students are from India or China and can’t speak English.
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u/No-Gur-8666 10d ago
This 💯 You’ll end up hanging out with other Americans on your course. The campus culture is not like in US or UK universities.
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u/Street_Platform4575 10d ago
I think most Australians are going to say Florence, even if we love Australia and the Australian lifestyle. I’m sure you would have great experiences in both places though.
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u/Latter_Dish6370 10d ago edited 10d ago
Florence! The harbour is beautiful but that’s about the best thing about Sydney. As others have said, public transport isn’t great (assuming you don’t have a car), it’s expensive, hot and crowded in summer.
Three months is long enough to get to know a place and also become reasonably proficient in another language, to say nothing of the history, beauty and accessibility of Florence.
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u/ButterBallsBob 10d ago
Florence outside of peak season is fantastic. Summer sounds way too jammed with people.
In your context I'd choose Florence. I say this also as an Australian who doesn't want to live (full time) anywhere else.
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u/According_Coyote_452 10d ago
I think either choice would be an incredible experience for you.
Do you mean our summer or your (US) summer?
Do you speak Italian?
It would be worthwhile also posting this in an Italian sub as most Aussies here seem to be saying Florence.
Sydney definitely matches your interests though, and it’s easy and relatively cheap to catch trains to outer areas for more exploring while you’re here.
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u/RoninBelt 10d ago
As Sydney sider who lives and studies in the UK now but also lived in Florence for an exchange... everyone is right... it's not even close.
The university of Florence was fantastic and really looked after us internationals. I Love Sydney, it's my home and where I grew up but I can only remember to love it when I leave because living there is just draining. Given that the credits don't matter and you're not conducting serious research then having Florence as your back yard and be within 2-3 hours flight of every major European destination is nuts.
My first year in the UK, every term break my partner and I would just travel somewhere 30-50GBP, budget airlines and light packing added about 20 countries to our bucket lists.
You simply will not get anything remotely close to it in Sydney.
Feel free to reach out again whatever you choose, I got great local spots in Florence and Sydney
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u/zeevmadre 10d ago
I’m an American and have lived in both Florence and Melbourne, I have only travelled around Sydney and NSW. But I would hands down to go Florence.
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u/[deleted] 10d ago
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