Week 1 of University of Sydney

Last week was my first week of studies. I have started the Master's of Commerce program, where I will major in Accounting and Entrepreneurship. This program will take me one full year including winter and summer school. I am currently enrolled in four classes - Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Financial Reporting (50% fail rate!!), Marketing Principles, and Foundations of Entrepreneurship.

I found it quite hard being an international student on the first day of class. It was very weird not having my normal core friends or actually any friends at all!! I was very surprised not to find any Australians in my two accounting classes. In my other two classes, there was only a handful of Australians! I found it easy to understand my Australian professors, but difficult to understand my classmates.

I haven't found too many differences in my classes compared to classes in the US. One difference is that the final exam in each of my classes is either 40% or 50% of my grade. I also learned that a bachelor’s degree only takes 3 years in Australia. The difference is that they are not required to take the "basics," if it is unrelated to their major. So they would not take English, Biology, or Humanities if they were a business major.

I have to go to classes again today, so I am sure that I will have more to write soon!