From travelling to Canada as a high school exchange student to getting stuck there because of COVID-19, new doors of opportunities constantly open, and they are a beacon for change and growth. It is important to take charge of these opportunities, and adapt no matter what situation is thrown at you.
My name is Thames Leamsuwan, I am 19 years old, and I am an international student at the University of Sydney from Thailand. I am currently in my second year of university, and am studying a Bachelor of Medical Sciences.
As an exchange student from Thailand to Canada, I found myself stuck in the country for my high school due to COVID. During my time in Canada, I lived in St John’s Newfoundland and Labrador, which is on the East Side of the Atlantic Ocean. I attended Gonzaga High School, a public high school in the area, for three years, which had a mix of both international and domestic students.
Why Australia?
As I had spent the last 3 and a half years in Canada, I felt as though it was time for some change. Furthermore, I was satisfied with the degree option, as it provided a pathway to medicine, which is my future aim. Australia is also closer to home than Canada is, which makes it easier for either my family or me to travel out.
I had applied to schools in Australia, Canada and New Zealand; here, I had been accepted to a couple of schools in all countries. Applying to universities in Thailand was my alternative plan as I had already been accepted abroad, and there was also a semester gap between Thailand and Australia. While I was trying to get into medicine and completing all the exams, I realised it was highly competitive, and I chose Australia in the end.
Why USYD?
I chose USYD due to the high university ranking and overall global reputation. Furthermore, the medical sciences program offered for a second major or minor, which I felt was a great way for me to explore new things and not only be limited to one faculty, all while completing the same science degree. As a second-generation student, I had also heard about USYD from my parents, which inspired me to pursue the university.
Stats
During high school, I completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) as part of my curriculum. Here, I gained a high enough mark to attend a good university.
As an international student, the indicative entry score for 2025 applications is an IB diploma of 31.
My current GPA is between credits and distinction.
For my English proficiency test, I completed the IELTS, where I scored a mark of 6.5.
Extracurriculars
During high school, I was a member of choir and attended events related to topics such as mental health. During high school, my main focus was on academics, and I did not engage much in extracurriculars.
Presently, I am an executive member in the Thai Society, which mainly focuses on connecting the Thai community of USYD together. I am also a regular participant in Model United Nations, and thoroughly enjoy this. Finally, I also attend Bible Studies, which I found was a new experience.
Application Process
As an international student, I was required to submit:
My grades.
My score on an English Proficiency test (IELTS).
After this, I received a conditional admission, where I was required to graduate and then send my official high school diploma from the government.
Later, I received an email that informed me that I was eligible for a scholarship. To apply for this, I was required to answer questions in an essay-style format. These questions were mainly centred on why I find this degree suitable for my career in the future, and my reason for choosing it. In response to this, I wrote about how a degree in medical sciences will give me a solid foundation for medicine, and is a great preparatory course for medicine.
There was also an application fee of around $100 (AUD).
You can find out about the degree and its requirements here.
Resources
While there are programs that can connect you to the university for application, I applied straight through to the university.
As my family had previously attended USYD, I was able to seek support from them, and they were able to guide me through the process.
I was also sent an agent from Thailand, who was able to support me if I had any questions about the application process. I met her in Bangkok, and she was there in case I needed help with the application process.
Structuring the Process
At the time of my application, I had not thought much about structuring my application. I was mainly focusing on answering the questions, and trying to include specific answers to why I really wanted to pursue this degree at university. I tried to be as humble and determined as possible, and asked my family to read over the work to make sure it was of high quality. My mother was also able to credit herself that she had attended the university previously.
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Scholarships
I received the International Student Award, which is given to international students who are part of the eligible countries. This covered 20% of the yearly fees, and a an international student, this supported me greatly.
You can find out more about the scholarship here.
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Living Costs
Personally, as an international student, I would estimate that you would need around $2500 per month to survive. For basic survival without excess expenditure, you would need around $2000 a month.
Currently, I have rented a place separate from student housing for approximately $300 per week. Money is required in Sydney for things such as internet feed, transportation, food, trains, and other day-to-day things.
Generally, prices in the city are higher, which is why the monthly expenses can be expensive.
Experiences
Personally, I have found that the university as a place is quite old. The campus is large, and the professors are highly supportive when it comes to academics.
The content is quite heavy, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed or stressed from the load, which is why good time management is important.
The culture of the university is quite open and quite friendly. The university is supportive of your needs, are able to understand if there is something going on, and provide good resources to reach out if required. For example, I receive many free resources in relation to academics for my degree, which I find highly useful.
Overall, the city is quite expensive compared to other cities in Australia, but Sydney itself is very nice. You are able to experience a quality of life, and it feels like a utopia at times. The environment is nice—you do not need to worry about pollution, and you are surrounded by fresh air. Sydney is also a very academically based city. As an international student, however, you are unable to receive concession cards for things such as public transport. In summary, I do appreciate the city and do enjoy my time here.
Transitioning
To be honest, I did not experience a major culture shock when I arrived in Sydney, as it was similar to Canada. The first year of university was quite enjoyable, and I remember being quite excited about going to university and studying after a long time. There are also a lot of clubs and societies to join, which are really engaging and fun.
One thing that is difficult to quickly adjust to is the content load, which increases immensely from high school.
A good idea is to join clubs and extracurricular curricular that interest you, where you will find people who have similar interests to you, and can find common ground to make friends.
Overall, the most important thing to remember is to enjoy your time there and make the most of it while you attend.
