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California or Sydney?

Wyld 4 X said:
Go to Sydney. Cali blows in spite of what you might read on here and see on TV.

If you have been to the US already, why not go to Australia for a new adventure. I'd do it in a heartbeat if given the choice.
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seriously, this. california is somewhere between shit and mediocre on a global scale
 
amanda_eats_pandas said:
Someone better get you some peanut butter cause you're jelly that you don't live in California.
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Weeell I just sent in my application and went with Sydney in the end. Thanks again for the help, I'll let you guys know how it goes :)
 
good luck.

oh and another thing about alcohol in sydney. sure, it's legal for an 18 year old to buy, but it's cripplingly expensive. maybe i should have pointed that out before, sorry.
 
I know you've already decided but personally I would've done Melbourne. Sydney is very very expensive. Also Sydney is the last place on the planet I would go to for literary inspiration as it's almost like any form of creativity is taboo here (it's very.... how do I put it... purely commercially oriented), the complete opposite of Melbourne in that sense where quirkiness seems to be everywhere.

Positives of Sydney: good weather, awesome close beaches, hot people, Sydney Uni is academically very good (pretty tame social scene though), the area around the Uni has a bit of that Bohemian feel someone was talking about before which is pretty cool (definitely try and live in that area as there should be some *comparatively* cheaper individual student rooms; look around Newtown/Surry Hills/Chippendale/Glebe/Petersham; don't bother with Uni dorms = complete rip-off due to high demand), the Blue Mountains are beautiful if you're into nature and hiking.

Living with a student from Aachen at the moment and apart from his annoyance over the cost is having a good time and actually wants to move to Australia now. So you should still definitely have a nice time.

Warning: If you are coming from Europe you will be hurt by the high Aussie dollar. Then again the mining boom is ending so you may be fortunate to see it go down a bit. :)
 
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Hi Pagey
My name is Michael and I live in Sydney. and I just thought I would give you some information on Sydney, If you are going to be living on Campus or the Uni is providing accommodation, then your living expenses should be doable, how ever if you have to rent an apartment in SYdney, it is going to cost you alot,I am not trying to alarm you but at the very least $350 a week rent, which works out to about 370 US DOLLARS and my understanding is there are cheaper alternatives like dodgy back packers or one room, places in really run down buildings and it would be so depressing to live somewhere like that, Sydney Uni is located in a brilliant location just on the kind of frindge of the City and the campus accomodation are all in walking distance from the UNI. There is a strong rock music scene in Sydney and its around Sydney Uni neighbouring suburbs that are the main venues for bands to perform. Also, despite what you hear in Sydney, compared to CA, Sydney is so easy to get around and a comprehensive public Transport network exists, Trains and buses every where. Sydney is visually spectacular when you look at the Harbour Bridge and its massive, the Opera House is an incredible site and the Harbour, its visually breathtaking, Also if you are English,,you will feel right at home, There are so many English travellers on working Visas working In Sydney it just rediculous, also this will be of interest to you, All The English back packers on working Visa always are always surprised at how much better their standard of living is compared to England, They are always surprised by how well Australians are paid, and having lived in London myself and worked there, the pay was really bad over there. I actually travel to LA frequently through out the year and trying not to be influenced by the fact that I live in Sydney so its home to me, would I like to Live in LA, for 6 months? for certain I would, Would I prefer living there than Sydney, yes, Its too hard for me to be impartial, Sorry . Our Seasons are Winter June and then around October it starts to get warm, but it never gets really cold in Sydney. Oh this should be a factor for you to decide, the Cost of Electricity is off the charts in Sydney, If you are English you receive reciprocal Medical treatment free of charge in Sydney and one more thing, Sydney has a really amazing atmosphere, its fast, its hard, the urban density is the most concentrated out of all of the City's in Australia. Australian are very friendly, laid back, welcoming of the Englsih. In Sydney we have a small problem of drive by shootings happening most days of the week,, but its gang related and exists in the outer suburbs,. also this is important, the western suburbs of Sydney is nothing special. If you would like to say go to a pub, drink some bears and listen to rock bands, Well Sydney will not disappoint
 
ugly said:
I am in California.

GO TO SYDNEY.
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I am in Sydney, go to California :D

Grass is always greener. =D

Singapore Airlines said:
Hi Pagey
My name is Michael and I live in Sydney. and I just thought I would give you some information on Sydney, If you are going to be living on Campus or the Uni is providing accommodation, then your living expenses should be doable, how ever if you have to rent an apartment in SYdney, it is going to cost you alot,I am not trying to alarm you but at the very least $350 a week rent, which works out to about 370 US DOLLARS and my understanding is there are cheaper alternatives like dodgy back packers or one room, places in really run down buildings and it would be so depressing to live somewhere like that, Sydney Uni is located in a brilliant location just on the kind of frindge of the City and the campus accomodation are all in walking distance from the UNI. There is a strong rock music scene in Sydney and its around Sydney Uni neighbouring suburbs that are the main venues for bands to perform. Also, despite what you hear in Sydney, compared to CA, Sydney is so easy to get around and a comprehensive public Transport network exists, Trains and buses every where. Sydney is visually spectacular when you look at the Harbour Bridge and its massive, the Opera House is an incredible site and the Harbour, its visually breathtaking, Also if you are English,,you will feel right at home, There are so many English travellers on working Visas working In Sydney it just rediculous, also this will be of interest to you, All The English back packers on working Visa always are always surprised at how much better their standard of living is compared to England, They are always surprised by how well Australians are paid, and having lived in London myself and worked there, the pay was really bad over there. I actually travel to LA frequently through out the year and trying not to be influenced by the fact that I live in Sydney so its home to me, would I like to Live in LA, for 6 months? for certain I would, Would I prefer living there than Sydney, yes, Its too hard for me to be impartial, Sorry . Our Seasons are Winter June and then around October it starts to get warm, but it never gets really cold in Sydney. Oh this should be a factor for you to decide, the Cost of Electricity is off the charts in Sydney, If you are English you receive reciprocal Medical treatment free of charge in Sydney and one more thing, Sydney has a really amazing atmosphere, its fast, its hard, the urban density is the most concentrated out of all of the City's in Australia. Australian are very friendly, laid back, welcoming of the Englsih. In Sydney we have a small problem of drive by shootings happening most days of the week,, but its gang related and exists in the outer suburbs,. also this is important, the western suburbs of Sydney is nothing special. If you would like to say go to a pub, drink some bears and listen to rock bands, Well Sydney will not disappoint
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=D I live in those outer suburbs with the drive bys and in a place significantly less than 350 a week. (And yes it's terrible) so maybe my opinions a bit biased too.

I agree with most of what you said, but one thing I'd put forward. Australians are very friendly, laid back, and welcoming of the English. But not quite as much any of those things to Americans, the OP said they have an American accent. Not that they're overtly hostile either, it's subtle but it's there.
 
Thanks SA & Jess :) as I mentioned a few posts ago, I've already sent in my application and decided to go to Sydney in the end. If I end up not getting Sydney but getting California instead though, I'll really be just as happy.
I'm not actually English, I'm French originally, just studying in London as of last september - which is also why I'd really like to go to Australia since it would be a whole new culture altogether. If I were English I'd probably have leaned much more towards the US. I go to the US regularly though because I've got family there so it doesn't have as much of the novelty aspect.
 
we in australia did our best to destroy our ancient indigenous culture :|

lots of sun and sandy beaches though..
 
As someone who has lived in LA and Sydney and currently lives in SF, I can say wherever you go you will have fun.

The american Uni experience is unique. UCSB is a Huge party school. UC Berkeley is more of a hippy school but it is a 30 min BART ride to SF. LA is fun for obvious reasons.

Sydney is fun and there is no drinking age (you will have problems getting into the bars in CA unless you have a fake ID).

Have fun. I miss college.
 
Well guys, just got an e-mail from the study abroad office yesterday saying I got into the university of Sydney :D so if I get over 60% on my final mark this year looks like I'll be off to Australia! Thanks for all the great advice :)
(so exciting =D)
 
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