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Program Information
As a key member of the Australian Technology Network, a prestigious coalition of five leading Australian universities, the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), offers contemporary and innovative education in the center of Australia’s most exciting city, Sydney.
In 2008, UTS was rated top for Learning an... More
| Provider: | GlobaLinks Learning Abroad |
| Location(s): | Sydney, Australia |
| Year Founded: | 1989 |
| Website | Take me there! |
Review By:
Andrew O. (Mechanical Engineering, Rice University) on September 02, 2009
Overall Rating
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | UTS - Sydney |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Australearn does a good job of facilitating the study abroad process, and being a part of Australearn introduces me to a community of American students studying at UTS, so there is no awkward phase where I don't know anybody. However, I feel that that may detract from the study abroad experience in a way since you are never fully a stranger alone in a strange land, and there is a temptation not to incorporate into the local culture when you could just hang out with an American community. One major setback with Australearn is that, when we arrived at our University after orientation, it was Saturday and the housing office was closed, so we spent a few hours homeless in Sydney while we tried to find someone to give us our keys and let us into our rooms. |
| * Housing: |
It's a 7-person apartment with a kitchen, living area, and individual rooms. There's laundry machines a few floors up, and a pool table and grills on the roof - all in all a good place to live. <br /><br /> The people are friendly, the facilities are (reasonably, for a college) clean, and the location is very convenient to the University, several restaurants, clubs and bars, as well as a major train station and a grocery store. |
| * Food: |
Food is about the same as it is in the US (with the addition of kangaroo meat to the menu, which is good). Eating out can be a bit expensive though, depending on the quality you're looking for. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Australearn's orientation gave me the chance to see and do things that most people associate with Australia - hold a koala, pet a kangaroo, SCUBA dive on the Great Barrier Reef... however, it did all feel very "touristy." My time in Sydney has been great though; there are plenty of opportunities to explore through UTS programs (such as the Outdoor Adventure Club, which organizes bushwalks and camping/rock climbing trips) or on my own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There have been no health issues, but I have always had the sense that they would be well-addressed should they arise. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Food costs have been about AU$10 per day (I cook for myself, which saves a lot of money from going out to eat). For other expenses, it really depends what you do. Rugby tickets can be AU$55 and up, depending on how good of a seat you want. Clubs and trips have different costs to join - for example, UTS owns a sailboat that students can take out on the harbour for AU$30 per person, which is very reasonable for a full day of sailing. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Laundry costs AU$2 to wash and AU$2 to dry, so that can start to add up. Also, printing costs about 20 cents a page. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
Other Program Information
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