Dank Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 05/30/2018 to 07/13/2018 with

Arcadia: Sydney -Sydney Internship Program Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about counseling through my internship. I also learned a lot about Australia's efforts to protect the environment and relationship with Aboriginals.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Rather than a traditional classroom learning style, I learned about Australia's environmental policies by watching documentaries and visiting natural parks with my class.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program administrators were very helpful and provided great resources during orientation.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived in the an apartment hotel. We had a kitchen to cook meals in and housekeeping cleaned the apartment daily.

* Food:

We were responsible for our own meals, but the apartment hotel was located in a busy area of Sydney which provided easy access to take-out food and grocery stores.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Although I did not have a healthcare experience, the program provided us with resources if necessary. We were given phone numbers of local clinics and brought to the location of a nearby clinic.

* Safety:

I felt very safe travelling around Sydney and did not experience any safety-related incidents. Nevertheless, Sydney is still a city and it is important to be cautious. We were instructed to travel in groups when possible and to be aware of our surroundings.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would want to choose a program that allowed me to interact with Australian students and allow me to integrate more completely into their culture. It was difficult to meet locals since we were not given many opportunities through the program to interact with them,

Finances

* 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)

Australia is fairly expensive. I probably spent about $100 on food a week alone.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • I enjoyed the opportunity to travel around Sydney and visit various national parks.
  • I also enjoyed my internship.
* What could be improved?
  • I think that the classes could be more structured.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew the areas of Australia to visit.