Beach all day everyday! Past Review
By A student (Mechanical Engineering., Villanova) - abroad from 02/12/2013 to 07/02/2013 with
Arcadia: Sydney - University of New South Wales
The grass is always greener. That being said, I saw things I'd never seen before, I met incredibly interesting and diverse people even if almost all of them were not local. Got a new perspective on life and viable alternatives to the American mindset of track setting and being obligated to do certain things until you're as old as 22! The experience was worthwhile and while there were definitely things I would change, hindsight is twenty-twenty and this was one of the best experiences of my life. Not everything has to be or even should be perfect.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Would have been 5 stars considering the location was awesome. If not for the location, would have been 1 star because of the terrible house manager we were assigned and the pretty outrageous amount of rules and regulations that were put in place for off-campus housing. Had I known about this prior, I would have found my own housing. I felt like a freshman with an insufferable RA rather than an adult living off campus. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
does not apply to me. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Always get concession bus passes even though you technically shouldn't, minimize eating out, and keep in mind that cab fare is very high to and from the CBD or anywhere in Sydney. Plan bus routes as best you can. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That the college scene is not nearly as social in Australia as it was in America. UNSW was also a very international university compared to more campus oriented alternatives. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
