Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

It was great Past Review

By (Computer Science, Trinity University) - abroad from 02/15/2015 to 06/05/2015 with

Arcadia: Sydney - University of Sydney

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was absolutely worth while, I learned a lot about self independence and putting myself outside of my comfort zone to try new things

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Made my own food, so I am not sure how this applies

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I worked hard to integrate myself in local programs that involved students who were local to Australia

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Easy to deal with, had an MRI covered by insurance

* Safety:

Sydney is a very safe city

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

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)

Sydney was expensive but manageable due to the exchange rate and being a wise spender

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~100$
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Be wise about where you shop for groceries, bigger stores are typically harder to get to but worth the money saved

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • They were relatively uninvolved after things got started
  • There were very few mandatory events
  • They were helpful when I needed information about health care
* What could be improved?
  • They should get on a similar grading scale to the other programs that do VERY similar things (this was being worked on as I was leaving apparently)
  • Their trips are not up to par with the other programs (IES)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That IES did almost exactly the same thing, except the grading scale was better translated and the trips they took were better

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'