My Fall Trip to Sydney Past Review

By (Sociology and Public Health, Brandeis University) - abroad from 07/16/2019 to 12/01/2019 with

Arcadia: Sydney - University of Sydney

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to travel alone and how to be independent. Studying abroad was an eye-opener to how I want to live my life. I definitely have the travel bug now!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The education at Sydney challenged me in ways including different standards of grading and the expectations of different professors. It was interesting to hear about the United States from the perspective of Australian natives and other study abroad students from all over the globe.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

This program gave me everything that I wanted. It provided me with support through amazing staff and gave me the resources that I needed to succeed. They ensured my well-being throughout the trip by maintaining contact with me. Though the internship presented some difficulties, the program administration was there for me to guide me through the learning process.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Mandelbaum House was amazing. I gained so many amazing friendships from this house and it was a great location in relation to the University and the city.

* Food:

The food was catered which was helpful as I am not skilled in cooking.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Australia is very similar to the US so cultural integration was not a challenge.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Health care was not an issue.

* Safety:

I felt safe in Sydney and I knew I could contact any of my program administrators to help me if I needed it.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~50-100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make sure you know the conversion!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • Excursions
  • Communication
  • Resources
* What could be improved?
  • More catch-ups
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I budgeted more for transportation.