Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Embrace Australia for all it has to offer! Past Review

By (Marketing., Bentley University) - abroad from 01/07/2013 to 04/21/2013 with

Bond University: Gold Coast - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was most certainly worthwhile. I had never left the country, or time zone for that matter, and by me traveling around the entire planet, I definitely experienced a degree of culture shock and I loved it. The country is beautiful and there is so much to see and do, but the things I'll remember the most are the memories I made with people I will never forget and hopefully stay in touch with.

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.

Bond has very intelligent teachers to facilitate the learning process for its students. The classes were different than American courses, in that there was not as much busy work. Instead the week or so around midterms and finals just got very stressful. Overall the courses were challenging, but nothing to shock a student who has taken Bentley courses. Bentley does a good job at preparing its students.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The people of Australia are a bit quirky, but amazing people.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I wish Bentley students were not all placed in the Blocks (A Block and B Block). Some of the students should also be placed in the Accommodation Center.

* Food:

Superior quality food to Bentley's, however not as much diversity and there is no cafeteria style setups where you can go up for seconds.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Luckily, I'm very talkative and went around and met a fair number of Australians and learned their ways. However, if I'm being honest, I felt as though the majority of our group of friends was composed of American students (from across the country, not just Bentley students).

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Got sick once, had an appointment and medicine within an hour and was better in 3 days.

* Safety:

Never scared during the trip.

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)

I spent A LOT more than I planned...but it was worth it.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I do not wish to know this figure.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? When planning trips, don't always go through Bond's Student Flights program. Instead, do some research on your own, build your own trip and sometimes if you are having difficulty, then take what you have to student flights and they can help finish your custom trip, while driving down costs.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Host Family
* 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? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The location
  • The people (not just Aussies, but Americans and people from multitudes of countries)
  • The school sponsored activities
* What could be improved?
  • Efforts to drive down traveling costs, encourage group flights
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How expensive it would be...but I still do not regret any of my actions.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.