Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Is it time to go back yet? Past Review

By (Business Communication, Management, and international Business, Arizona State University) - abroad from 08/31/2012 to 11/30/2012 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Sydney, Australia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Gained more independence than ever and that it is very important to be open-minded when interacting with other cultures.

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.

There were many resources within the city, but you had to go out and find it yourself. The library with the Australian Catholic University was very limited and was only useful for printing documents.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

While the apartments were nice, it would have been better if we were in student housing, or somewhere that did not house businessmen and women or celebrities.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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 is a very expensive city, but the meal stipends made food costs minimal so money could be used on other expenses and activities.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100-150

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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Very organized
  • Freedom to explore on our own
* What could be improved?
  • Classes should be more integrated into the culture
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How closely we interacted with the other Americans in the program and how difficult it was to actually meet Australians our age.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!