Australia is a beautiful place that I fell in love with Past Review
By Kathleen H (Dance., SUNY Purchase) for
Edith Cowan University: Perth - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My study abroad experience was VERY worthwhile. I learned an incredible amount about myself, as well as my area of study. I was happy every day that I was there and renewed my love for dance, which is a very big deal. I think being in a different culture can really change your perspective on a lot. I had a lot of great discussions with people about art and life. And since I was living on the village with many other abroad students from Holland, Maritias, Germany, Sweden, and Kenya (to name a few), I met a lot of wonderful, interesting people with a lot of different insights. Don't hold back anything no matter where you go abroad - that's the biggest thing I learned as soon as I got to Australia - "no worries" is everywhere. Just go, and do everything. And go early or stay longer if you can, because time to explore is limited when you're hard-core into studying and absorbing everything around you.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The dance courses at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts were wonderful - very different from NY classes - I learned and grew a lot. I couldn't have asked for a better study abroad experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone at Edith Cowan and WAAPA were very helpfull and warm. They did everything they could to make us feel a part of the program. The program is very small - I never had a class larger than 20 and most were 8-10 people. My expectations were far exceeded. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were housed in the student village at ECU Mount Lawley, which is right on campus and a five minute walk from the dance building. The flats each had six single rooms, a large common room, and a kitchen supplied with pots, pans, and dishes. It was very clean and a nice environment to live in. The city of Perth is a short bus ride away. |
| * Food: |
Since we had kitchens, I mostly cooked my own food. There are a few cafes and a tavern on campus, but they all close at 5. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made friends in Perth that I was heartbroken to leave. We all had an incredible time. Living on the village was great for social interaction - we had a lot of parties and went out together a lot. With the beach and Freemantle (a great town on the harbour) so close there's always something to do. |
| * Safety: |
I never really had to deal with health issues, so I can't really comment on that. The campus is very safe - I could walk back from rehearsals at night and feel safe. I would walk with someone in Northbridge (the club area) though - it can be a bit violent. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
N/A - primary language is English, though I did pick up some slang. |
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go! It was the best five months of my life and I would go back in an instant (it was VERY hard to leave). Australia is a beautiful place that is very easy to fall in love with. |
