The Aussie Life is Best Past Review
By Bethany Stevens (University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 02/22/2016 to 06/24/2016 with
Griffith University: Brisbane - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The experience was definitely a worthwhile endeavor or, especially illy from someone who had never been abroad before. I learned a lot about myself while abroad, mostly due in part as I spent a month travelling on my own. The uni had some great classes I took that I wouldn't find here and that was a plus as they were so interesting in subject matter.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Not as much variety as I was expecting. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I lived in a first year dorm so it was really easy to integrate into both the Australian uni life but also the Australian culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Super straight forward health care and when I had to use it, the Healthcare system was so much smoother of a process than it is over here, which I didn't expect being a student foreigner. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The ease of the whole experience is definitely a factor I was hoping for but wasn't sure I would get, but since I did this program was incredible. |
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) |
It is marginally more expense to live over there which ended up adding up in the things I do normally. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take advantage of the exchange rates but also understand that if it's in your favor, it doesn't add up to that much. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How the Australian uni system is set up, there were definitely times I fell behind a bit in classes because the instructors were expecting something completely different to what I was used to. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Water Pollution Chemistry |
| Course Department: | Environment |
| Instructor: | Darryl Hawker |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was a bit challenging but the material was so interesting and the professor gave so many demonsrrations; plus the lab portion was great too. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | None at all. |
