Past Review
By Alex (Biopsychology, French, Tufts University) for
IES Abroad: Sydney Direct Enrollment - University Of Sydney
It was completely worthwhile. I made new lifelong friends, I learned a lot academically, I had fun. Taking the time to travel more was the best decision because you see things that you have never seen before that are completely different from anything you find at home.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Wide range of choices, all of which I counted for something i needed. A strong academic institution with world renown. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The American staff were helpful, though didn't always know the answers for students who are not american. it is a new, and small program so it was very individual. My advisor in Sydney was very helpful and generally a great guy he helped most with understanding the host system and location. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Sydney Uni Village, apartments originally built for the Sydney Olympics. I was in a Studio Apartment, which was fairly isolating, though others seemed to like the 5 person apartments. the facilities were clean and help was always available. It is on the edge of Newtown, a really eclectic suburb and a very short walk from campus. It was really easy to get into the city of Sydney too. <br /><br /> The Studio Apartment was really big, but harder to meet people |
| * Food: |
the restaurants were great, but it got to be expensive and cooking was sometimes difficult on a daily basis. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Sydney was an amazing city to be in and there was never a shortage of things to do. the people are nice and it is easy to find a group or community to join and belong to |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt in danger, but it was important to know which areas of the city are more dangerous. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about 40 US Dollars. This was for several meals out and other weekly expenses |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be careful not to spend to much at the start. Things add up and you do not realize how much you have spent, especially given the different exchange rates. Save if you want to travel, it is well worth it! |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Everything was in English |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This was probably one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of my life. This in one of the few opportunities you will have to travel somewhere new, or exciting. take advantage of it! Be prepared to be outgoing and step out of your comfort zone, you will be surprised how much you like it! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Aboriginal Australia, An Introduction |
| Course Department: | KOCR2600 |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was a great way to learn about the local political and social environment, in a way that i would otherwise never have known about. Most foreigners, even Aussies, don't understand the situation surrounding Aboriginal peoples in the country. it was a very interesting and informative course. it was not the most challenging of courses, but i still learned a lot! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
