A Semester of Adventure in Sydney Past Review
By Grace T (Economics, Tufts University) - abroad from 07/17/2015 to 11/22/2015 with
IES Abroad: Sydney Direct Enrollment - University Of Sydney
I had never really traveled before, so I really learned how to be independent and to be on my own. At first, I was incredibly homesick and the adjustment was very tough, but after a month or so, I never wanted to leave! It was absolutely incredible. I learned so much about myself and have a very different perspective on foreign culture and on my own home here in the US.
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. |
I did not find the academics nearly as challenging as at my school at home, but it was nice to have extra time to enjoy the city and travel. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our adviser, Matt, was absolutely amazing and very supportive! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The food scene in Sydney is fabulous, but it's very expensive! And there are no dining hall kind of options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It would've been nice to live with Australian students in our suites instead of just Americans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I knew I wanted to study in Sydney, but I chose IES fairly arbitrarily. I am SO glad that I did! Even compared to other abroad students I spoke to in Sydney, our support system was great, and they planned wonderful trips for us! I don't think I would've seen nearly as much of Cairns or areas around Sydney without this support. Our program was also pretty small, so it allowed for us to be a tight-knit group and really get to know each other! |
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) |
Sydney is a very expensive city. Even with the exchange rate in our favor, I spent around $200 a week, and this was a pretty average number, I would say. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget yourself carefully and prioritize the things you really want to do. Try not to eat out too much -- that was my biggest problem, but no regrets! |
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? | 0 |
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? | Nothing, really! All abroad programs are kind of elusive... However, I never discovered anything about IES that I didn't end up liking! |
