Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Australian Adventures Past Review

By (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., Belmont University) - abroad from 01/05/2013 to 04/21/2013 with

ISA Study Abroad in Gold Coast, Australia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about myself and how to be more independent and how to figure out situations on your own and meet new people from all around the world.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was amazing! The academics are a lot different than in the states but it was interesting to experience classes another way. There was an amazing library and an abundance of resources. They are a lot tougher on grading and there is only a few grades but if you put effort in to it and get help you will be fine!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The advisor who was supposed to be checking in on us while we were at Bond was not very good at all but the advisors we met on our bridging cultures program kept in touch with us and were awesome!!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I wish I was living with an Australian but I loved being in the dorms and right on campus I was in the student accommodation center. It was awesome that they cleaned for you and had everything supplied but living with someone not from the program would have helped emerge yourself more.

* Food:

The passionfruit was amazing! Everything is a little pricey but if you budget the money you get for on campus food you will have enough but you do have to budget it well.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There was a very diverse group of people on campus from Americans to Asians to Australians and if you got involved on campus and in your class you would get to know the local culture. If you wanted more you could go into town and go to local events.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The insurance GlobaLinks gets you is awesome! They make sure everything is covered! I spent 4 days in the hospital and it was all covered by the insurance as well as my prescriptions.

* Safety:

There was never a time I didn't feel safe anywhere in Australia!

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

It was hard. If you did budget your money that you get for food on your account than you will be okay for food but everything in Australia is about 20% more than the states so you need to be careful on what you spend it on.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I would make sure to start saving as soon as you can and put it in its own account. Also, try and put it in a bank that won't charge you for international ATM fees or one that links to a bank over there, that will save a lot of money.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Bridging culture program
  • Traveling
  • Friends
* What could be improved?
  • More information of local events when at Bond
  • Talking about how to food on campus works
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how expensive everything was.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Avid Adventurer
The 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.