Semester Abroad in Australia Taught Me to Live Out Loud. Past Review
By Kelly G (HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS., University of Hartford) for
ISA Study Abroad in Sydney, Australia
I wouldn't change a thing. I know i tried my hardest in school while also enjoying as much free time as i could.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enojyed the teaching method at USYD because I am a lecture student. I benefit best from having teachers lecture with power points as a supplement. However, the grading system is much different and there is no inbetween. It is either pass or fail. Teachers from large lecture (500+) students are not as available as they are at UH. |
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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? |
neighborhood was safe and in a perfect spot. Everything was in close proximity. |
| * Food: |
no problem with dietary restrictions. all types of food close to the dorm apartment. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
our first day in australia was a trip to the great barrier reef. my program made sure we experinced important things. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I didn't have any experiences with the healthcare in my host country. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Since everything is more expensive in my host country I did spent a lot of money. On average a trip to the grocery store was about $50 and the food would last a week. I ate out atleast once a day. Most money probably did go towards food and traveling. There are reasonable trips to make within Australia for about $450. All of my trips outside of the country (Fiji and NZ) were $1,300 each. Bus tickets are $8 for 10 rides so depending how much someone wants to walk or take the bus, that can start to add up. Also, University of Sydney charges for internet based on mg used. I payed a total of $100 for the semester. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | DONT SPEND ALL YOUR MONEY AT ONCE. I was struggling my last money and had to ask my family for more money, it goes faster then you think! Also, personal items such as hair products and femine products are A LOT more expensive. |
Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | DO IT. Choosing to studying abroad with AustraLearn was the best decision I've ever made. I am a completely new person from my experience. Although my grades dropped slightly and the classes are so much harder, it's worth it. In the long run I am not prepared for those tough classes in Grad school. |
