Best Decision Of My Life. Nothing will ever compare. Past Review

By (Communications, Elizabethtown College) - abroad from 07/11/2013 to 11/23/2013 with

ISA Study Abroad in Townsville, Australia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Going abroad was the best decision I ever made. It truly opened my eyes. Americans are stuck in such bubbles. Our country barely travels and it is such a shame. Traveling and experiencing the Aussie culture has showed me what truly matters in life. Australia is friendlier, cleaner, less crowded, safer, more focused on living your life compared to work work work, and I could go on and on. I loved the people there so much. I had no culture shock or home sickness at allI. The whole experience was truly a dream. When else can you just go live in another country for six months?! I know nothing will ever compare to this experience. I wish I could've stayed for a full year and I plan on returning as soon as I graduate. I made some of the best friends there also and I know I will stay in touch with them. Overall I would say GO! GO GO GO. You will NOT regret it at all!! I wish I could relive the whole thing over again. I don't think I ever cried as hard as I did when I had to leave.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Most people always say classes abroad are a joke unless you go to Australia and then they are always hard there. I'm a good student but was a bit nervous. However, I found the classes to be quite manageable! It's true that most of your grades are made up of your midterm and final but that just means two hard weeks of studying and then you're good! There is a lot less busywork so therefore you have more time to do the things you want during the week.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Uni Hall and loved it! It is in the best location because it's right in the middle of campus so classes aren't too far away and with friends from other dorms it was always easiest for everyone to meet here. You get a single room along with a balcony:) People always say it's the big party building and although it is I didn't have any issues with people being too loud or annoying or anything. There is a common room downstairs that people would go to if they were drinking. Rotary is far away and is very unsocial but you get your own kitchen which is nice because the food is terrible. Western Courts is pretty much a trailer park but you get a bigger bed, AC, your own bathroom, and fridge so it's not a bad deal. The people like to party there as well. George Roberts is probably the second farthest away (it is still close to western but far from classes) and you get a suite where you get your own room and 2 other roommates. You don't get a kitchen though. If I had to pick again I'd chose Uni, but Western and George Roberts aren't bad either.

* Food:

The food is TERRIBLE. However, that's how it is at all Aussie Unis so don't let that influence your decision. Just be prepared for it.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt like I got to be very involved with everything Aussie and loved it! I hung out with tons of locals and got to take advantage of everything Australia has to offer including: Rugby games, scuba diving, horse races, seeing the rainforest, having first hand experiences with kangaroos and koalas. The location of JCU Townsville is nice because it is close to all of those things along with being right by Magnetic Island which is beautiful to spend a weekend at just hiking around and laying on the beaches. It is also about a 3 hour drive from the famous Whitsunday Islands so if you don't have a lot of money but want to do some traveling that's the perfect place to visit. (Just so you know JCU has TONS of wallabies all around campus!! They're a common everyday occurrence.)

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health issues but I know some friends who got sick and didn't have any issues getting help.

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe in Australia. Even in the larger cities. It is definitely safer than America so if you're parents are worried they really shouldn't be at all!

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)

I had a lot of help from my parents so I probably won't be the best help for these questions but if you are worried about how expensive Australia is I would say that yes somethings are expensive but some are just as reasonable as the U.S. So it is all about how you spend your money. Maybe if you don't have a lot then you can't do a lot of trips which although some of the trips I took were amazing I would still rather have gone to Australia without being able to do those than not going at all.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? On an average week I didn't spend much money at all except for bus fare and alcohol. Bus= $4.20 roundtrip into town/beach, $2.10 roundtrip to the mall. Alcohol= $12 for a box of wine (5L) so that can last you a bit.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Watch what you are spending your money on! Don't get so worked up into the club/bar scene that you blow all of your money on that in the first week. Buy cheap wine and drink before you go out and don't spend any money at the bars. All the bars/clubs in Townsville are free to enter so you don't have to worry about cover fees. And although the Uni food isn't always the best, it is already paid for so don't go out buying more food! You should be spending virtually nothing most of the time. It is only your big trips to other places in Australia that will become expensive.

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Our Bridging Cultures Program in Cairns
  • Activities planned for us such as the Townsville Scavenger Hunt and Rugby Game
* What could be improved?
  • STA is terrible. I would never use them again. You're better off booking everything on your own and just making sure to get on the same group flight in LA as everyone else. A lot of my friends agreed that they did not enjoy working with STA.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How life changing and amazing it really would be. I know everybody says that but I didn't realize how thankful I would be that I decided to do this until it was all over. I can't believe I hesitated on going as much as I did. I am sooo thankful I decided to go!! ALSO: You probably shouldn't rule out staying longer after classes are done. Just think about it, you just had finals that were worth a big portion of your grade so you probably didn't really get to enjoy your last few days in Australia. I stayed two extra weeks and traveled around with a few friends and I know a lot of other people stayed extra weeks as well. Those who went home right away told me they wish they had stayed for a bit longer.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Statistics

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Since I'm a communications major math is not my favorite. The teachers for this were terrible. I taught myself everything from youtube and our only grades were our midterm and final. However, I ended up getting an A so it's all about how much work you want to put into it.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Design for Media Communication

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was my favorite class. It was a lot of fun. You use Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator and are given different assignments every two weeks. Some examples include: creating a T-shirt for JCU, a logo for JCU's TropEco, mood boards, etc.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Photography

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Really easy class just have two portfolios and keep a creative journal throughout the semester. You learn some pretty cool things too!
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Biodiversity of Tropical Australia

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I am a Communications major but need to take one science class for my overall degree, so I used this class to fill that requirement. All you do is go to class, they lecture you with a powerpoint and you write it all down. Study those notes for your tests and you'll do fine. I will admit it was a bit annoying because there were a lot of scientific names you had to memorize. We did a field trip to the rainforest though and that was fun.
Credit Transfer Issues: