I would do it all again Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., St. Mary's College of Maryland) - abroad from 07/16/2012 to 11/16/2012 with

James Cook University - Townsville: Townsville - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
A cultural experience of the world and how much of nature there is out there and how beautiful is it.

Review Photos

James Cook University - Townsville: Townsville - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo James Cook University - Townsville: Townsville - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

James Cooke Uni was the same difficultly as St. Marys, the major difference was that the class size was much larger and individual student attention was not as prominent as it is at SMCM.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived in an off campus apartment, St. Mary's was not responsible for finding us housing in Australia.

* Food:

Because we lived off campus, we did our own personal grocery shopping.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Australia doesn't have any health care for international students and I got sick three times and none of the clinics I went to accepted my personal health insurance. So I had to pay for it out of pocket, then submit a claim form the HTH (the insurance all SMCM students are required to get before going abroad) and then HTH did reimburse me the full amount of medical expenses (medicine, profesional care, etc) within six weeks.

* Safety:

The aboriginal population was the only threat posed to the students who lived off campus in the city. Campus, on the other hand, was very safe and secure.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

1. Australia is very expensive. A student needs 6,000+ ready with them when they go for food, transportation, housing and spending alone. The flight within itself is 3,000. Plus any additional spending they want to do there (New Zealand, Tasmania...)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 6,000
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Get a job abroad. In the hospitality industry.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • Nature
  • People
  • Food & culture
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
  • Food
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How expensive it was going to be

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 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.