Past Review

By Ashleigh C (Corporate Finance and Accounting, Bentley University) for

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT): Melbourne - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Yes it was 100% worth missing a semester here in the states. Going to Australia, for me, would not have been feasible on my own. Being able to travel around Australia and see the sights as well as meeting Australians and being immersed in their culture was amazing. I have learned that you do not need to know people to fit in, all it takes is going out of your way to meet others.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	RMIT University
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month
The term and year this program took place:	Fall 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The academics were quite different than here in the States. Professors did not know my name and if you had a question you would email them and not simply go to their door and discuss it. Grading was based on finals, all of my finals were worth at least 60% if not 70% of my grade.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	Since we were living in apartments, 99% of the time we cooked but when we did go out we noticed that it had become very Americanized, McDonalds for example was on almost every corner. But, we did try kangaroo once or twice :)
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
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)