Best four months of my life Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/25/2017 to 12/07/2017 with
SIT Study Abroad: Australia - Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology
I met so many new people, realized there are so many amazing places I have never been and need to explore, and learned more about myself than I ever expected
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Courses were intriguing, rigorous but not impossible, taught by research professionals in that specific field, and corresponded directly to field experience |
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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? |
Living in primarily hostels, we were able to meet people, cook for ourselves, and become accustomed to living in Hostels. A homestay allowed us to be able to live in a house for a little while and learn about Australian culture. The one difficulty was never being able to fully unpack for long periods of time. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our relatively rigorous schedule and frequent excursions as well as living with members of our group left us little time to meet local Australians and learn in depth about the culture, but the homestay and camping trip with Aboriginal Elders definitely helped to combat that. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I was able to gain an in depth understanding of the rainforest, reef, and outback surrounding Cairns that I never would have gotten had I merely traveled. |
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) |
We were given stipend money for food and by purchasing groceries and cooking it was not difficult to remain under budget |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook at home! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Plan for a semester of packing and unpacking |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
