Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Wonderous wildlife, great group, and amazing personal growth Past Review

By (Anthropology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/01/2019 to 05/14/2019 with

SIT Study Abroad: Australia - Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
This program showed me how to live a balanced life, and I found a passion for birds and fish! It was a once in a lifetime experience!

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This was an incredible program, and I learned an amazing amount while having life-changing experiences!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were great! Though they didn't always encourage questions, which I think is not okay.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We were in a very central location, and had access to a kitchen, but the party environment of the hostel made it difficult to study in one's room. We often went to the library.

* Food:

It was great! I always had enough food and the food stipend was more than enough!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This program is focused on ecology, and we move around the Queensland constantly. It wasn't set up for integration with the local culture. We travelled in a group of 19 American students, with an American Academic Director and an Irish or Australian specialty instructor. Half of the group was Jewish and half of the group was vegetarian. We were pretty homogenous. I felt like the unit on aboriginal culture was interesting, but more focused on a historical perspective rather than the current aboriginal community.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The health care was super easy and accessible! I used it and had a friend who used it, and we had no issues.

* Safety:

I felt very safe the whole program!

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

This program showed me how to live a balanced life, and I found a passion for birds and fish! It was a once in a lifetime experience!

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)

They gave us a food stipend of which I was able to save half and use the extra money to live comfortably in Sydney, an expensive city.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? They provided us funding, and I didn't have to use more on food and other expenses than the program allotted. In the beginning of the program I had to pay $100-$200 on program materials.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save half of your food stipend by cooking your own meals. I found a love for cooking and it was a blast to cook with friends!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Host Family
  • Apartment
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The location
  • the people/education
  • the personal growth
* What could be improved?
  • communication about logistics
  • more welcoming of questions
  • the academic assessments
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring a medium-sized duffle bag! You can live out of that for one week!

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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Independent Study Project
Course Department: N/A
Instructor: Tony Cummings
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was the best course I've ever taken! It allowed me to find a career that I love while learning a ton! I learned three new analysis techniques, including SPSS.
Credit Transfer Issues: I am not transferring this course credit.
Course Name/Rating:

Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology Seminar
Course Department: N/A
Instructor: Tony Cummings
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The field aspect was great! I learned a lot! I thought the quizzes were stressful and unnecessary, but the course work was manageable overall.
Credit Transfer Issues: I transferred the credit beforehand, and that has made the transfer process less stressful.
Course Name/Rating:

Environmental Field Study Seminar
Course Department:
Instructor: Tony Cummings
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I loved this class!
Credit Transfer Issues: