Great place to study marine science Past Review
By A student (Diving & Marine science, University of life) - abroad from 01/13/2014 to 05/01/2014 with
Study Abroad Programs in Malaysia
I learnt a lot about myself and about marine science. I have a love of diving and of the outdoors. Most of all I learnt how fragile our planet is and how easily we are damaging it.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This was a great course, clear, intensive and the island is just fantastic. Very hands on with practicals to reinforce all the lectures and we watched so many videos and had so many discussion sessons that it didn't feel like study. perfect for a high school dropout. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The course was well run |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The camping on th beach was fun. the classroom was over the sea and the view was distracting. Study on a tropical paradise. |
| * Food: |
I am a vegetarian so the fact that there was plenty of great food was good. Obviously difficult to get all the nice stuff when you live on an island but there was always plenty of fresh fruit and veg. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This was a course and while we dived and socialised with local staff and people from all over the world on the island we were not there to integrate with the community. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Tropical places always have mosquitos, my advice is use repellent, don't scratch and if they gt infected then take really good care of the smallest injury. |
| * Safety: |
The island is safe and people who live in Semporna say it is safe. For all travel you need to be careful. |
| 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) |
This is an intensive course which included scuba diving classes so is obviously more expensive than living in a student flat and eating cold baked beans. It was cheaper than a 18 month course because it was intensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | All inclusive, food, accomodation, dive courses and study |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish i had studied at school or perhaps I wish I had teachers at school who made study fun and interesting. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Cambridge Marine Science A level |
| Course Department: | TRACC |
| Instructor: | Prof Oakley |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | We worked from dawn to after sunset on a beautiful tropical island, we went diving and observed the marine life, we did many many practicals and it was so carefully mixed between fun practical sessions and academic study that it didn't feel like school at all. Measuring beach profiles and snorkels with critters on seagrass really didn't feel like study. We looked at mangroves - from in the forest, we did fisheries - in the fish market, we did coral reefs by diving. Shorelines we did before breakfast and then we went out again for more fun. This is a great place to get additional credits in such a short time, A Cambridge A level usually takes 18-24 months, we did the course in 14 weeks and I GOT AN A. Wow Wow and more wow. The exam we did in Kota Kinabalu is internationally recognised and it will help me to get into a college when I have raised enough funds. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no - CIE exams are internationally recognised |
