An Unforgettable Experience that Truly Changed Me Past Review
By Ryan F (Finance and Financial Management Services., Villanova University) - abroad from 02/12/2013 to 06/28/2013 with
University of Melbourne: Melbourne - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
One of the biggest things I gained was an enriched cultural understanding. Moreso than things I learned in the classroom, I learned about other people and how they live and view the world. Not only did I just learn from Australians, but I made friends from around the world.
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. |
Melbourne certainly offered a different teaching style than I was used to at Villanova. While Villanova was small classrooms and individual attention, Melbourne was mostly large lectures with hundreds of students. I at first found it a little hard to adjust to this. |
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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? |
I enjoyed the location of where I lived, as well as the people I lived with, but was not very satisfied with what I got for the price. I would have been able to find a much more affordable and nicer option had I not gone with the accommodation that was suggested to me. |
| * Food: |
The food wasn't too different than home, just different brands mainly. There was a lot more seafood and sushi than at home, which I greatly enjoyed. A lot of different Asian cuisines are present in Australia as well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very welcomed by almost everyone I met. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never really had any health issues. |
| * Safety: |
I pretty much always felt safe, even when walking around the city at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
I was not prepared at all for the amount of expenses I would incur during my time in Melbourne. The estimations given to me by Villanova were not very accurate. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $400-$500 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure to budget money for traveling while abroad. This was probably my biggest oversight. I was mainly thinking of expenses I would incur in living in Melbourne, but did not take account all the traveling I wanted to do. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | How high prices in Australia were so I could have prepared better |
