Best 4 months of my life! Past Review

By (Youngstown State University) - abroad from 02/17/2012 to 06/24/2012 with

USAC Australia: Gold Coast and Brisbane - Undergraduate and Graduate Courses

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was amazing. I learned so much. I've matured. It was the best four months of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing. I will remember my time abroad for the rest of my life!!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes are alot harder here. You don't get homework points. You only have 3 grades per class. So, if you fail one, you fail the entire class. The grading sytem is also really weird. There's no A's or B's.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They didn't really do much for us.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a student apartment complex. It was nice.

* Food:

It's sooo expensive to eat here. I barely ate because it was so expensive.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I would walk everywhere, and have never once felt unsafe.

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)

Everything is sooo expensive here. The cost of living is so much higher.

* Was housing included in your program cost? No
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy on sale things. Go to fruit markets to get cheaper produce and fruit. Don't go out to eat, you'll save tons. Also, fast food is quite expensive.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Meeting people from all over the world
  • Learning about the culture
  • Getting to travel
* What could be improved?
  • I wish USAC offered us a orientation so we could meet other USAC students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How expensive things were