Best 4 months of my entire life! Past Review
By Samantha Semmer (Oklahoma State University - Stillwater) - abroad from 07/10/2017 to 11/26/2017 with
AIFS: Perth, Fiji - Murdoch University
It was 100% worthwhile. The thought of being 10,500 miles away from everything and everyone I knew was extremely overwhelming at first. But once I got to Perth and settled in, it felt like home almost immediately. Everyone in australia is so nice and will go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need. I learned how to adapt to change. I gained confidence in myself by having to figure out everything on my own in a foreign country. I gained friendships that will last a lifetime.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had to have an emergency appendectomy during my 3rd month abroad. The nurses and doctors at the hospital were extremely nice and the ER experience was 100x better and faster than anything I’ve experienced in the US. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I chose this program because it had a week in Fiji, which is somewhere I’ve always wanted to go, and it exceeded every expectation I had. Fiji was absolutely beautiful and getting to see the cultural side to it as well was amazing. I will never forget the week we spent there. My time in Perth was amazing also. I met so many locals and had a great experience overall. AIFS had some cool programs they put on for us while we were there, which helped us meet new people. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy food from the grocery store. Eating out is quite expensive |
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? | People from other programs were able to live in something other than the University Village on campus. I wish that they gave us different housing options, and if there were other options, it should’ve been more clear in the application. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
