Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Sun, Sand, and some School Past Review

By (Biology and Environmental Engineering, Trinity University) - abroad from 07/11/2012 to 11/17/2012 with

Arcadia: Brisbane - University of Queensland

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was absolutely worthwhile. I gained a different perspective on the world, and met a lot of new people. I also got to see the Great Barrier Reef which I've always wanted to do.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes were much easier than I expected! The assignments were few and far between though, so each one was worth a large percentage of our grade.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

International House was definitely full of party people. If you like peace and quiet in your room at night, I don't suggest living here. Everyone was friendly and fun, but there was a lot of noise almost every night.

* Food:

Food was decent, but not at all as good as the food at Trinity. There were far fewer choices because it was a much smaller community.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

If you got involved with the activities going on at IH, you could get pretty immersed in the culture. It was sometimes hard to find out what was going on and when, though. Make use of your tower heads! They're like RAs, and they're there to help with whatever you need.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't really have any experience with health care while I was there.

* Safety:

I felt very safe in Brisbane. When we returned late one night from a train trip and couldn't figure out where the buses were, some box started talking to us. We were surprised to find that the area was monitored by video and the person on the line gave us directions to the bus.

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)

Our food was paid for ahead of time, so if you ate at the cafeteria you could spend very little money each week.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50, mostly on entertainment
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Budget your money! A lot of people spent all their money going out and partying all the time and were upset when they didn't have enough money to travel later. Be wise and spend your money on memories that will last a lifetime like a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, not just another night out.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* 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?
  • Being able to travel and see amazing places.
  • Meeting new people.
* What could be improved?
  • Better housing options
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known that IH was such a party college. I didn't like being woken up every night around 3am.

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:

Australia's Marine Environment
Course Department: MARS
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course included two field trips, one to the Great Barrier Reef and one to Moreton Bay. One each trip we did a research project and submitted a report. These trips were a great learning experience and really fun!! There was a lot of information covered in the course but the assignments and test weren't too difficult.
Credit Transfer Issues: I had no issues, I received upper division Biology credit for the course.