Bond University - The Quintessential Aussie study Abroad May 14, 2024

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were solid overall. Academics don't seem to be the heaviest focus at Bond, but the courses aren't bad. There are very few assignments with very heavy weightings, so you need to do well on the major exams in most classes. My home university took a pass/fail approach to these classes which helped reduce the academic stress while abroad.

On-site administration of your program

The Arcadia program was great when we arrived to get us acclimated, with a few days of activities before getting us set up at Bond. After the semester began, there was somewhat minimal communication (an optional dinner/event every month or two). We could always reach out, but I think that their approach was "We're here, holler if you need anything". Whenever things did come up, they were always super helpful and responsive.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my housing. I stayed in Varsity Towers, which is a 7 minute walk from the campus. It was similar to a hotel room, and it overlooked the water. No roommate. It had a little kitchenette for cooking, which saved money on food. Couldn't have asked for anything better

Food at Bond isn't great. The meal plan is a waste of time because it's a 1-1 transition of dollars for points - you don't get any added value. If anything, just get an international credit card with cashback and you'll at least save something that way. Food quality was so and so- there are a few on-campus restaurants, but I found them over-priced and not great quality. There are plenty of restaurants nearby (walking distance) that are cheaper and taste better. Having a kitchenette in my housing also allowed mt cook 1-2 meals a day.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was pretty solid... everyone speaks English, which helped, obviously. Bond has a lot of international students, so plenty of people were looking for an "adventure semester", which made it easy to find people to do stuff with.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Bond has a medical center that students can go to for free, which is helpful for simple stuff (if you need a prescription for a flu or something along those lines) I honestly found the medical system a little confusing, I was glad that I didn't have to navigate it very often. That being said, Arcadia could always help with that, and they did the 1 time I needed help with it (I needed to go see a dentist). The one thing I found annoying is that a dentist visit was not covered under my international insurance, so I had to pay for it out of pocket. Nowhere near the US prices, but I thought that should have been included or at least explicitly mentioned.

No issues here... Gold Coast felt safe (that being said, I am a guy - might be different for other people). I would go out at night or early morning on runs/exploring. Had no problematic encounters or situations.

I think it was great - Got exactly the kind of experience I was hoping for. Academics were solid, but far more laid back. Had opportunities to explore beautiful nature in a part of the world that I hadn't been to before. Met a lot of cool people. Great change of pace from my usual university. Really couldn't have asked for much better in a big-picture sense

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not cheap. The advantage was the exchange rate, which helped lower the costs significantly. I would eat out once a day and cook 1-2 meals at home. I would say that my food costs averaged around 30 AUD/day (or just over 200AUD/week). Throw in other expenses (you want to travel, rent a car with friends, gas, public transit, buy a used surfboard, etc.) I would say that living costs could easily hit 250 AUD/week on average. I also didn't go out much for partying/drinking - that could also run you up a tab very quickly in Surfers Paradise or Burleigh.

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• Other

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Location - Gold Coast was terrific
• Easier Academics - allowed opportunities for travel
• Housing

• It's really expensive
• Check-in's with Arcadia