Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Fantastic academic and social opportunity July 03, 2024

By (International Politics and Economics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/09/2024 to 06/22/2024 with

Arcadia: Melbourne - University of Melbourne

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained an insight into the similarities and differences of a university education and life style in the USA and Australia.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Top rate professors, interesting courses and plentiful resources for students

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Nick from Arcadia was very responsive as were Maria and Russell, always there to help students when needed and conducted an excellent orientation program.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My single room was spacious and even came with a balcony!

* Food:

Not enough food and not very nutritious. I had to buy a lot of food outside to supplement. This food situation was unique to my residential college and not necessarily the experience of others.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Very easy to get a long with the Australian students and made plentiful friends.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not need to use the healthcare system myself but it seemed very accessible, professional and fairly low cost. I did not need any specific additional vaccines for this program.

* Safety:

Melbourne seemed very safe to me and I never had any problems.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Interesting courses, made friends for life and had experiences I would never have dreamed of having in January 24 before I left.

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)

I needed more money than I expected because the food quality and quantity at my residence hall was not adequate. I spent around $150 just on supplemental food and did not have money to travel very much.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $150 per week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Go into accommodation with a kitchen and buy food in bulk from Aldi or Costco.

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? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location
  • People
  • Life style
* What could be improved?
  • Food quality & quantity
  • Air conditioning provision
  • Cost
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Just how wonderful it would turn out to be and thus I wish I had done it earlier in my degree cycle so that I could have had the option of doing a whole year at the University of Melbourne.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Sustainable Development
Course Department: Geography
Instructor: A/Prof Brian Cook
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The teacher was knowledgeable. There were no field trips but a lot of the content was related to Australia. Class participation was at a similar level to at Middlebury. I was assessed by papers, weekly quizzes and tutorial reflections.
Credit Transfer Issues: Do not know yet
Course Name/Rating:

Economics of the Law
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Prof Rhonda Smith
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The teacher was very knowledgeable and brought in insights regarding competition law as she was a former regulator at the ACCC. Most of the content concerned competition within Australia. I went to class the same amount as I would have in Middlebury. I was assessed by papers.
Credit Transfer Issues: Do not know yet
Course Name/Rating:

Post Conflict Development and Difference
Course Department: Geography
Instructor: A/Prof Rachel Hughes
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The professor was knowledgeable and cared deeply about her subject. The course primarily focused on Cambodia and East Timor but we also studied Aboriginal Australians and went to the Melbourne Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural center on a field trip. Assessments were primarily paper based but we also had to do weekly reflections and a presentation.
Credit Transfer Issues: Do not know yet
Course Name/Rating:

Rebels and Revolutionaries
Course Department: History
Instructor: Prof Sean Scalmer
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Incredibly knowledgeable professor who is very interactive in class. The tutorials were also incredibly interesting and well run by Natasha Wilson. There were no field trips but we did have a unit on the Aboriginal tent embassy which incorporated local history. Assessments were all paper based, along with participation.
Credit Transfer Issues: Do not know yet