Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An immediate and total cultural integration Past Review

By (Business/Communications, Trinity University) - abroad from 02/14/2016 to 06/24/2016 with

Arcadia: Queensland - Griffith University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I made a lot of friends from Australia that I will keep for a lifetime and that is priceless to me. I also got to experience nature so amazing and foreign to me that I will remember for a lifetime.

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.

It was difficult to determine exactly how difficult it was because it was so different from American university.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in on-campus housing with all local Australian students. It was so much fun and an experience unlike any other because I was the only American and was immediately completely engulfed in the Australian university culture.

* Food:

We ate at a cafeteria every evening together (kind of like camp) and the food wasn't that great and there wasn't a lot of choices.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was completely integrated. I learned so many things that I would have never learned in any other environment. I was the one of only two foreign people in the dorm that I lived in and the whole dorm was really close and located in the middle of a forest so I got to know everyone and their Australian culture really well.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I went to the health center at Griffith University one time because I had pink eye and it was free and relatively easy.

* Safety:

My dorm was located in the middle of the forest so there wasn't a lot of threats of safety. The city of Brisbane was pretty safe as well. I always took the bus, and it was safe at night but I usually didn't go alone at night just in case

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

I made a lot of friends that I will keep for a lifetime and that is priceless to me. I also got to experience nature so amazing and foreign to me that I will remember for a lifetime.

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)

Australia is pretty expensive in general and if you're planning on traveling at all, that will be really expensive (similar to the price of visiting somewhere tropical from a city inside the land-locked U.S.)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I didn't spend a lot because it was paid for as a part of my program and I ate on campus a lot. But if I did make any purchases outside of that they were more expensive than I'm used to.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Spend as little money as possible and only take one trip, preferably to somewhere you can drive.

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
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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?
  • The locals that I met and grew close with
  • Learning how to surf and other nature related things (I surf now that I'm back)
  • Adopting all this new culture
* What could be improved?
  • The large difference in classes
  • Class help
  • School integration
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Australian university and Australian classes are completely different and they have a completely different system and learning style and grading system.

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.'