Aussie Aussie Aussie Past Review
By Sarah L (Marketing., Providence College) - abroad from 02/13/2012 to 06/30/2012 with
Arcadia: Sydney - Macquarie University
Gained a much larger international perspective, learned how to live independently. Absolutely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes are all posted online, so it's tough to find motivation to attend all of your classes. There are few assignments that are weighted heavily, and the grading scale is much different. The classes are big so the lecturers aren't really helpful outside of class, but if you put in the work you'll still do well. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They would usually get back to you within a couple of days via e-mail. They offered 3-5 events throughout the semester. We were a little clueless our first days after orientation, I wished they'd be more helpful in getting us set up at our universities. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Macquarie University Villages. A lot of fun, a lot of people around, great to have your own bathroom. Depending on your housemates, it may be pretty dirty. Villiage administration can be difficult to deal with. |
| * Food: |
Cooked for myself. The con was walking to the grocery store. Be sure to go to woolworths- it's much cheaper. You can also get food delivered. If you're too lazy to cook there's a lot of places in the Macquarie Center |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone was very welcoming. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues while abroad. |
| * Safety: |
Sydney always felt very safe, as did Macquarie. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| 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? | Don't use the grocery store across the street from the villages. It's convenient but much more expensive. Learn to take the bus early. It's closer than the train and less expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | How much money it would cost. |
