The best semester of my college experience yet Past Review
By John S (Marketing., Providence College) - abroad from 07/14/0012 to 12/04/0012 with
Arcadia: Sydney - Macquarie University
A greater sense of who I am and what I want to accomplish in life. Also my world view has been greatly broadened due to the large number or international students.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Was difficult in a different way. More of the struggle came from adapting to a new university system rather than the material itself. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything was made very clear and accessible. Everyone involved was very helpful. Due to the number of students at University of Sydney as opposed to Macquarie the attention felt a little more focused on them rather than all participants. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Houses were fine but only the west side village houses were shown on Arcadia's website and their facilities are much more nice than the east side where we were placed. |
| * Food: |
We had to support ourselves in regards to food but the food that was provided during Arcadia events was wonderful |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There could have been more opportunities to meet Aussies at their homes either inside our outside the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Everything is more expensive in Australia |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 130-150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook for yourself, make large meals with multiple people if possible. Buy Tupperware for leftovers |
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 damn expensive beer was in Australia |
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 BlazerCraving 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.' |
