A semester spent at the beach January 06, 2024

By (Earth and Climate Sciences, Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/11/2023 to 12/08/2024 with

Arcadia: Sydney - University of New South Wales

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained confidence exploring different countries alone (traveling alone). I learned to be self-reliant which included cooking for myself and living on my own.

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.

Did not feel very academically rigorous. This probably is not true for full-time students at UNSW, but the courses that most study abroad students took seemed easy. There was minimal class time. Most of the work was the one big assignment at the end of the course.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The people at Arcadia were great. They provided fun activities for us to do during orientation, as well as throughout the program. They were very supportive throughout the process-- the director even reached out to me specifically when a student from my college died. This was an act that showed that the people in Arcadia genuinely cared about us.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved how close we were to campus and how nice and spacious the apartment was. My roommates were all easygoing and it made for a peaceful but fun living environment.

* Food:

All of the food was cooked individually, so can't really give a rating on the program. There was an option to live in an area with a dining hall but I'm not sure how that food was.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

All of the students in my program were American, which I felt kind of limited my ability to make Australian friends. The program did a good job of immersing us in the culture and showing us local events, but I wish that I made deeper connections with some non-Americans.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health issues, but the friends that I did said it was super easy and cheap (free even). Setting up appointments was easy as there was a care center right on campus.

* Safety:

Sydney is an extremely safe city. Kensington, the suburb where we were living, felt like an even safer extension of Sydney. It was relatively quiet and I never heard of anyone having any incidents.

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

I loved the friends I made within the program due to our shared interests and personalities. The program gave me the ground to develop those relationships.

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)

The exchange rate was good so it made it cheaper for US students. Food was not that expensive.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Get a rewards card at grocery store. Cook your own food as much as possible.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The support of the staff
  • The events they put on
  • The ease of transition to Australia
* What could be improved?
  • Shorter orientation
  • Variety of home universities
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? N/A

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Coastal Resource Management

Course Department: Earth Sciences
Instructor: Jes Sammut
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Wasn't too challenging. Two field trips occurred during the term which were really cool and showed us a new area of the city. The professor was smart and career oriented which I appreciated. I did less work in this course than a normal one at Middlebury.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Photography 1

Course Department: Arts
Instructor: Rebecca Shanahan
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was probably the most work I had to do for my courses at UNSW (which still wasn't too much). We had 2 major projects which were galleries of our photos. The professor was smart and experienced in film photography which made her helpful and supportive.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Sydney People, Histories, Landscapes

Course Department: History
Instructor: Luke Vitale
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was interesting as it gave a history of the city we were living in. The lectures/discussions were not very engaging and I did not feel motivated to go to class often. We had a big final paper that made up 60% of the grade which was stressful, but meant there was not much work for the rest of the term.
Credit Transfer Issues: Have not done this yet.
Course Name/Rating:

Intro to the Sydney Environment

Course Department: Earth Sciences
Instructor: David Edwards
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not a challenging course. The professors were super fun and engaging but the content did not feel like I was learning much important stuff. I did not do much work. The assignments were a brief paper, test, and reflections.
Credit Transfer Issues: Have not done this yet