A Beautiful Place, BUT Not My Kind Of Space. Past Review
By Kae_Mo21 (Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/14/2016 to 06/26/2016 with
Arcadia: Sydney - University of Sydney
I learned the importance of being honest with myself, not making a lifetime decision out of anger. I also learned that it is important to travel with at least one person you know you can hag out with. Most importantly, I strengthened my faith and relationship with Jesus Christ by attending the EU (Evangelical Union) group meetings on campus and a local church in the area. I am very thankful for those experiences.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The course load was challenging. The University of Sydney really forces you to be independent. Because it's a large school, which I was not use to, it's important to form study groups and prepare effectively for office hours since you will have approximately 15-20 minutes to ask and get your question(s) answered. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was very friendly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed in SUV and it was suite style (5 rooms 2 baths), but looked nothing like what was advertised on the website. Come to find out, abroad students stay in one type of housing all together with a mix of Australians. However, the staff was very friendly and always willing to help. They made sure things got fixed when reported and that we were well taken care of during finals week and throughout the semester by hosting fun activities and giving FREE food. |
| * Food: |
N/A - I cooked my own food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Didn't feel integrated at all. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was a pretty easy set up and we were only required to have all of our mandatory shots from birth (mandatory for school purposes etc). No extra vaccines were needed. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe at the University of Sydney. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
The program lacked diversity in the events it held. Most of the activities consisted of day walks and/or hikes. |
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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 AUD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to free food events and use uber-pool or the bus |
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? | I wish I knew more about the interest of the staff so that I could better assess or anticipate the activities we were going to be participating in. |
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 NetworkerAn active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
EDUF1018 Education, Teachers and Teaching |
| Course Department: | Education |
| Instructor: | Remy Low |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course had multiple instructors, but my tutorial instructor made class and learning fun and was very knowledgable of the course and material. I felt as if he cared about his students learning and growth. Because I felt apart of this course, I participated as much I could (about 95% of the time). Assessments were returned in a timely manner and consisted of papers individual as well as a group paper and group presentation. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Have yet to transfer credits |
