SO so fun and a great experience December 12, 2024
By A student (Anthropology and Sociology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 07/15/2024 to 11/24/2024 with
Arcadia: Sydney - University of Sydney
I learned how to pur myself first and figure out exactly what I wanted to do a gain out of my experience.
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. |
University of Sydney was an interesting academic experience as the way classes run is very different than in the US. The classes were overall filled with great content, but the way the content was presented and was graded differed with each class and was difficult to get a grasp on what each class needed from me academically. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff and program were amazing! Super attentive and there if you needed anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
On paper I got the place that I wanted, but our apartment was a hot mess. There was a major leak when we arrived which was not handled until 2 months later. Also, the housing arrangements for flatmates was not my favorite. I did not know who I was rooming with until we moved in after orientation, my apartment was co-ed, and my roommates were very difficult to get along with. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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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) |
I saved a lot for my experience so it was easy to live on my budget, but travel expenses and other expenses can easily add up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100-200, more if I was traveling. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a job before hand so you don't have to work while you are there. set yourself an overall budget and follow along week by week to see if you are sticking to it, need to change your ways, or have more room to spend. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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 how to plan my weekend better so I could travel more. |
