An Australian Adventure Past Review
By A student (IDCC, Bentley University) - abroad from 09/03/2012 to 12/16/2012 with
Bond University: Gold Coast - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I think I gained independence while being abroad and learned the importance of not always staying in a big group.
Review Photos
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. |
The classes were average level and actually demanded hard work, but not as rigorous as my home institution. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I never met with the host country program administration, but I never had a reason to. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I think it would have been better if they separated the Bentley University students. This would have made it easier to meet Australian students. |
| * Food: |
The food was a lot of the same stuff every day as the menu rarely changed, however I actually liked the food. Some people ran out of money on their meal plan, but I made it to the last day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt more integrated with the local culture than some of the other American students because I made friends with some of the locals. However, it wasn't very easy to integrate yourself into their lives. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had to deal with any health issues while abroad. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe while abroad. The building was very secure which was actually annoying at times, but good to know that we were safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Depending on how often student's went out to bars/nightclubs, one was able to live on a student's budget. The majority of my money was spent on trips. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | it varied greatly depending on where I was. $100-$300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | It helped to get an international credit card in order to avoid transaction fees. I had a Chase Sapphire Preferred card. Also, use your meal plan rather than going out to dinner all the time and drink before you go out because drinks are very expensive. |
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 learned that I love New Zealand and I wish that I actually studied there. Also, to travel more in the beginning of the semester because orientation week isn't actually that important. |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
