A great taste of both social, work, and everyday life in Sydney, Australia. August 13, 2022

By (International and Global Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 05/26/2022 to 07/27/2022 with

Boston University: Sydney - Internship Program, Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned more about what I would like my profession post-graduation too look like, as well as the type of city environment I would enjoy living in, as before going abroad, I did not think I would ever enjoy living in the city. This experience was definitely worthwile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The course I took exposed me to information that I have never really learned about. The course did require some out-of-class work, but was not overly time-consuming.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program administration were really great getting us oriented to the neighborhood we lived in and Sydney as a whole. I felt like they were pretty accessible and supportive.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing accommodations were really nice and the program supplied our kitchen with basic kitchen supplies.

* Food:

There were many food options around our housing accommodation.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Local culture did not feel very different from what I experience at school and home.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The program administrators did a good job, during orientation, at letting us know all of the health providers we had access to.

* Safety:

I felt very safe during my time in Sydney.

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

I felt very supported in terms of getting to know Sydney, academics, and navigating the process of getting an internship.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 250-300, depending on if I traveled outside of Sydney/ did any higher-costing activities.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I found that i was able to save money easier becuase of who I hung out with. We all seemed to be on similar pages about how much we wanted to spend when we went out for dinner, or for larger trips/excursions.

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
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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 internship experience.
  • The ability to explore both Sydney and nearby cities.
  • Learning new subject material in the class I took.
* What could be improved?
  • Better variety of courses
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I realized a that I would feel a little bit rushed dover the weekend when visiting other cities/ sightseeing in general.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.