An indescribable experience! Past Review
By Lindsay L (Psychology, Minor in Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst) - abroad from 01/05/2011 to 04/18/2011 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Sydney, Australia
YES!! IT WAS SO WORTHWHILE!!! I learned that I can do anything.
Review Photos
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 academics were interesting, but not my main focus while studying in Sydney. The classes were manageable. The internship made SO much more of an impact on me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Unreal. The staff at CAPA-Sydney were SO helpful and always around if we needed help. I felt very comfortable being so far from home. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The Meriton was beautiful and accommodating. My apartment was on the 12th floor so I had an awesome view and big porch. Rooms were cleaned once a week, including sheets and dishes. The living room and kitchen were the perfect size for 4 roommates. Didn't really have a problem with security, although some other rooms did because of noise complaints. If you are smart you won't have a problem. |
| * Food: |
Food was expensive, but then again so was all of Sydney. SO worth it though! Lots of quick sushi and sandwich places. Fast food wasn't as popular as here in the U.S. The food stipend for groceries was a good amount and most of the people in my group survived on $40 a week. I would recommend saving a little bit of money just for food if you want to eat more than pasta and peanut butter sandwiches. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The internship made a huge difference! Working with Australians gave me a better idea of what the culture was like. The nightlife also gave a good representation of the culture, and was a good place to integrate with Australians our age. Everyone was SO friendly. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt so safe in Sydney. The public transportation is awesome and reliable. Just as any other city you definitely have to be smart, but I felt safer there than I do here in major cities in the US. |
| 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) |
Sydney is expensive, which is something that you definitely have to prepare for. But again, SO WORTH IT!!! |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Prepare to spend a good amount of money if you want to participate in life-changing activities such as sky-diving or snorkeling. Try to live off of the grocery stipend for extra spending money and avoid eating out as much as possible. Public transportation was included in my program costs which was AMAZING. Be smart, plan how much you CAN spend per week (with a little breathing room), but if you have the luxury not to worry about money when you get back to the states, it will be WORTH spending it abroad. |
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? | Don't try to picture what your experience will be like, it is IMPOSSIBLE to know without actually doing it. Have no expectations. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
