Words can't describe how thankful i am....Experiencing Down Under! Past Review

By (FInancial counseling and planiing, Purdue University) - abroad from 05/14/2013 to 07/06/2013 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Sydney, Australia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
If I could describe my experience in Sydney in 3 words, those words would be Informative, relaxing, fun, insightful, lovely, awesome…Ok I know that was definitely more than 3 words but it’s just sooo hard to put a limit to the description of my Journey. Coming to Sydney I was more focused on gaining experience in the workplace than “exploring” the city like most students did (not that I didn’t want to enjoy the city, but my internship was my main priority). I was hoping that all the knowledge I acquired from my financial related courses taken at Purdue would transpire the tasks I performed while interning and they certainly did. After completing my internship, I have no doubts in my mind that Financial Counseling and Planning is the route I want to take as a career. I am thankful for my awesome supervisor! I will most likely never forget about her due to the fact that we went skydiving together (highlight of my trip!). Some of my best memories in Sydney also include the blue mountains trip, hunter valley, and all the attractions I got to visit. I am thankful for my coworkers for allowing me to be part of their end of financial year lunch and farewell lunch they had for me. That truly showed how much they care about their interns, which I appreciated. I am also grateful for our instructors, and all the knowledge I gained from them. I often do not come across instructors as passionate as Varina and Andrew about their job. Last but not least, I would like to thank CAPA for giving me the opportunity to be part of this program, and making my experience worthwhile, and rewarding. I am pleased to have gotten to know some of the ladies from CAPA personally ( you know who you are lol) I am definitely planning on coming back to Sydney one day, during summertime of course! I will make sure that I keep in touch with all of these awesome people!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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? 50
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy food and cook instead of eating out all the time. Great groceries from cheapest grocery store.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
  • Hotel
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • People
  • Where i lived
  • Attractions
* What could be improved?
  • classes schedule
  • more internship hours
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish i knew it was winter time in Sydney when i went there!

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A 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.