Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Unexpected Adventures in Australia Past Review

By (Business Marketing, Arizona State University) - abroad from 05/27/2015 to 07/10/2015 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Sydney, Australia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Although it sounds kind of cheesy I learned a lot about myself while being abroad. I have always been a fairly independent person but that really gets put to the test when you are in a foreign country where you don't know anyone. I would say it helped me grow up a bit and learn some good life skills, like how to take the public transport! I also learned a lot about working in an international company. I had lots of responsibilities at my internship and learned how to balance my time seeing a new country while getting my work done. This was an amazing experience and I would do it all over again if I could.

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.

While abroad I was doing a 6 credit internship. The CAPA staff did an amazing job at matching an internship to my major, interests, and it was even walking distance from my home. I learned so much from doing an internship in another country. With an internship we also had to take the "learning through internship" course. This was fairly straightforward. There was weekly journal posts, an essay, and a group project video essay. I thought this was a good way to keep us on track and always evaluating our internships from different perspectives. Although some of the reading we had to do were dense, overall the academics were not too difficult as long as you didn't procrastinate.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administrations in Sydney were very helpful. They were all quick to respond to emails and made us all aware of any resources we might need. They also kept us up to date on any activities that we might be interested in, in sydney and made sure we didn't forget to do our assignments.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

While studying abroad I was lucky enough to participate in the homestay option. This made it a little bit harder to always keep up with the other students, but this was an amazing way to learn more about the countries culture and see just really how people on the other side of the world live!

* Food:

Although the food was a bit expensive in Sydney I thought it was very good! It wasn't too different from the states, other than smaller portion sizes. You could find just about anything you would need and grocery shopping was easy!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated since I did the homestay. I also spent some time volunteering in Sydney, which was an amazing way to meet the locals and learn more about the culture. It was especially easy since there was no language barrier. Although things may have seemed very similar to the states, getting involved was a great way to realize and appreciate the differences.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did have to go to the Doctors once while there. It was a minor problem and was handled very well. The CAPA administration and my homestay family directed me to a close facility I could go to. There was a little bit of a wait since I didn't make an appointment. It was a very easy process. Although it was a bit expensive, so try to stay healthy while you are abroad!

* Safety:

When we first arrived the CAPA staff had a police officer come to our orientation. He told us about the laws we would need to know, how to get help, and all other safety tips we might need like where to swim at the beaches. I felt very safe in this country and never had any problems. I had to walk alone at night back from work and never felt uneasy about this.

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

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)

Since I did homestay I did not have to spend money on food. This was a great way for me to save money for other things like trips around Australia. I would buy things to make lunch while at work but I never spent more than $80 at the grocery store for a few weeks worth of lunches. This is not always the case. The most money I spent would be on trips, or eating out with friends.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? less than $80 a week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The exchange rate is something to be aware of, as it is constantly changing. Before you leave make list of all the things to want to do than budget for those things. I wanted to go to the Great Barrier Reef so I found a group of people and booked it as soon as we could. Booking things early is a great way to save. Also try to make your own meals as much as possible. Skip the cup of coffee in the morning or make it at home instead. Just track your spending and think about what you want your experience to have. If you are there to try all the different foods than spend your money on that, if you are there to travel than do that. Don't let other people's choices influence your spending.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
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?
  • The internship was amazing and I wouldn't have had this opportunity to work there if it wasn't for this program
  • Meeting people from all over the world, both in the program and outside of it
  • Traveling to new places
* What could be improved?
  • Having more group activities, we only had three required events while there including the orientation
  • A better explanation of how to work the online website for academics, it was a bit confusing at first.
  • More information prior to getting to Sydney. I personally wasn't aware of my internship tasks until I arrived at my internship.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I think this is something I knew but didn't fully realize until I got back, and this is how quickly the 7 weeks would go by. I have studied abroad before I knew it would go by faster than I expected, but for some reason this trip just flew by. There are still things I wish I would have done while I was there that I never got to. I think I could have done some more planning ahead of time to prevent that, but looks like I will just have to go back :)

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 Networker
An active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume.