My Time In Sydney, Australia Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The education experience was a little different than education you would experience in the States. To be fair I only took one class, but the class was way more interactive than any class than I have ever taken before. There were more trips to see the actual origins of Australia to the eventual modern sights. The discussions of current events in not only the continent but the world.

On-site administration of your program

People say that there is no such thing as perfect, but I honestly never had any complaints about the Programs Administration. There guidelines were clear and concise. They were available whenever you needed them and they were always helpful. The administration made sure the resources available to you and were unrelentingly nice.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Administration had just started to use a new housing company for my programs living arrangements, called Urbanest. The housing itself was like living in a flat with a couple of other guys. It was a brand new building though with all the amenities that one could ask for except for a pool unfortunately. Although, it didn't have a pool it did have a gym, entertainment areas, and barbecue areas. The rooms/ apartments were fully furnished with iron, pots, pans, dish washer, tv, internet, etc.

The only thing I didn't appreciate about living in the flat was that you had to cook your own food. Now, that isn't actually a bad thing I'm just kind of lazy when it comes down to cooking. Although, if you went out to eat you puzzled with a variety of choices. I can quite honestly say that I have never had such an array of food choices that i actually took advantage of in my life.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The people are genuinely nice. That may be a bit vague to understand so let me explain a little. There were people who actually took time out of their day to help you if you looked like you needed it or had ever asked for it. People were kind and curious about who you were and where you actually came from because somehow they could always tell you weren't Australian, but that never put them off. It is a trait that admired in all of the people that I met while I was studying abroad.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I can't really say much about the health care since I was never really injured while I was studying abroad. However, I did know of someone who actually did get hurt and they were taken care of pretty well from what I was told. Once you are accepted to the program you are actually insured as well so whatever injuries that may befall you while you are away is covered, something which will be discussed further in orientation.

Safety was one of the first things that was discussed in orientation when our program attendee's had first arrived at orientation. They had a police officer come in and discuss what was illegal and what wasn't. They also talked about how to stay safe when going to beaches because they're many different things that can and may hurt you. Overall the program takes a precious amount of time making sure you are prepared to live and acclimate yourself into a new city, and culture.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

2.5=$100/week It wasn't extremely hard to live on a student's budget. Honestly, you just need to come to an understanding of how to shop, where to shop, and where you were going to spend the majority of your money. Not every person has the exact same budget for a trip abroad.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The people
• The places
• The food

• If I could I would love to travel more, but the program itself was perfect

The Outright Urbanite