Living the Life in Australia Past Review
By Meghan S (Elementary Education, Saint Anselm College) for
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Gold Coast - Semester on the Gold Coast
Very. I loved it and never wanted to come home. Each day I tell myself I want to go back to that amazing place. It just doesn't seem real now that I'm home.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was different. Instead of having multiple tests and papers due throughout the semester, many of the grades are based off of just a midsemester test and a final. The teaching methods were very much the same, and very technologically advanced. The hardest thing to get past was the grading system. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I did not like CIS at all. I would not recommend them to anyone who wanted to study abroad. I felt like nothing was done easily and there was very minimal conversation between the program and the student. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The food was great. It felt like a restaurant than a caf! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Visiting New Zealand was amazing. Also the Gold Coast has SO much to offer. Just travel as often as possible. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Australia is a very safe country, but they went over the obvious safety precautions that every student abroad should know. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You will go out to eat more often than you think, and spend more in a normal week at home. Also, the exchange rate and the price of living is a lot different, so make sure you factor in that. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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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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? | Go somewhere every weekend. In the Gold Coast, there is SO much around you and SO much opportunity to see a wide variety of things. I also enjoyed visiting New Zealand very much. Just use your breaks and weekends to the fullest. And if possible, try to have no Friday classes, so you can have an even longer weekend to travel. This was great! |
