Challenging but definitely worth it! Past Review
By Nadia N (Journalism, California Baptist University) - abroad from 09/02/2016 to 12/18/2016 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Gold Coast - Semester on the Gold Coast
I gained a lot of confidence being abroad. I was surrounded by completely new people that it felt as if I were starting a new life, it was very refreshing. Because of this there were also some challenges by being exposed to different kinds of people. This did not hinder me, rather opened my eyes to different perspectives.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
School abroad seemed harder than my home University due to the difference in culture and school policies, however I was challenged in many ways that helped the growth of my academics. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My CIS adviser was amazing! Made me feel very welcomed and taught me a lot about the Aussie culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My dorm was a perfect size and included its own bathroom and balcony that I shared with one other person. The only downside was that during my time here, a lot of constructing was going on so it was very noisy early in the morning and after numerous complaints the school didn't do anything about it. |
| * Food: |
What made me really homesick was having to eat the food because it was nothing compared to the food back home (America). I disliked many of my meals and the portion size was very small. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got bitten by a few creatures and although the school nurse was very helpful during this time, I did not favor the way the health insurance was run. I had health insurance and once I went to buy my medication I was told I had to fill out the an application online in order to get reimbursed. The online application was very confusing (since I had travel insurance) that I just decided to let it go. |
| * Safety: |
For the most part I felt very safe here, however for some reason I was the only person out of my study abroad group that kept getting bitten b spiders and other creatures. |
| 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) |
Everything was so expensive compared to things at home (America). One of my biggest struggles was money. Be prepared to bring lots of money to enjoy your time here. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $80-$100 |
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? | The cost of living. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
