Gold Coast - The Time of My Life! Past Review
By Bridget Thom (University of Massachusetts Amherst / UMass) - abroad from 01/06/2017 to 04/24/2017 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Gold Coast - Semester on the Gold Coast
I learned so much about myself! Going abroad really pushes you outside of your comfort zone and forces you to try new things. The people you meet and the experiences you have will change your life.
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. |
Bond Uni has amazing facilities and a beautiful campus! All of the courses I took had amazing faculty and professors instructing the courses. The classes at Bond were much more hands on compared to my classes back at home, which I really enjoyed! I learned a lot and still had plenty of time to travel and hang out with friends! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CIS staff on the Gold Coast are amazing! I miss Jackie Chapman everyday! She's so amazing and makes you feel safe and updates you with anything going on. Definitely go on all of the excursions she emails you about! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Varsity Shores was great, but it was a bit bumpy at first with the disorganized management. I really enjoyed all of the people I lived with and was lucky to be placed in a house with all college-aged abroad students (keep in mind this might not be the case for you). In the end, Varsity Shores was home and I loved living there. |
| * Food: |
Bond has pretty good food in the bra. Some of it is hit or miss, but for the most part if you are on campus it's alright! The area itself has some pretty good places to eat just a short walk away in Market Square. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You're exposed to beach life and surfer culture all over the Gold Coast! It's super nice, but can be a little hard to mingle with other Aussie students at Bond because the campus community is mostly abroad students. It's definitely not impossible if you join clubs and are outgoing! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The on-campus clinic is really great and easy to use. There was a small copay ($5) and the doctor helped me out when I got bronchitis and took care of me. There are pharmacies within walking distance of campus too if you ever need a refill of something or any other things. |
| * Safety: |
I never was worried about safety! I felt very safe even at night. As always, be smart whenever you go somewhere. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CIS was perfect in pre-departure assistance, on-site assistance, and post-departure assistance. I loved everything the program had to offer and wouldn't change a thing. |
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) |
It's pretty hard to budget because there is so much to do and so little time! Definitely plan out as many of your trips as possible and have a list ranking places you want to visit before you leave. Chances are you might need to drop some small trips if you have some bigger trips planned. |
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? | 0 |
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? | Budget and plan trips ahead of time! Before you know it, you might be squeezing in so many trips at the end of your trip! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA 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. |
