Australia: Very fun and laid back, but not too challenging. Past Review
By William N (COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES., Austin College) for
IES Abroad: Sydney Direct Enrollment - University Of New South Wales
Studying abroad was definitely fun, but I wouldn't really coin it as a life changing experience. Honestly it really just felt like a glorified vacation. It was a blast, don't get me wrong, but the University was easy, and I didn't really face too many great challenges that I had to overcome.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | no |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
University of New South Wales was quite a bit easier than Austin College. The first four weeks of Uni were a breeze. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was organized very nicely. Thais was a great program leader. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My housing situation was amazing! Living in the colleges (dorms) was a great way to transition into life in Australia by living with and meeting many Australians. There was a strong sense of community within the dorm, and many activities that were a blast. |
| * Food: |
Due to residing in Basser College (the dorm), I had access to the Kensington College dining hall. The food provided there was quite terrible, but I suppose it was a fair trade off for living in the dorms. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The spring break trip to Cairns, Queensland was quite fun. I also enjoyed surfing in Sydney. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Overall, I was never really concerned for my personal safety, I suppose it never was a pertinent issue. |
| 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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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Americans are nicknamed "Seppos" which stands for "Septic Tank", which obviously means "full of shit". Americans are coined as loud, dumb, and ignorant. It is kind of annoying to be stereotyped the second you open your mouth, but usually once you can strike up a decent conversation with cool people, they treat you just fine. |
