Sydney, Australia: No worries mate Past Review
By James D (Biology, General., Hope College) for
IES Abroad: Sydney Direct Enrollment - University Of New South Wales
I gained an understanding of different cultures and accepting different beliefs, whether I agree with them or not. I would have gone through a different program than IES, but enjoyed every other aspect of my study abroad experience. Studying abroad allowed me to experience a marine biology class right by the ocean, and has opened my eyes to a field that I find interesting. My location for the program was ideal.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There was less busy work at the University of New South Wales, when compared to my home college. The grading system did not go by letters, but instead high distinction, distinction, credit, pass, pass conceded, and fail. The teaching methods were similar, although more assignment submissions were online at UNSW than I am used to having. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Some of the organized trips were fun and entertaining, but for the amount of money given to IES, I would have expected more. The leader of the program tried to be helpful, but was not always. They did show a good knowledge about Australia and the American higher education, however. Overall, my expectations were not fully met. Some trips were well planned for the group, while others were unorganized and pointless. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment building I lived in was really nice in Coogee, and right by the beach. It was safe and a 20 minute walk from UNSW. Coogee Beach Hotel(bar/club/beer garden) was a 5 minute walk away, and I could easily catch a bus to Sydney. However, I would have rather been able to meet Australians through my housing arrangement, so the dorms would have been better for me. I lived in "Little America." |
| * Food: |
Moo Burger was amazing on Coogee Bay Road if you want a good burger. To the left of Moo Burger there was a chicken place that you could grab food from and they had a really good stir fry, amongst other choices. Dominos offered $5 pizzas every Tuesday, so that was the place to go then. Other than that, the local Woolworths and butcher in Coogee was good. There were other grocery stores and another butcher in Randwick that I stopped by on my walk back from UNSW plenty of times too. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The jet boat through the Sydney Harbour was lots of fun, and so was trying to surf at Manly Beach. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I had no health problems while abroad, and felt safe in Coogee and around Sydney. Just be smart when you are out at night, and there really wasn't anything else for me to worry about. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | I didn't keep track of this, a lot of money though. It all depends on what kind of food you got, I bought my meat from the butcher so it was more expensive ($12 for 2 chicken breasts), when you could get 4 frozen chicken breasts for that amount or less at the grocery store. A 10 pass bus 1 pass cost me $16, bus 2 pass cost $26. If you are an exchange student then you can get a 10 pass bus 1 for $8 and bus 2 for $13 (much cheaper when you add it all up). Bring a water bottle with you everywhere so that you don't have to pay for water too. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I wish I knew Sydney was one of the most expensive cities in the world before I began my study abroad. I didn't really think about the cost of a bus pass either. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go out and meet people. Take advantage of all that you can while there, because before you know it you will be back in the States. A student that is interested in marine biology would benefit from the connections that can be made at UNSW. The student should like to go out and enjoy nightlife and sports, because the Australian culture could be described around gambling, sports, and alcohol. |
