Sydney Summer Supreme! Past Review
By Marie Jobes (University of Portland) - abroad from 06/07/2016 to 07/19/2016 with
IES Abroad: Sydney - Study Australia Summer
The amount of knowledge i gained about cultural differences and barriers opened my eyes in so many new ways. The time abroad definitely gave me a better idea about who i am and who i aspire to be. I will be able to apply this learning experience throughout the rest of my life!
Personal Information
| 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. |
The summer program only has two required courses: IR/IB 393 Leading Across Cultures: Principles and Practice and CU/HS 255 - Australian Politics, Society, and Identity: 1788 - Present. The Professors for both courses were great! They made being in class fun and also helped us better understand cultural differences and apply these experiences in and out of the classroom. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
For this particular program I lived with eight other college students from around the States. We came in as strangers and left as friends. I formed some of my best relationships while abroad, and was so thankful to be sharing the learning, social and foreign experience with likeminded, adventurous individuals! We lived in the outskirts of the city in a townhouse/apartment duplex which was only a block away from a main street that had a store, doctors office, pharmacy and tons of restaurants. |
| * Food: |
we ate A LOT! it was so much fun to try new dishes all over the country, however we did notice that the food was expensive and lacking flavor in a lot of places. With that said, we also had lots of great meals and the final farewell dinner was held at a seafood buffet which was delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I lived with the same people i had class with everyday so i didn't get to make any close Australian friends. We did meet people when we went out and traveled but not in a classroom setting. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was pretty sick at one point during the program but there was a pharmacy and doctors office right next to our townhouse that could see me the day of. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
IES provided me with the experience of a lifetime! My university did not offer an abroad program in Australia that worked with my major and required classes. However, IES gave me tons of options and most importantly for me, Sydney was one of them. I formed some of my best relationships while abroad, and was so thankful to be sharing the learning, social and foreign experience with likeminded, adventurous individuals! |
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) |
At times i felt like i had to keep up with the other kids in my program. We ate out often and traveled a lot and the girls loved to shop! So we definitely had a more expensive experience that put me in a bit of a financial squeeze when i got back to the States. |
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? | I wish I had handled money a bit better. It would have been smart to setup a spreadsheet for spending and monitor where my money was going a bit closer. |
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. |
