Brisbane, city of dreams Past Review
By Ben B (Environmental Management, Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 02/15/2017 to 06/25/2017 with
IFSA: Brisbane - University of Queensland
I gained a deeper sense of how to live on my own. I learned how to budget not only my money but my time. With a city (and country) full of things to do it can be taxing on your time and wallet. Learning this balance taught me a lot.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
UQ was an absolutely brilliant university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IFSA was there to help you if and when you needed it. They had a great balance of autonomy and support. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The Urbanest student living was... not great. It was dirty when we moved in and most of the staff didn't seem to care. However, the location couldn't have been better. I'd recommend looking into "atteria" ( I believe that's the name). It was one block behind Urbanest, same price and a much nicer facility. |
| * Food: |
The food was great overall, the prices are definitely higher than in the states, but the quality was great. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't get the deep sense of cultural immersion that I have gotten on past trips abroad and past exchange programs. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
IFSA kept you well informed on your coverage and resources. |
| * Safety: |
Brisbane is one of the safest places I have ever been. More so even than the United States. I felt safe in Brisbane at all hours of the day and night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
UQ, Brisbane, and IFSA, were all great for me. If I have any advice it would be to consider Brisbane over Sydney, everyone I talked to and traveled with agreed that Brisbane was the place to be. |
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) |
You will learn how to budget here. It is part of the experience and this taught me as much as any class I took. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 AUD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shop at wolly's and buy the generic brand. Plan out your meals. |
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? | That winter in Australia is actually quite cold, and that it rains often year round. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
