Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An Experience of a Lifetime Past Review

By (Accounting and Related Services., Providence College) - abroad from 02/11/2012 to 06/22/2012 with

IFSA: Sydney - Macquarie University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile. Studying abroad gave me the opportunity to appreciate an unknown culture and appreciate everything it has to offer. The people are much more relaxed than anyone home, which taught me that there is no reason to be so uptight all the time as so many Americans are. Just appreciate life and all the people in it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Class structure was much different than I was accustomed to. Had to start with a 0 average and work your way up. The specific classes I had to take were not my favorite subjects or within my major.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Has the feel of a Freshman year dorm all over again. Great way to meet friends on your floor and you do not have to worry about buying your own meals, which is very convenient with the amount of traveling and spending you most certainly will want to get done.

* Food:

There are plenty of places you can see in America in case you do not want to expand your eating horizons, but there are several opportunities to see what other sorts of foods there are to offer.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* 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)

I am broke right now. Make sure to save as much money as you can before going abroad because you will spend a ton of money whether you think you will or not.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to eat at the cafeteria if you have one as much as you can. Paying for meals adds up and can prevent you from doing fun things like traveling.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Being on the other side of the world taught me how to be more independent in a way that college itself could not provide. It allowed me to tackle any problem I would potentially face myself and that is something I can take with me for the rest of my life.
* What could be improved?
  • The classes I had to take were not the classes I would have liked to have taken. I wish that I could have taken classes within my major abroad or that Providence College would approve other classes sooner so that I could have signed up for a more enjoyable class.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would have still gone to Australia, just not with ISFA-Butler. It seemed that a program like Arcadia offered more programs which were more enjoyable than ISFA-Buler's. Aracadia also had a better environment to meet other people within the program.