Past Review
By Dora H (Psychology/American Studies, Wellesley College) for
IFSA: Sydney - University of Sydney
The experience was definitely worthwhile. I met great people (Australian, American, and others), and the bonds that I've created with them by simply sharing an abroad experience will definitely become memories that will last a lifetime. Being abroad also was an opportunity to prove to myself that I can be independent, which was something that I needed to do before leaving college. Also, from studying in Australia I got to see what they think of America, which wasn't necessarily all good or all bad, but having the understanding, which is an understanding that as Americans we don't usually get to see, greatly contributed to my understanding of the world.
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. |
Lectures often were about 200 people, even for upper level classes, and because everyone was at different levels of understanding the material, discussions were often difficult to have. Tutorials were better environments for discussion, but because they only met once a week, it was difficult to maintain that continuity in understanding. However, the professors who I took classes with were definitely well-versed in their fields and brought their energy to lectures. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IFSA did a great job of staying on top of things while we were abroad. However, the University of Sydney system was somewhat difficult to navigate (adding and dropping classes, finding certain buildings, etc), and IFSA didn't really do much to ease that transition-- a lot of the times, we were simply expected to find a place. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived at St Johns College. I lived in a double room, which was a pretty good sized room with two sets of everything. I counted as a freshmen because I was new to the college, and lived in the "fresher corridor." <br /><br /> If you're looking for a fraternity/sorority experience, a residential college would be the right path for you, but I was looking for more of a cultural immersion experience without the fraternity/sorority implications. While the amenities and services provided by St Johns were good, I found that if I didn't drink with Johnnies, it was hard to mingle with them. Eventually, I ended up hanging out more with my friends who lived at Sydney University Village (down the street), who lived in apartment-style housing. St Johns (and perhaps other res colleges) tended to be very hierarchical, which was something that I wasn't really into. My last, and least memorable, memory of St Johns was going down three flights of stairs with all my luggage to get to the taxi stand, and although I was making noise with unpurposeful banging on the stairs due to my suitcases, a Johnny simply looked at me and said, "People are trying to sleep," and then walked away and didn't offer to help. Perhaps that's just me expecting too much. I would recommend living at SUV. Studio apartments can be lonely, but it's nice to have your own space sometimes. Five bedroom apartments can be very hit or miss, and roommate situations are likewise, but in contrast to living in a res college, SUV provided the independence that I was looking for in a study abroad experience. |
| * Food: |
By the end of the semester, I rarely spent time at St Johns and ended up cooking with my friends at SUV. Food was definitely more expensive than in the US, and almost everything cost about the same whether it was home-cooked or restaurant-bought (except for pasta, so we had a lot of pasta). Look out for special restaurant deals, especially on King Street ($6 Thai lunch at most places, $5.50 pizza on Tuesdays). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
IFSA did a great job of organizing events for us to go to. We had two surf days where we took lessons with a surf school, and we also had a hiking trip where we went into the Blue Mountains. Truly cultural experiences. Also, my friends and I organized our own trips to Cairns, Fraser Island, and Melbourne, as well as day trips to other local areas. Sydney itself was fun to explore. It is definitely a walkable city, and many days were spent simply wandering along the harbors and windowshopping. The Opera House was a frequent attraction that we visited, and picnics at the Botanical Gardens were a great way to relax and enjoy the nice weather. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
IFSA provided us with health insurance. I saw a doctor once and while I had to pay out of pocket because apparently the insurance card for the IFSA insurance was never sent out, my home insurance will reimburse me for the costs. A couple friends went to the emergency room on different occasions for different reasons, and while the wait was generally pretty long, they never had any difficulties with insurance. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Sydney was definitely one of the most expensive cities that we visited. If you're buying your own food, you can definitely live off of $50 a week or so, but at the beginning you'll have to buy bedding and toiletries and other necessities, so prepare for that. Also, at the end you'll want to buy souvenirs, so also budget for that. There is a Kmart and a Target at a nearby mall, but the local convenience stores (called chemists) offered lower prices for toiletries. Also, bus passes can really rack up in costs, so if the destination is within walking distance, I would definitely recommend walking instead. Also, keep in mind that buses often stop shortly after 1 am, so if you stay out past then, either stay really local or be prepared for many taxi rides. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Trips over the mid semester break will be more expensive than anticipated. Also, beware of buying drinks at bars, as they are definitely more expensive than drinking at home first-- that said, look out for drink specials. Additionally, souvenirs may be cheaper or more expensive in certain places, so don't be afraid to walk around a bit and price things. |
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? | Drinking is a huge part of the culture, so bear in mind that many social events will incorporate alcohol on some level at least. Budget! Money goes really quickly when you're abroad, so make a budget and stick to it. It may mean cutting certain things in order to see an interesting exhibit, but in the end it's all worth it. Also, allot about at least twice what you usually spend per week at home for your budget abroad. |
