Forever passionate about both IFSA and Sydney, Australia! Past Review
By A student (Colgate University) - abroad from 07/19/2018 to 11/25/2018 with
IFSA: Sydney - University of Sydney
I learned that even when a culture seems very similar to yours, there are so many intriguing differences to explore. I also gained a great deal of independence and new-found confidence in navigating foreign locations.
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. |
Seeing that USYD is such a large university, it has endless academic opportunities. You can find a class for any interest! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site administration for IFSA was absolutely incredible. They grew to feel like family throughout those few months. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I found the Urbanest apartments to be extremely clean, comfortable, safe, and accommodating. |
| * Food: |
Sydney has incredible food everywhere you turn! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I found the Australian culture to be extremely warm, kind, and welcoming. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
IFSA clearly communicated all of our health resources and what we should do if we are to become sick or injured. I never had any health issues, but some of my friends did and had very positive experiences. |
| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe walking through Sydney at all times of the day and night. Uber and public transportation was also a great, safe and accessible resource for night-time activities. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I had only good experiences with IFSA from start to finish, and I fell in love with Sydney / this region of the world in general. |
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? | Probably close to 100 dollars, but it depends on activities/decisions to eat out during that given week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely set some budgeting goals and limitations for yourself ahead of time so you don't get carried away when you arrive (everything is very exciting and it's easy to lose sight of your long-term budget goals) |
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? |
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 knew that since the majority of students in this IFSA program were also American students, it would take a bit of extra effort to go outside my comfort zone to make Australian friends. |
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. |
