Past Review
By Kim M (Economics., Tufts University) for
IFSA: Sydney - University of Sydney
YES!! I can't speak highly enough of my experience and can't recommend it enough. It was so amazing!
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Sydney |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics were great! It was certainly an adjustment and required a lot of internal self-motivation, but if you keep up with the work along the way then the exams aren't as stressful and it's totally manageable. The professors are all very intelligent and most have quite a sense of humor, so lectures weren't bad. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Butler staff organized a few fun activities and were there for support if we needed them, but they were also good about not being too involved and letting us be independent. Their only main weakness was not understanding USyd's academics - especially the registration process - very well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was amazing!!!!! I was very lucky to live in a residential college - Wesley College - and it was the best part of my experience. I would totally recommend doing everything you can in order to live in one of the residential colleges. The on-campus location, dining hall with regular meals, MANY social activities like formals and sports teams, and roommate situation are all great. And by far the best part is that you get to live with and really get to know Australians, which the students who live in the apartments (SUV) or at UniLodge don't get to experience. It definitely makes a big difference - for the better - for your overall experience if you get to live in a res. college. <br /><br /> Read the above - the residential colleges are the best!! |
| * Food: |
Some people complained about the food, but I absolutely loved it. There was lots of sushi, stir fries, snacks to steal and take back to your room, great cereals, and yummy desserts. Also - lots of pumpkin. And it was very convenient to have the meal plan, so we didn't have to buy food and cook for ourselves or do the dishes or eat out (which is expensive!) all the time. There were also a good amount of vegetarian options and delicious salads. The chef was particularly nice and always willing to accomodate our needs. Having a meal plan is definitely the best way to go and a great value. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Australia is socially amazing!! The drinking age is 18, the Sydney clubs are awesome, and the residential college events are awesome. The only negative was that dress standards are nicer. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
No complaints - I felt safe and as if I could talk to my program coordinators about anything. |
| 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? | Less than those who weren't on a meal plan, but with alcohol and clothes and transport and activities it still added up. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use the bus instead of cabs, don't buy a lot of drinks once you're at a club, and bring nice going-out clothes. |
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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Bring an open mind an you'll have fun. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
History of Economic Thought |
| Course Department: | ECOS 3004 |
| Instructor: | Tony Aspromourgos |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was a challenging but pretty fascinating course. You learn about the theories of major economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Knut Wicksell, John Maynard Keynes, and a bunch of others in between. The multiple-choice midterm was challenging and the essay requires you to critique your chosen economist's theories, so it definitely requires you to think on your own. But Tony is a great lecturer and clearly incredibly smart, and as long as you attend lectures then this class is fair and really rewarding. I would definitely recommend it! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
