A Learning Experience Past Review
By A student (Biology, Theatre, Elementary Education, Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/11/2013 to 06/22/2013 with
IFSA: Townsville - James Cook University
I learned a lot about myself. Being so far from the people I know and love, on my own, it forced me to grow as a person and discover new things about myself. Most importantly, I hope to hang on to the notion that everything isn't as important as it seems, there's no reason to be stressed out all the time, because things will work out if you try hard enough. Stress doesn't need to be a factor.
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. |
Some of my courses were challenging, engaging, and well taught. However I felt that many of the courses I took were poorly instructed, disorganized, and not very informative. I don't feel like I learned anything much from several of my classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The IFSA-Butler staff were really friendly and available, taking time out of their days to meet or talk and plan activities. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The food was terrible. As a vegetarian in particular, there were very few options, I ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Additionally, meals were only offered and very strict times and if you did not arrive immediately when the meal was starting, you would probably have little or nothing to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
I ended up spending a lot of money on additional food to supplement the poor food availability with my program |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | between $25-$40 (and I rarely drank, I know a lot of people who spent much more) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | budget and over-estimate how much you think you'll spend. Everything is much more expensive in Australia (even though its about $1=$1) because their minimum wage is much higher. Alcohol in particular is much more expensive, so be prepared. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | It won't be easy. It won't be fun all the time. It will be really hard, but it will be worth it. Just push through, meet people, and its ok not to get along with everyone. |
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 NetworkerAn active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume. |
