Fantastic Melbourne Exerpeince with GlobaLinks Past Review
By Melissa Z (Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University) - abroad from 02/15/2013 to 06/02/2013 with
ISA Study Abroad in Melbourne, Australia
Studying abroad is about more than the physical time spent in another country, but about the skills that a student walks about with from the entire experience. In Australia, a major skill I have gained is the ability to adapt; adapt to new cultures, places, situations. Every person will be in a situation with unexpected changes, and being able to adapt to such changes is a vital skill. Another skill I have gained being abroad is being independent. Although college did give me a push towards independence, living in southern Colorado and going to CSU in Fort Collins was not a drastic change. However, living on the other side of the planet of home has allowed me to realize I can be independent and successfully become acquainted to a new lifestyle and city. A final useful skill I have gained is cross-cultural communication, not only with Australians but many other cultures. The professional world today requires international competence, and having the opportunity to study abroad has definitely provided me with this skill.
Review Photos
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. |
University of Melbourne is rated the best university of Australia! With that being said, the academic aspect was challenging but not significantly more difficult than my home university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
In Melbourne, there were local experts that knew the area extremely well. Whether you were in an emergency situation or curious of how to get involved within the university, Globalinks' on-site administration was on point! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment I chose for living situations (RMIT Village) was perfect. It was a 5 minute walk from campus, but about a 15 minute walk to the center of Melbourne's CBD. There were both international and local university students living at RMIT Village which made for the ideal living situation-- pool and all. |
| * Food: |
The food was comparable to the food in the US. However, the best part was definitely the coffee and adorable coffee shops. No matter what random ally you choose to walk down, it is likely there will be a hidden, dainty coffee shop with the best coffee in the world. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in student housing with local Australian created a very integrative feel. Also, you are put in classes with Australians, so it is impossible to not meet the locals and experience the remarkable Australian culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Although I personally did not experience any medical emergencies, Globalinks does require that you have insurance while abroad if anything does happen. We were not required to get any vaccines. |
| * Safety: |
Melbourne has an incredibly safe vibe. In the months I was there, I did not witness any crime or was the victim of any unfortunate events.The locals are very friendly and helpful if you have even a slight problem like a directions. |
| 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) |
The city of Melbourne is very expensive- even top ten most expensive cities in the world. However, there are ways to avoid spending heaps of money such as shopping at Aldi for groceries and avoiding eating out often. |
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? | GlobaLinks does have local experts in the area that I wish I would have taken to my advantage more. Other than that, the transition was extremely easy, and GlobaLinks made everything very smooth. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
