Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Sydney! :) Past Review

By (CHF, University of Maine at Orono) for

ISA Study Abroad in Sydney, Australia

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes! Made me feel so much more independent, made tons of friends, and has helped me think more about what I want out of life.

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not too many assignments, just one or two big ones and a final. They graded more difficult than I'm used to. Classes are set up with a lecture and a tutorial, both once a week, and most lectures are recorded so attendance is optional. Tutorials are very participatory though, so important to go to.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They didn't have much of a presence, but I didn't have any problems.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Food's expensive! But it's alright, can cook about the same stuff as you would here.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Only program arranged by program was the in-country orientation in Cairns.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I always felt very safe in Sydney, and never had any health problems. No vaccines! :)

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Sydney is a very expensive city! Food, drinks, etc. And they don't give you a student discount for public transportation. Also, internet is not unlimited in a lot of places so you pay for it based on data.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Being able to make a core group of American friends to support each other
  • Group flight
  • A lot of freedom to do our own thing
* What could be improved?
  • Didn't give me much info when my flight home got cancelled due to the ash cloud; not a problem because I was on top of things anyways.