Study Abroad at UNSW - Big city, BIG classes Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Overall I did not think that my host university provided me with the best educational experience that it could have or that I was expecting out of such a high ranking school. The workload was less than at Hartford which was nice but that meant that the assignments were worth more of your grade. Having only two or three assignments make up your entire grade is very stressful especially when you are not used to the grading system. Since I had never had a big lecture at Hartford that took some time to get used to however for the most part I believe that I benefited from the lectures. Overall the school system here took a lot of getting used too especially since the professors and students here are more laid back than at Hartford. Once I was used to the way things were done here, the grading system and teaching methods then I felt more comfortable in classes.

On-site administration of your program

The people at the study abroad office at my host university were accessible which made it easy to get questions answered especially within the first few weeks here. The rate that they got things done was a bit slower than America however it did not effect things too much. They knew a great deal about both the Australian education and American education systems and provided us with a great deal of useful information to succeed in the Australian higher education system. The program to my host university was very large and my expectations were generally met as far as assistance needed and given.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived off campus in study abroad housing. My house consisted of 30 international students and one house master. There were shared bathrooms and showers on each floor, one shared kitchen and laundry. I lived with mostly American student with a few Europeans. The house that I lived in was right next to the beach in a wealthy neighborhood. All the necessities such as bank, supermarket, restaurants, drug store and public transportation were in walking distance. There were also a few pubs in walking distance. The neighborhood I lived in was safe and had many families in it which meant that we could not be loud at night. The university was about a 45 minute walk away or a ten to fifteen minute bus ride. The university provided us with a pillow, mattress pad and quilt, but you need to buy your own sheets. They provided all of the cookware needed such as pots, pans, plates, cups, mugs and silverware.

The food in Australia is typically about the same as America. There are a few things to try such as tim-tams, vegemite, meat pies and a variety of candy. However when shopping in the grocery store you can find just about everything that you would in America even though it might be called something different here. As far as restaurants go, there is a lot of Oriental and thai food here, defiantly something to try if you have not already! No major differences though, they still have mcdonalds, subway, italian food, and pub food.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

My program gave us a lot of exposure to the aboriginal culture in Australia which is very important here. They also allowed us to see the great barrier reef, and Australian wildlife all within the first week. The time I spent in northern Australia with my program for the first week was one of my best weeks in Australia.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Sydney was a place, but just like anywhere else you have to be cautious of our surroundings. The healthcare was quick and efficient. The healthcare here was more prompt than back home and the doctors were a bit nicer. I did not need to get any vaccines specifically for Australia.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I studied in Australia so I did not have to learn a new language, and I do not believe that my English was improved at all.

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