I didn't find Nemo, but I found myself! Past Review
By Regan Al-Saigh (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/28/2016 to 07/07/2016 with
ISEP Exchange: Sydney - Exchange Program at University of Technology, Sydney
I learned that you have to put yourself out there, try the things you would never try, meet the people you would never meet, and do the things you would never do. This is the time to see what you're capable of, to see who you truly are! I got to travel all the way across the world to live in a place where no one knew who I was. It seems scary, but honestly once you find that new group of friends to be your support system, it's definitely worthwhile.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Yura Mudang and I absolutely loved it. The security was super super strict which was annoying, but other than that Yura was the place to be to meet a lot of people and socialize. If you like to party, definitely the place to live. :) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Sydney is a BLAST! Seriously it is so much fun there, and UTS has a lot of social events to help you meet people and do fun activities! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Never had any experiences with healthcare. |
| * Safety: |
Even though Sydney is a huge city, I always felt really safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I know it sounds cheesy, but choosing to go to UTS was the best decision of my life. I mean it's SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA! The campus is right in the middle of the city, right there in all of the action. I have seen so many amazing places and experienced things people would only dream of! I met so so so many people it's crazy to think about. I made tons of friends from all over the world, and I have so many memories with them that I will cherish forever. I wish I could do it all over again, definitely the best 6 months of my life! |
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) |
Be prepared to spend A LOT of money. No matter how much I tried to budget, I always spent more for the week than I thought I would. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $175-300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Alcohol is VERY expensive. Stick with the cheap stuff.. get ready to drink lots of goon (boxed wine)!!! Also eating out at restaurants is pricy, be prepared to spend at least $15 for a meal. So buy a lot of groceries, it'll help you save a lot. I thought about getting a job (the student visa in Australia allows you to have one) but I didn't want to spend all my time working and missing out on hanging out with my friends and exploring Aus! So in my opinion, a job would honestly not be worth it. |
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? | 10+ |
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? | How expensive everything was going to be, but trust me it's worth it!! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
