Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great for some people, but not ideal for me Past Review

By (Barnard College) - abroad from 02/10/2017 to 06/17/2017 with

James Cook University - Cairns: Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I feel like I grew a lot. I learned a lot about who I am and what I value. I realized how independent I am and how much I value my alone time. These were important realizations. I had one class that I loved and which exposed me to politics in Australia as well as in Asia which was incredibly helpful. By taking me out of the tristate area I left my comfort zone. Cairns felt far more like the southern U.S. in ways that were both hard for me and illuminating. I discovered that I love Sydney and Melbourne and encountered a sort of cosmopolitan connection between my home and those cities that I hadn't necessarily anticipated. As someone who goes home from college a lot of weekends this was a good chance to get out of my comfort zone. If I knew then what I know now I probably wouldn't have chosen it because I wouldn't want to go through the experience again. That being said, I am so glad I did it. I am also so glad to be home though.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I came to appreciate many things about my home university through my experience abroad. Things included at home such as printing were not at JCU. While this may seem like a small issue the money really added up. On campus food is incredibly expensive. However, the activities for exchange students were great and plentiful. Classes were far more difficult than expected. While work wasn't harder the grading was ridiculous. Some classes were fantastic, others were absolutely shockingly horrible. I couldn't believe how terrible one of the professors particularly was.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They didn't tell us when our finals would be until 2 weeks before the final. It made it quite hard to get tickets home, particularly considering how late the semester ended and how much I needed to get home to start my summer internship.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

This does not apply to me. I lived off campus

* Food:

Expensive. Decent, but incredibly expensive (and I am from Manhattan).

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Lots of international students from all over the world which was great. You can become as integrated as you like.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was injured so I have first hand experience with this. I went to the hospital and I am still waiting to get my refund back from Allianz global. The hospital did nothing to help me and was incredibly expensive just for triage.

* Safety:

Safe near campus but in town they tell you not to walk around at night (particularly alone). I did walk around at night and didn't feel particularly in danger but I would definitely say it feels more dangerous than my home neighborhood in NYC.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Going from Manhattan to Cairns was incredibly difficult. I am not a big party person. I think the experience would be great for those really into drinking and partying but for me there wasn't a lot to do in Cairns. However, the travel I did was so worth it. I would have probably enjoyed Sydney or Melbourne more or possibly somewhere in Europe.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Unsure, but it was more expensive than expected. The conversion rate helped though.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The events
  • Opportunities to travel during breaks
* What could be improved?
  • The semester goes really long and they don't tell you when your last final is until 2 weeks out
  • Some of the classes are dreadful
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That not everyone has a great time abroad and that that is okay. You will grow in other ways even if all you want is to get home.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.