The Land of Roos and Goon Past Review
By A student (The College of New Jersey) - abroad from 03/02/2015 to 06/25/2015 with
La Trobe University: Melbourne - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Yes, it was great. It was my first time living completely away from my family (I live at school, but close enough that I could go home if I need to), and I found that I had no problem with it. Going somewhere far away alone teaches you that you can be self reliant and do things on your own that you previously relied on others for. I made a lot of great friends and had so many awesome travel experiences. I would consider going on exchange a second time, maybe somewhere even farther removed from my home culture this time. P.S. Gelato Messina (tram stop 18) is amazing and you have to go.
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. |
It was great that all the lectures were recorded. I could watch them on my own time, and actually learned more, because I could pause and rewind. Overall the required in-class time was much less than at home, which worked well for me since I prefer individualized study. |
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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? |
It was very poorly maintained and expensive considering we did not have heat for three weeks, and routinely lost hot water. However, the cleaning staff was very friendly. |
| * Food: |
There was no meal plan required, but I prefer cooking my own food and there were grocery stores nearby. However, Bundoora in general has very few restaurant (and entertainment) options. The city is great, but requires a 45 minute tram ride. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made lots of Australian friends, since I was living with them. However, the majority of my time (traveling etc.) was spent with other exchange students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't need to use health services, but they were close by. However, there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get your health insurance refund. |
| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
Things are a little more expensive in Australia than in the US, but if you were very careful, you could probably live on about $130 a week. However, I traveled and went out a lot, so it got more expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan out how much you can spend on things like travel, going out, eating out, shopping and miscellaneous outings. First account for how much money you will need for food, transportation, rent etc. Try not to buy a ton of junk food now that you are grocery shopping on your own. Avoid stupid things like going to the movies (you're there to experience the culture, not (usually American) movies) and paying $20 covers (you can get in for free if you're smart) at all costs. Also, if you drink, get used to drinking a lot of goon (boxed wine) since it is the only thing you will probably be able to afford. |
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? | Exchange |
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? | That it actually does get cold in Melbourne towards the end of (first) semester. I didn't believe that Australia actually has winter. |
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. |
