Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A fun, challenging experience that helped mature me a lot Past Review

By (Arcadia University) - abroad from 07/12/2014 to 11/23/2014 with

Monash University: Melbourne - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about how different other cultures can be, even ones that seem very similar to America. I also had to learn a lot about how to take care of myself in a different country, which was very beneficial for me

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Academically rigorous, but requiring a lot of self-motivation to keep up with course materials because of the lack of exams throughout the semester.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The on-site program coordinator did a great job of helping me settle in the first week or two I was there

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Most of the food was cooked for myself

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living on campus with mostly Australian students, I was pretty integrated into the local culture

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues, and I didn't need any special vaccines

* Safety:

I had no problems with safety; I almost always felt safe, even when walking around the city alone at night

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $60
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Finding cheap places to buy food and not going out to eat all the time saves a lot of money; the cost of living in Australia is quite expensive

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* 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? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The field trips
  • The support for getting settled in
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I was unaware of how expensive the cost of living and transport in Australia would be

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!