Study Abroad at Monash University Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was very satisfied with the lectures, but really disappointed with the studios.

On-site administration of your program

I didn't find out about a lot of things included in the AustraLearn program until they happened. Like the Introduction program, I had no idea I was going to be doing all of that. My AustraLearn advisor was very helpful whenever I was having trouble. I could pretty much always reach her through e-mail or phone. I did not expect to do so much work organizing going abroad. My older brother went to Italy for a semester and my mom was telling me that the program that he went through took care of everything. All the paperwork and organization was done by his program and all they had to do was look through all the gathered information and then sign. With AustraLearn my mom and I had to do everything ourselves, from finding basic information like what the accommodation options were to trying to keep track of how much everything was costing. I may not be explaining this very well, but believe me, it was A LOT of work. There were one or two times where I almost said forget it because it was just too much. But in the end, all the work was a good learning experience in being organized, responsible, and staying on-top of things. I still would have liked some more help though.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Everything I needed was within walking distance. There is no dorm housing on the Caulfield campus (I didn't want to stay in a dorm anyway). Originally I wanted to search for an apartment, but that wasn't going to happen in the time period that I had to work with. Then I found the MEWS and thought it was pretty close to what I had wanted originally. The city is about a 25 minute train ride from Caulfield station, 35-45 tram ride. Being a city, there's lots to do. There's the Victoria Market, comedy clubs, bars, tons of restaurants, museums, tours etc. I spent a lot of time in St.Kilda. St.Kilda is a small town near the coast that has lots of little shops, restaurants and bakeries. There's Luna Park (small amusement park), and in the summer there are night markets, and in the colder months, Sunday markets. There's also a small beach behind Luna Park. St.Kilda is about a 20 minute tram ride from Caulfield. I always felt safe in the neighborhood that I lived in.

I got chinese food once, McDonalds once, and KFC once. The rest of the time I just bought groceries and cooked my own meals. I got my groceries primarily from the Coles supermarket, but for some items I went to Aldi, which is kind of a discount food store. There are Aldi stores in the city and in the Chadstone Shopping Center, which is basically a HUGE mall. "Chaddie" is about a 10-15 bus ride from Caulfield. If you're into eating at quaint cafes where you can sit outside, fancy restaurants, hip restaurants, vegetarian restaurants and the like, there is no shortage in Melbourne.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I joined MEX, Monash Exchange club. This group organizes trips and events for it's members at discounted prices throughout the year. The number one reason why I joined was to go on the MEX surf trip. 160$ for a weekend of surf lessons at a camp. All meals included, wet-suits and boards included. The accommodations are summer camp style, everyone helps clean, bunk beds, rec-room for games, a view of the beach from every window, and oh, the wallabies that hop around the grounds! If you have the opportunity, definitely go on this trip. I also participated in a volunteer community service program organized by AustraLearn. Me and a group of about 8 other people spent a 3 day weekend at remote lodge in the Australian hills near the coast. During the day we would go to Nepean National Park. Our job was to travel out to the tip of the peninsula where there was a preserved military site and do some landscape work around all the trails. Back at the lodge we would cook all our own meals and clean up after ourselves. There was one group leader with us. The most amazing part, was that in the evening until sunset, the hills outside the front of the lodge would be filled with kangaroos. If you plan your trip through AustraLearn I strongly recommend signing up for the volunteer program, it's free and you can travel to some amazing locations.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I always find health coverage confusing. From what I was told, I'm pretty positive that if anything happened to me I would have been taken care of. There were multiple locations on campus where health, physical and psychological, issued could be addressed. Aside from the unfortunate recent attacks on indian students that have been developing in Melbourne, I found the city to be safe as well as my neighborhood. Just be smart about when and where you're traveling, and always have someone with you.

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

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• Local Students