Multi-Everyting Melbourne Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The reason I give RMIT an "average" academic rigor rating is because of my experiences throughout my years at UCSD. As a Junior transitioning to Senior status during my abroad program, I had experienced a wide variety of professors, teaching styles, courses, and all of that good stuff. I think in my personal experience, it is fair to say that my RMIT courseload (4 courses) was not as rigorous as my courseload at UCSD (also 4 courses) probably because of the nature of the courses I was taking, but also because of my mindset while I was abroad.

On-site administration of your program

Personally, I think that RMIT's study abroad program could definitely do with more advancements. The moment I started getting situated at RMIT as a study abroad student, I found myself constantly getting confused with their advising center, as there are two main locations that students report to. In addition, I discovered that I never set food in the study abroad office at RMIT because most of the help I needed was provided under RMIT's other administrative offices. I think RMIT's study abroad office could do better to serve incoming study abroad students, especially because we are not grouped under the "international students" qualification, nor are we considered a "full-time student" like a local RMIT student is. Also, I would recommend bolstering the abroad office with peer advisors or at least student workers to create a more approachable and less-crowded environment--as a study abroad student, we had to overcome many obstacles to get to RMIT to study in the first place, and having to deal with more waiting time and unanswered questions upon arriving in Melbourne was just not what I expected. However, the staff were all very friendly and informative.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved living in a shared "international house" in the Carlton suburb! I absolutely adored the accessible location (about a 10-15 minute walk to the RMIT City Campus) and its safe surrounds--I lived right by "Little Italy!" My landlord Domenic was an absolute gem, and he really went above and beyond his role as my landlord during my stay by recommending some job locations for work, and occasionally checking in on how I was doing with my study abroad integration. I met a lot of diverse people from all over the world like Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka, and Chile who lived in my building, and I loved being surrounded by a potpourri of people! I lived in a single room at Carlton Student Accommodation, and enjoyed my own space even though it was much smaller than the space I was used to back in California. In general though, I usually went out to explore the city, enjoy the night life, or work at my job, so I did not spend an overabundance of time in my room. Therefore, I enjoyed everything that I was given, even though the accommodation was quite simple and everything from the kitchen, restrooms, and living room was shared among ten tenants.

Melbourne's food is INCREDIBLE--it's no wonder it is called the "Food and Drink Capital of Australia!" Once you taste foods in Melbourne, returning home will be a bit of a battle. I can proudly say that I have had a full Moroccan feast, ate my first nitrogen-made gelato, tried an interesting kangaroo burger, undoubtedly experienced the Aussie experience of goon, and really indulged in the entire eating experience in Melbourne. This aspect of Melbourne speaks for itself, and I do not know of any person who was disappointed by the food culture here.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Melbourne is such an accepting and diverse place, and never did I feel out of the loop. I did not experience any culture shock living in Melbourne, but I did feel loved and welcomed by my local Aussie friends as well as the individuals I interacted with there. My provider TEAN, did a great job helping me integrate into the Aussie culture during our program orientation in Sydney with other American students, and also during my Melbourne orientation once we all dispersed to our respective cities for study. In addition, the courses I took were a wide range of subjects and departments, so I also felt at ease meeting students from all different backgrounds and cultures, which made it easier for me to make friends on a wide spectrum of personalities. Melbourne city also offers many free events and has a fun website that details all of the goings-on in that great city for inhabitants, travellers, and visitors! No wonder Melbourne was ranked the "Most Livable City in the World" multiple times.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

During my time at Melbourne, I actually had to use the healthcare system because of an infected toe that occurred after running my half marathon. I was quite confused with the entire health care system, but MediBank did such an amazing job with their easily-accessible phone support. I called MediBank twice and figured out my health care provider plan easily when I needed to interact with a local pharmacy and a physiotherapist. It was troubling at first trying to understand my options as a study abroad student, but I quickly adapted to the system (quite expensive out of pocket) with the many resources I was given through MediBank. My advice to students who are studying abroad in general is to familiarize yourself with your own health provider at your visiting city because that can only aide you once you arrive.

As a California girl, I knew that safety was one of my top priorities in my study abroad location...and Melbourne definitely hit that on the nail and more! Never did I feel unsafe or unsure walking around Melbourne's CBD at nighttime--once I even walked home from the CBD to Carlton (10 minutes away) at 2AM by myself. I wouldn't recommend doing it all the time, but I did not feel any anxiety about doing so. However, I did hear from my local Aussie friends that there are certain suburbs outside of the CBD where I should not go at night, but being a study abroad student...I had no desire to venture out to those suburbs because the city life was within the CBD and its nearby communities. Carlton itself is beautiful and perfect for students and families who are looking for the suburban quiet lifestyle with a bit of a nightlife in terms of restaurants and boutique shops. I never had a scary incident with the lack of safety, so I think Melbourne rates 100% in safety.

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

Melbourne is undoubtedly an expensive place to live, let alone study abroad. A meal is easily $13+ and a cup of coffee can be $4, no joke. However, there is no tax and tip for the final price, so that can be a plus for prospective students. However, you learn to adapt and spot out the cheaper items at Woolie's (grocery store) and find the restaurants or places that have the cheapest (and even FREE) foods...I did not think it was difficult funding myself, but Melbourne itself is quite pricey.

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• Apartment

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• International Students

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• Local Students
• International Students

• Fostered independence through supportive on-site and off-site advisors
• First walking orientation of the city
• The diversity of activities provided by TEAN (MCG footy game and ACMI play)

• Strong study abroad student community
• Provide more affordable housing options

The Avid Adventurer