Aussie at Heart June 20, 2023
By A student (Environmental Science, Villanova University) - abroad from 02/03/2023 to 05/18/2023 with
SIT Study Abroad: Australia - Rainforest, Reef, and Cultural Ecology
Definitely worthwhile. Besides the academic stuff, I became a better cook, more confident in my ability to navigate unfamiliar surroundings, and learned to go with the flow.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The environment was the classroom. It is a very different experience to just stop at new features in the rainforest and for Jack or Tony to start in on a lecture about why this tree species matters or what organisms live here and why they are so unique. Learning is all hands on and seeing everything made it easier to retain. Assignments were related to what we did in the field but tended to be a bit rushed once we got back into the city with only a few days to really complete them. |
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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? |
The hostel we stayed in while in Cairns was very nice, with ensuite bathrooms and only four beds in each room. Some of the hostels we stayed in during orientation were bigger rooms but the stay was short and almost all of them were clean. |
| * Food: |
A lot of the time we were cooking for ourselves at the hostel so it really depended on if you knew how to cook. On excursions, a few people would cook for the whole group and everyone took turns. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We really only met people staying in the hostels unless we went out to the clubs in the area to make local friends. The camping trip was interesting with Uncle Rus, definitely something you couldn't experience outside this program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Wasn't too big an issue. One person got COVID but they were given a separate room until they tested negative and nobody else caught it. The stomach flu did get half the group but they were able to get access to doctors/medicine with minimal problems. |
| * Safety: |
Program does a good job during orientation to describe any major hazards to be aware of, both natural and human. Nobody had any problems. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I never would have done so much exploring and adventuring with a traditional study abroad experience. So many opportunities are offered that you can't take advantage of from inside of a classroom. |
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) |
A stipend is provided and the all meals are covered while on excursions so it depends on how well you budget and whether you cook any meals in. Also depends on where you go for ISP because the budget doesn't change and some places are way more expensive to live. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $20-$50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Even if you don't have cooking skills, buying breakfast stuff and easy lunch food would save you a lot of money. A bunch of places offer backpacker menus which are cheaper and hostels usually have private deals with venders near by so ask! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 0 |
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 is a lot of change, constantly, but that it is so worth it. Bring a pack towel which that will dry quickly and be good for random waterfall swims. Don't expect to know what will be happening each day. |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
