BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE!!! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took 4 classes during my abroad experience. 3 of them were towards my major and 1 of them was an elective. I would recommend other students to save their electives for while they are studying abroad. While you are here you will want to travel and spend as much time as you can with your new friends and on the beach. With that being said I would recommend students not to take all their core classes for their major as they aren't going to want to spend their whole time studying. I felt that the grading here was harder than it normally is back home which is another reason to take advantage of your electives while studying abroad.

On-site administration of your program

The teachers at Bond University are extremely helpful and understanding to all study abroad students. They all understood we all wanted to travel while being in Australia and were very lenient in moving papers or tests to help fit our schedule. If you let them know in advance they would do all they could do to accommodate for your travels and help keep you up to speed on the classes you missed.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

When I signed up for the beach housing I was expecting the housing to be nice, but I wasn't expecting them to be as nice as they were. I absolutely loved the Meriton that we stayed in and they treated us like royalty. They supplied us with everything we needed to live comfortably including sheets, glasses, plates, silverware, laundry, etc. The Meriton had a great indoor and outdoor pool and hot tub, a fitness center, a game room, and a very friendly staff that was always available for you. To top it off every week we had a crew come in to clean our room. When TEAN matched me up with my roommates they did a terrific job. I couldn't have done it better myself. I absolutely loved who I roomed with and we have made great friendships I will cherish forever.

I didn't have a meal plan due to the fact I lived off of campus. We had 2 grocery stores in walking distance from the Meriton with good prices that we took full advantage of. One of the grocery stores will actually deliver you your food right to your door for when you and your roommates want to make a big grocery purchase and may be too lazy to go to the store to actually fill a cart and walk it back. One of my roommates was an awesome chef and we cooked almost every night having "family" meals with the roommates. I learned how to cook so many more easy and healthy meals during my time abroad.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

During my time in the Gold Coast I made so many new friends of all different backgrounds. If your an outgoing person and not afraid to meet new people you will do just fine. At Bond there is a big population of study abroad students so everyone is in the same boat. Even if your not that outgoing many people will reach out to you and you still will make many new friends. Everyone in Australia is very friendly and you will meet many new people just going out and walking around.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I only had one weekend where I got sick. During my trip to Byron Bay I caught strep throat and had to go to a doctor. There is a doctor on campus and there was also one right in the mall outside of the Meriton. I went there and the doctor gave my medicine and I was fine the following day. The school provided us with over sea health care so I was able to get better really quickly and at a relatively low cost to me.

Not once did I feel unsafe during my experience. You always feel safe at school, and even when your out late at night you never feel threatened. I discovered that many Australians are great friendly people who are always willing to help you, especially when your a tourist.

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

I went there very prepared because I was warned about the cost of living there. It was very expensive to live there but definitely worth every penny.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Beautiful weather all the time
• Living arrangement (Roomates, Meriton, Goldcoast)
• Exploring the whole east coast of Australia

• Wish prices were cheaper
• Easier grading

The Outright Urbanite