Studying at Bond University with TEAN is an experience not to be missed! Past Review
By Kaitlin Carroll (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) - abroad from 08/30/2019 to 12/18/2018 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Gold Coast - Bond University
Studying abroad helped me to be more responsible. I had to learn budgeting and balancing travel with school work. I was able to see places that I'd never thought I'd be able and my expectations were exceeded for how beautiful they were. I 100% think studying abroad was worthwhile and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity. It was definitely the highlight of my college experience so far.
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 classes I took at Bond University were some of my favorite classes I have taken during my time in college. The course load was fair for the amount of time spent in class. The class sizes were small which created a feeling of being in a discussion rather than a lecture. The professors were extremely helpful and merged current events happening in Australia and other countries with the course curriculum. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The TEAN staff that was based in our local area were easy to get ahold of for questions or recommendations, friendly and put on some extremely fun events for us throughout the semester. They were constantly giving us advice on activities in our area and would check in periodically to make sure everything with our housing and school was going well. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a beautiful apartment style hotel, steps away from the beach. Our rooms were serviced weekly and we were provided amazing amenities such as a gym, pool, movie room and sauna. The location was in the center of a town filled with great restaurants, cafes and shopping. It was also close to a public transportation center hub that easily took you all around the Gold Coast. |
| * Food: |
The food in Australia did not seem very different than in America. I noted smaller portion sizes, which I appreciated, and many of the restaurants seemed health-conscious. I was able to get any type of food I wanted on the Gold Coast and it all was delicious- especially the coffee! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in the building/area that I did brought me in contact with locals and other Australians much more often than I expected. I never felt like the odd-one out anywhere I went. We were even able to go on cultural excursions to learn more about the indigenous people of Australia. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally had no health related issues while abroad so I never had to go to a doctor, however TEAN was very thorough in explaining and helping us set up our healthcare. I was confident if I ever did need to go to a doctor for any reason I would be helped and the process would be painless. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt unsafe while traveling in Australia. The Gold Coast felt like a very safe area and I never heard of any safety-related issues. I would recommend always traveling with a friend. It is a relief to not feel completely alone while trying to navigate new public transportation and cities. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
TEAN was quick at responding to any questions I had, they helped with planning each step of abroad from housing to classes to health insurance and flights and they planned fun events throughout the semester such as jet-boating, surfing and coffee meet-ups. |
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) |
I would say that it is hard to stay on budget while studying abroad because of traveling, however there are opportunities to save money everywhere you go. Buying groceries and cooking inside my apartment saved money on food and there are cheap ways to travel such as using student flight websites and sleeping in hostels. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150-175 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would recommend saving a lot of money before hand and being selective with what you spend large amounts of money on. It also helps to try to avoid shopping and eating out every day. |
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? | I wish I knew how hard it would be to leave a country I feel in love with and friends that I'll have for the rest of my life. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
