Gold Coast, Best Coast Past Review
By Abby Mathai (Furman University) - abroad from 08/30/2019 to 12/15/2019 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Gold Coast - Bond University
I learned the value of exploring on your own and taking risks to experience more of the world. Definitely worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was able to take courses not offered at my home university, which I loved. Additionally, the professors were extremely engaging, willing to offer any additional help and some of the smartest/most experienced people I met. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Bond was incredibly helpful, even prior to arriving in Australia. I received so many emails providing so much information and they offered so much additional support throughout the semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great - I chose to live on-campus in the dorms and it made my experience what it was. I was able to meet students from around the world and I had more access to on-campus activities and services. Housing was clean, maintenance was easy to request and security was always willing to help. |
| * Food: |
The food was really nice and always more than enough to eat. A lot of options too. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Bond was great in providing opportunities to explore locally. Additionally, the local TEAN contacts were constantly providing information on local events. My friends and I explored a lot of Gold Coast because it was so accessible through public transport and I loved it. I feel completely at home by the end of my time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any health issues while there, but there was an on-campus doctor who was super accessible. |
| * Safety: |
Campus was really safe and security was super vigilant, especially at night. They were on call 24/7 and willing to come at any moment. Additionally, Gold Coast overall felt safe and I never had to question my safety. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The TEAN program brought me experiences I never thought of, in a country I never traveled to before. They provided me the best kind of support that allowed me to explore on my own, travel extensively and see the world through so many different people's eyes. |
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) |
Pretty easily, Australia is a bit more expensive, however, I had saved money for my time there and it was more than enough. Utilizing the on-campus events and services made budgeting easier too. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Not sure exactly, maybe $10-30 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would highly suggest saving money prior to heading out, anything helps. It's a lot less stressful to not worry about money while there. If money does become an issue, a lot of kids I know picked up odds and ends jobs which helped a lot. |
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? |
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 a little bit more about the structure of classes at Bond, just to be more prepared. |
