Life Changing Experience Past Review
By Julia M (Marketing, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh) for
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Gold Coast - Griffith University
I feel that I am a much more open minded, well rounded person overall. This experience helped me to find out more about myself and about other people and other places all over the world. I can't wait to travel more!
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 main difference was that at Griffith there would only be 2 or 3 very large assignments for each class rather than several smaller assignments. Getting very high marks is a little tougher but passing classes is very easy. Tutorials were more helpful than lecture for me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our contact in the Gold Coast was always very helpful and easy to get ahold of. She sent out a list of activities in the area each month which was great and was very knowledgeable about the area and things like getting a job etc. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The hotel was beautiful and had an indoor/ourdoor pool, hottubs, a sauna and a workout room. There was a large amount of restaurants and clubs nearby in Broadbeach but most were very expensive. Surfers Paradise is more affordable and about a 10-15 minute bus ride away. We had to pay for printing at the hotel so I chose to print on campus. Campus is about a 30-40 minute bus ride but with only having to go to campus 2 or 3 days a week it isn't bad. The wifi internet was the only thing that was not great since it was often very slow. |
| * Food: |
The food provided by the TEAN program was very good and there was always a nice selection. In the Gold Coast our favorite places to eat were at the local Kebab spots and the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The whole Sydney Orientation was incredible and packed with cool things. I loved meeting the lifeguards from Bondi Rescue, doing the Bridge Climb and seeing so many animals. The best thing I did on my own was our spring break trip where we rented a campervan and traveled up the coast for 6 days. I would highly recommend doing that. Going to random, small beaches is cool too because it is less tourist-y |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe the whole time I was there. I had to go to the dentist once but it was only 2 blocks away and was very simple to take care of. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | The type of person that would enjoy this program is someone who enjoys nightlife and a nice lifestyle. Also if you want to be close to the beach this is a great spot. The location is also central along the Eastern coast so it makes traveling easy. |
