The best four months of my entire life. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Griffith University was a great place to learn and meet locals in so many interesting classes. The classes were manageable and the instructors were great. In addition, most professors were accommodating to student studying abroad, offering extra help if needed.

On-site administration of your program

My on-site administration was amazing. The TEAN team was always available whenever you needed them. I really liked how there were several different people available to help guide our journey, from locals that have a lot of experience helping study abroad students to students our age, offering a multitude of ways to help us all out. They also provided fun activities throughout the school year that you can't miss out on.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I still cannot believe I was fortunate enough to live in the place I was at in the Gold Coast. Putting it in basic terms, I lived on the 27th floor of a five-star resort 2 blocks away from the beach... how can you beat that? The surrounding area has everything you needed and I felt very safe living in Peppers Broadbeach. The location was amazing and the housing accommodations were unbelievable, I will always be dreaming of this apartment.

The food around the area was great, but pricey. Overall, Australia is a rather expensive place, and the local resuatrants were delicious, but my roommates and I decided to try and save money and eat in the majority of the time.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt like I was very integrated in the local culture. People there were so mice it was very easy to make local friends, which is a must if you want to make the most out of your experience. Griffith University provided many social opportunities to get to know your fellow students, and not jus the other international students but locals as well.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have a great deal of experience with health care, but I did visit the Health facilities on campus twice. This was very easy to set up and accessible as it was right on the Griffith campus. The doctors were great and got me back to health without an issue. Also, they are familiar with international student and our insurance plans, so there were no issues with insurance or payments. It was actually almost easier than local healthcare at home. As far as health in the are, there were no necessary vaccines specifically for this program that I had to get prior to coming to Australia or anywhere I traveled throughout my time studying abroad.

My host city of Broadbeach specifically was very safe, much safer than most cities in the US. As a study abroad student, you always have to be careful in unfamiliar places, but the Gold Coast will become familiar rather quickly. Although you will fell very comfortable and right at home, you always have to remember to keep your safety in mind and be cautious, as you would anywhere. The beaches can be a little sketchy after dark, so I would advise to get your beach time in during the day or make sure you are with a group of people if you want to go to the beach at night. Other than that, the public transportation is very safe and highly monitored by security.

I would gladly take the 16 hour flight right now to go back and do this journey all over again. I have never explored so many beautiful places, met so many amazing people, and pushed myself to get out of my comfort zone more. From living in the most amazing place in a great small city right on the beach, to traveling to four different countries and experiencing different people and cultures, to making new best friends, I couldn't have imagined this experience being any better than it was.

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

Australia is a very expensive place, I would on average spend about $100 at the grocery store as I cooked almost every meal for myself to try to cut down on my expenses. From getting coffee and food on campus, I generally spent another $50 a week on food after my grocery store runs. Not having a job, it was not extremely easy to live on a student budget here, but you can do serval things to cut down on your expensive and make it more doable.

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The Outright Urbanite