Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An incredible experience I wish I could relive. Past Review

By (Purdue University) - abroad from 02/20/2012 to 06/13/2012 with

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Melbourne - RMIT University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think the what was most notably gained from my experience was what life is like in a major city. I am from a small suburb and Purdue is bordering on being rural so to experience life in an urban environment was huge for me. I also think everything I learned about life in the city will be useful after graduation because I will likely end up living and working in one.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took all GenEd electives during my time at RMIT. The workload was very manageable as were expectations for learning the content for exams and in-class work.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I had an ongoing problem with the financial office regarding an outstanding payment that had in fact been paid at the beginning of the semester. Though, after contacting TEAN with my problem, they worked quickly with RMIT to resolve the issue with almost no work on my part.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a serviced apartment in the middle of Melbourne's Central Business district. Everything a college student needs to survive a semester was within close walking distance including a gym directly across the street, grocery store, restaurants, banks/ATM's, etc. The apartment was also right next to a bus stop and less than a minutes walk to a train station and tram stop.

* Food:

The food in Melbourne is excellent. There are a great variety of restaurants for Greek, Italian, and Asian foods. There are also plenty of restaurants for every budget from fine dining to the typical fast food options.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

For someone looking for something not too far from American culture, Australia in general is great. You won't feel out of place, but there is a noticeable distinction.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally had no health issues while during my time abroad so I can't provide very good insight into this. I can say that my fellow TEAN students who did experience healthcare in Melbourne had no major qualms and I was led to believe that what they had to do was relatively easy as long as their overseas healthcare was in order.

* Safety:

I had no safety-related incidents and neither did any of the other 16 students in my program..

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Australia is a very expensive country compared to the US. Necessities are manageable, but if you want to go out or do any major traveling expect to spend a lot.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan any traveling as far in advance as possible. Plane tickets only get more expensive.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
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?
  • The amount of help in preparation TEAN provided
  • The location of the program
  • How relaxed the semester was
* What could be improved?
  • Living expenses
  • Course approval by Purdue
  • Nothing else significant enough for me to think of it after 10 minutes.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The weather in Melbourne is annoyingly sporadic in autumn. Summer is great and winter is somewhat predictable, but autumn can have major temperature swings and you can pretty much count on alternating sun and rain throughout the day a few times a week.