TEAN Melbourne- BEST Decision of my Life!!! Past Review
By Erica S (Kinesiology, Miami University) - abroad from 02/10/2013 to 06/28/2013 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Melbourne - University of Melbourne
It was 100% worthwhile. I met new friends from all over the world and got to experience the Australian culture for 5 months. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Australian schooling is different than the American way. It takes a little bit to adjust and adapt but it's not too bad. It was actually fun to see how people my age from a different culture experience university life. Melbourne Uni is great university and I always felt comfortable asking professors for help. Whenever I had a problem it was easily fixable from one of university's many resources. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
TEAN provides a resident advisor during your time abroad. They are a great resource for any problems or questions you may encounter. They also take you to outings such as footy games and a tour of the city to get you acclimated to the culture. My resident advisor was awesome and it made me feel more comfortable that I had someone in Melbourne to turn to if I had a question. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
TEAN provided amazing housing... there really is no other way to describe it. It was in the heart of Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) so you were close to a lot of museums, bars, or anything else you needed. There was plenty of space and I honestly couldn't have asked for a better place to live. |
| * Food: |
Australian food doesn't differ too much from American food. I did try kangaroo though! It was pretty good! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Melbourne is such a vibrant and FUN city! There were always festivals or other cultural events going on almost every weekend. TEAN did a great job of providing students with information about different events going on in the city each month. Australians are so friendly and laid-back that it was easy to get used to the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Thankfully I never got ill during my time abroad, but I did visit the on campus student health center before a trip to Asia. I went in to see what precautions health-wise I should take in these Asian countries, and the staff was very helpful. I received a couple vaccinations and malaria pills and it was an incredibly easy experience. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Melbourne. It's a great city and as long as you are smart you should be fine. |
| 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) |
Melbourne is a relatively expensive city compared to the United States, but it's not impossible to budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My biggest advice is to definitely set up a budget and then provide yourself some wiggle room because more likely than not you will go over. |
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? | Australia is expensive so don't go crazy at the beginning and try to stick to a budget the entire time abroad. |
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. |
