Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The Little Things Past Review

By (University of Maryland - Baltimore County / UMBC) - abroad from 02/11/2019 to 06/30/2019 with

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Sydney - Macquarie University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that I love to travel and I'm not afraid to travel on my own anymore. I hadn't really lived on my own or on a budget before. It was definitely worthwhile

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The grading system is definitely harder than at home, but I felt comfortable enough reaching out to my tutors and professors for help when needed.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I loved the TEAN staff in my host city. I liked seeing them every time we had TEAN meetups throughout the semester.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The village housing was okay but the community was better. It was a great community for international students and there was always something going on and to do.

* Food:

The village housing came with a kitchen equipped with a stove and oven. There's a convenience store nearby and the Macquarie shopping center is a 20 min walk with multiple grocery stores. The food on campus is also very good. There's a good diversity of options.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

With the village housing and living among other internationals and Australians, it was easier to integrate with Sydney culture. TEAN also sent out newsletters to let us know what was going on and that was also a good way to know what was going on.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't really have any issues with healthcare, and there weren't any health issues in the host city.

* Safety:

Sydney is a very safe city. The transportation system continued very late into the night. I felt safe walking around Sydney at night, much safer than I ever would at home.

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

I liked the support I had from TEAN before, during and after the program. I also liked the number of opportunities I had to travel and try new things. Sydney is the right city for me and I can't wait to go back.

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)

Sydney has a high cost of living but Macquarie Uni is just outside the city so it's a little bit easier but still costly.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 175
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Shopping at Aldi was definitely cheaper than any other store. Try to use public transport as much as possible. A good junk of my money went towards Ubers.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We learned the lingo at orientation, but also it wasn't used as much anyway.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Location
  • Openness
  • Travel opportunities
* What could be improved?
  • Cost
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had a better understanding of city transport systems before going in.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!