Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

We're Coogee Past Review

By (Food Science and Technology, Clemson University) - abroad from 02/20/2015 to 06/30/2015 with

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Sydney - University of New South Wales

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
An entire semester in Sydney was a whole new experience. Picking up and moving to another country teaches you so many lessons that you can only learn from being abroad. I learned what it's like to deal with a time change of 16 hours, as well as moving in with people I had never met before, and wouldn't change any of it. It was great waking up to watch the surfers on my way to catch the bus to class. Everyone became more independent while abroad and we all learned from each other. Some people learned the basics like cooking pasta while everyone learned what it's like to see the world and take advantage of every moment.

Review Photos

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Sydney - University of New South Wales Photo The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Sydney - University of New South Wales Photo The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Sydney - University of New South Wales Photo

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 academics were challenging, but interesting! I took major courses while abroad, managed to do well in the classes and explore!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The TEAN staff was always there with a helping hand if we needed it and made sure everything abroad was going smoothly.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing on Coogee Beach was beautiful; pricey, but worth it!

* Food:

The food on campus was reasonably priced and good! The food all around Sydney was delicious and easy to travel to in order to try something new.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Daily life in Sydney was easy to adjust to! The people in classes were friendly and were easy to talk to!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No vaccines were needed. Luckily, I did not need to use the health facilities, but all my friends who did were taken care of efficiently! There were a lot of places we could go close by if we were sick.

* Safety:

I always felt very safe walking around Sydney, specifically Coogee.

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)

Sydney was an expensive place to live. If only cooking at home, it would have been easy to have a minimal budget, but eating out was expensive.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $120
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to eat at home most of the time. Pack a lunch for campus and bring a reusable water bottle!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* 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?
  • Travel Time
  • Cultural events included
* What could be improved?
  • Included meals
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The weeks just seem to fly by. I wish I would have known that I should have started booking trips earlier in the semester to take advantage of the warm weather and had time to see more places.

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!