Semester in Sydney at UTS Past Review
By Kathryn F (Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 07/11/2012 to 12/23/2012 with
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Sydney - University of Technology Sydney
It did end up setting me back a semester from graduating, but it was so much fun that I don't mind and it was very worthwhile. I'm not sure I learned a lot of new things about being abroad because I had already lived for a year in another country before I went to Australia. I gained an experience that I will cherish :).
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really wasn't challenged academically, but the staff are really pleasant and the student housing is great. Housing organizes lots of social events for residents that are a good way to meet people and are lots of fun. Overall my experience at UTS was great and tons of fun, but I didn't learn very much at all. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Student housing was way cheaper than the education abroad network's (EAN's housing is great, but isn't for me). The contract goes for much longer and I got my own room. I really loved living in UTS student housing; I met so many people who became great friends and it really influenced me to not hang out solely with Americans. Plus, parties! I should say, however, that heaps of international students live in UTS student housing. I made some really good Australian friends there but overall I would say Australians are a minority in housing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I have many good friends in Australia now, and I miss them like crazy! I feel like they helped me to get to know Sydney. It also helped that I lived only ten minutes walking away from Central Station and 25 minutes away from CBD, maybe less. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I visited the Health Center at UTS several times over the semester. I could book appointments easily and quickly. The doctors were very competent in helping me whenever something was wrong. |
| * Safety: |
I actually had an incident with a guy who was harassing me. I felt unsafe at times because self-defense items such as mace are illegal in Australia. I eventually went to UTS Security twice and then to the city police in order to resolve the issue. They both did a very good job. I think Sydney is pretty safe. It is still a big city, however, and some regular precautions should be observed such as not walking home alone at night and keeping a watch on your things. |
| 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) |
Rent alone ranges between $180-$250 per week. Many things are very expensive in Sydney, but if one is interested in getting a job the minimum wage is $17/hour. I think this would make it much, much easier to afford. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $265 including rent, food, and spending money. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you want to drink, do it at home because a cheap beer is $5. Cocktails and shots are very expensive. Coffee is also pretty expensive, around $3 for a small. |
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? | . |
