One of the best experiences of my life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Australian teaching style is a little different from the US; more resources are available and more self-motivation is expected. However, this gives a bit more freedom to the student to go at their own pace so whether or not this is preferable depends on the student.

On-site administration of your program

The program administration was extremely helpful, friendly, and a pleasure to spend time with. I had to see the doctor several times when I was in Sydney and each time someone from the program administration would accompany me to show me how to get there, make sure I arrived safely, wait for me to be finished, and then get lunch with me. Some weekends they would arrange for meetups at a cafe or in another suburb of Sydney which were always fun to attend. They could give recommendations and advice for things to do. They were always available for any reason and I'm glad I've had the opportunity to meet them. I still keep in contact with them even after I have arrived home in the US.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My living arrangements were ideal because of the location. I was living in an apartment right at the center of Sydney next to the train station, so I could go nearly anywhere in Sydney without having to go too far. I was only a 5 minute walk from the UTS campus and close to a variety of restaurants, several parks, shopping centers, and nearly anything that I would want to go to on a regular basis. Aside from the location, I was fortunate that my living arrangement had a good kitchen, laundry machines, a gym, swimming pool, and was generally a good building to live in.

Being in a new continent, there were plenty of food options that I could try (such as kangaroo). There was also a lot of familiarity so I could usually find or cook meals that I would eat in the US. Going out to a restaurant in Australia is generally more expensive and the portion sizes are generally smaller than what can be found in the US so it is much more cost-effective to cook your meals. If you do go out to eat, the food is definitely good though.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The local culture felt very welcoming. Locals were usually happy to help or give recommendations to me when asked. There were also a lot of interesting people to meet. I recall one Sunday when a few friends and I went to a park where people would stand on an overturned box and speak their mind in front of an audience. They didn't mind being curt or showing their passion about something, so it was fun to watch. The culture in Australia shares some similarities with parts of the US but there are all sorts of cool quirks to find. Doing a little bit of exploring (or asking) can often lead to interesting experiences.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

All of the students in the program had health insurance while in Australia. Getting all the relevant information for it was easy enough thanks to the local TEAN staff. Needing medical attention required me to pay out of pocket, but I was able to get reimbursed after filing a claim. There were no prevalent health issues in Australia at the time and I did not need any vaccines.

I felt very save in Sydney. There was one terrorist threat when I was there but I did not feel like I was in any more danger than in a city in the US. There are probably some areas that are less safe than others but I never saw any area that made me feel unsafe.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It's easy enough to live on a student's budget if you do a lot of cooking. If not, it will quickly add up. In addition to food, Sydney offers a public transportation card that caps public transportation costs to $2.50 on Sundays so it was also cheap to do some exploring. Some students would go to bars almost every night which could probably multiply your weekly costs by 150%.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The direction TEAN was able to give me
• How I could learn about myself and what I want
• The opportunities I was given

• I can't think of anything that TEAN could have done better.

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer