Australia Abroad...You'll be back again Past Review
By Joseph C (Finance, University of Cincinnati) for
The Education Abroad Network (TEAN): Townsville - James Cook University
It was very much worth it, it gives you an idea of what is going on in other parts of the world. I was able to gain friendships all over the United States, Germany, Sweden, Australia, France, etc. I was pretty culturally aware but you don't trully understand the concepts until you live them. My future plans have been changed somewhat and I would love to travel as much as possible now.
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload seemed to be in line with the normal workload in the United States. Though there was more chances to get grades than just exams. The grading system is based on 4 grades, you could get a P (pass), Cr (credit), D (Distinction), or HD (High Distinction). Those are the grades if you passed, you could of course fail but I would hope not. The teaching methods were much more laid back, it was not about giving your prof. the respect they earned. Most of the time prof. were called by first names and it was a relaxed laid-back style. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international support service was excellent at James Cook University. Any questions that you had were answered immediately or looked into for further conformation. I attend a large univerisy in America so the classe seemed extremely small to me. My biggest class had maybe 50 people in it. all the other ones were more around 20. My expectations were definitely met overall on this trip. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was in many different types of housing, when I was travelling but the initial university housing was a dorm. The proximity to class was right on campus, so always a short walk from class. My dorm was complete with a balcony with a nice view. It was very safe during the day and at night on campus. It was safe off campus as well, even at night in town. The nightlife in town was a lot of fun, it was a little bit of a drive. It took maybe 20 min to get there by bus and 10 to 15 min by car. The other housing types were first the apartment which was absolutely amazing. This was in Sydney, it was at a hotel but it was really like a penthouse. A high rise on the 67th floor, had an incredible view, and was right in the city. The hotel room was in adelaide and was very well taken care of. It had a full kitchen 3 rooms and two showers, complete with washing machine and balcony. The hostels were in coober pedy and on magnetic island. They were what you would expect a room with bunkbeds and around 12 other people. No privacy, one shower, not such comfortble beds but very inexpensive. I did not need anything in the dorm when I moved in except for extra food I would need. |
| * Food: |
In Sydney the food was great and there were a million different options. I would suggest trying Kangaroo it was very tasty. As for the school food it was not that great at all. There were somes days where the food was excellent but not too many. Other times the food was just terrible and I would go with peanut butter and jelly. Overall I was a little disappointed about the dorm food. As for town there are some good little ma and pa restraunts. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had a great time learning about Sydney and being able to tour the city. Then being able to come to Townsville and tour that small town feel. The clubs in town were always a great time and new people to meet. The students were always nice and wanted to talk. I took a few trips and they were as well amazing. I was able to travel down from the Northern territory to the Southern territory. Essential I was able to see 5 of the 6 territories missing only the west most territory which is Western Australia. I was able to go to multiple nature sanctuaries and mountains. Including the Blue Mountains and a boat on the Sydney Harbor. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The safety in the city I went to was high. There were no issues while I was there besides maybe a twisted ankle playing a sport. Even at night it is safe, I would still not walk alone at night but even on campus it is well lite and not too much of a problem to walk alone. I had one health issue with the flu but it was well taken care of right away for a small amount of money. The doctor was great and was on top of the situation immediately. The only problem with the health care is the availability of late night visits. You have to go to the ER at night or on the weekend, except for a very expensive on call doctor. Then unless your illness is of the highest prioriety you will be waiting for a long time. There were no vaccines for the trip. |
| 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) |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | First off I wanted to comment on the money answer. The only reason I put 3 stars is because I wanted to get out all the time and do things constantly. I even ended up getting a few small jobs to spend more money. A student could easily spend less than $50 a week on food and personal spending, with the meal plan that came with the program. Words of wisdom I would give is get out there and make yourself available to everything you can. Submerge yourself in the culture immediately and meet as many people as you possibly can. The excitement of learning the culture there and meeting so many new people will stick with you forever. Almost any type of student would benefit from this program. The only type that wouldn't would be someone who was always by themselves but even then this might get them out of their shell. |
