"Sydney: The Best 5 Months of My Life. Take Me Back. Now. Please." Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I thought that the Australian educational system was incredibly different than the Ameriacn one. It was easier to get good grades, less was expected from the students, and the Australian students in my classes seemed to regard their jobs and professions as more important than their school work. I liked this a lot becuase there is so much prsesure in America to get great grades and succeed. There is more to life and enjoying education than just getting good grades and being influenced by others to take certain courses. Education should be about taking what courses you want to take and really like in order to gain the most complete understanding of whatever you are learning.

On-site administration of your program

The UNSW study abroad office was incredibly nice and were always available to answer questions, however, they were not particurally involved in students extra cirricular activities. I did appreciate their involvement in helping me register for classes and decide which courses would allow me to transfer credit back to Middlebury.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was set up with a great living situation. I was living right on the beach, 20 minute walk to school, and a 20 minute bus ride from downtown Sydney. I could not have asked for a better living situation and it was one of the major components in the great time I had studying abroad in Sydney.

Australian food is very healthy, I appreciated the wide range of gluten free options. The restaurants in the area where I was living, Coogee Beach, were not incredibly expensive which was great for college students. I did a lot of cooking at my apartment as well, and that was easy because the grocery store was within walking distance.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Sydney is a very young and lively city. The One Fish Two Fish spring break trip that I went on was organized by a travel program "Backpackers World Travel" that the UNSW gave me a brochure for on the first day. This allowed me to see every major city on the east coast of Australia and was truly the experience of a lifetime.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Sydney is incredibly safe. Coogee Beach is incredibly residential and I never once felt unsafe living there. The health center at UNSW helped me get antibiotics when I had a virus.

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

Select all that apply

• Apartment

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• Americans

• The housing we were set up with
• The travel opportunities we were educated about through the program
• The community of American college students the UNSW study abroad program fosters

• The relationship between UNSW students and Australian students
• The communication between the students and the administration
• The difficulty of courses offered by the UNSW