Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The Best Four Months of My Life Past Review

By (Economics., Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/21/2014 to 11/28/2014 with

The University of New South Wales: Sydney - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
On top of the usual "experiencing a new culture" line, I met some of the nicest and most interesting people I have ever come across. I lived in a dorm unlike anything we have in this country, where 150 people felt like a single family. It was a seamless transition into that family unit and I felt at home from Day One. I couldn't have asked for a better situation to be in. I learned a lot about accepting everyone for who they are, making an effort to get to know people and just keeping my head up and saying Hi. It was am amazing experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

If going to UNSW, absolutely live in the Kensington Colleges. It allows you a chance to immerse yourself in Australian culture and make good friends with native Australians rather than just spending your time with other American exchange students.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

If one committed to frugality they could spend next to nothing by living on campus. Meals are provided at the dining hall, after all. But if you want to explore Sydney or the Australian coast, or go out and have a good time, prices are scary high in Australia on almost all goods.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~$200

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • The local students I lived with and became close with
  • The ability to travel, both during the semester and over breaks
  • The chance to experience an urban setting as opposed to the very rural setting in which Middlebury resides
* What could be improved?
  • The dining hall was not good at all
  • Classes, for the most part, were too large
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? About the Kensington Colleges and particular Basser College. The Colleges are dorms and I was not originally housed in Basser, but I moved in after two weeks or so and there I made my best friends from Australia. To surf and scuba dive - I learned to do both while I was there and Australia might be the best place in the world to do both activities.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

ECON2101 - Macroeconomics 2
Course Department: School of Economics
Instructor: Christopher Gibbs
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The material is challenging and is roughly equivalent to taking Macro Theory at Middlebury. The class is very large and the huge lecture hall setting is unfamiliar to most Middlebury students, so it can be easy to get distracted or tempted to skip class altogether because your absence would go unnoticed, but if you were to skip class it would hurt you in the weekly discussion sections. The lecturer and the tutor (who taught discussion sections) were both very knowledgeable and helpful if asked for assistance. Assessments came in three parts: 1) Weekly tutorial problems completed in class with classmates 2) four problem set-like assignments on which you could collaborate with classmates and 3) a comprehensive final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown
Course Name/Rating:

ECON2103 - Business and Government
Course Department: School of Economics
Instructor: Trevor Stegman, Peter Nichols, Sherman Chan (tutor)
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The biggest knock on this class is that the lecturer for the second half of the course (Nichols) was not a clear lecturer, was not very good at answering students' questions and his PowerPoints were essentially useless because they were merely outlines which he then failed to flesh out with his lecture. The lecturer for the first half (Stegman) was great, and the tutor (Chan), who led discussion sections, was very knowledgeable. The course is focused on the Australian business and government relationship, but for the most part all of the principles learned apply to any economy. The subject matter of the course included government's response to market failure and specific investigations of taxation and wages.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown
Course Name/Rating:

ARTS2033 - Poetry and Poetics
Course Department: School of Arts and Media
Instructor: Dr. Sean Pryor
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Dr. Pryor was great. He traced the metamorphosis of Western poetry from around 1700-1900 with great skill, keeping lectures interesting and discussions very engaging. The course naturally provided a good deal of variety given the breadth of its interest. There were two papers, the latter building on the ideas built up in the first, and a final exam that was thought-provoking but not too difficult. Very enjoyable experience.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown
Course Name/Rating:

LAWS3350
Course Department: Faculty of Law
Instructor: Dr. Anthony Hughes
Instruction Language: English
Comments: If you like learning about sports culture and the impact that sports can have on a changing nation, this is the class for you. Dr. Hughes takes you through the history of cricket, rugby, soccer and more and how those games became professional sports and why Australians feel so much pride in their sporting teams. Lectures and discussions felt more like a friendly conversation than a dry lecture. Marks were based on class participation, an in-class presentation, a 2000 word research essay, a 1000 word paper on any number of documentaries watched in class and a team debate.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unknown