Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Utopian Dream Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/20/2016 to 11/05/2016 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about my self and how I could cope with essentially living on my own. It was definitely worthwhile and a personal 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?

I lived off campus in an apartment and was so happy I was able to do that.

* 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

I had never been so far away from home and in such an amazing atmosphere. Although I really was only friends with Americans, I met a TON of friends from other schools which I'm happier about because its easier to keep in contact with them.

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)

I was not used to paying for groceries and making my own meals because at Middlebury the dining hall is so accessible so I struggled with my budget.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Book travel tickets ahead of time.

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

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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 environment
  • The food
  • The other American kids
* What could be improved?
  • Integration into the Australian community
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much money I was going to spend in Australia and how expense traveling around was

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:

Introductory Pharmacology and Toxicology
Course Department: School of Medical Science
Instructor: Dr Lu Liu
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was very interesting and the most challenging course I took. The teacher was a little hard to understand because of her accent but the lectures were offered online so were accessible to review. I participated a lot less than I would at home because of the size of the lecture. Discussion sections however helped to reinforce the material learned. I was assessed with one big paper covering literature review and two exams.
Credit Transfer Issues: I am still working on transferring credit!
Course Name/Rating:

Media, Society, Politics
Course Department: School of the Arts and Media
Instructor: Dr. Collin Chua
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was very informative and interesting to take because I had never taken a course like this. With that being said, it was not too challenging- only three papers to write over the course of the semester. I did all of the readings which were quite lengthy and discussion sections helped to cover topics and expand knowledge.
Credit Transfer Issues: No problem
Course Name/Rating:

Australian Legends
Course Department: School of Humanities and Language
Instructor: Grace Karskens
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a really cool course to take being in Australia because I learned so much about the history and "myths" of Australia. The teacher was very fascinated and invested in the topic which made her lectures a lot more interesting. Discussion sections definitely were beneficial in discussing the weekly readings and that is where I participated not as much in the big lecture hall. We were assessed with papers and reading check-ins.
Credit Transfer Issues: No problem
Course Name/Rating:

Marine Science
Course Department: School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Instructor: Dr. Tamsin Peters
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I personally did not enjoy this course very much. I thought it would be interesting to take a course about marine life in Australia due to the vastness and uniqueness of the marine life there, but it was quite dry. There were two mandatory field trips that attempted to make use of the location and the beaches there but they were quite intensive and harshly graded so it was not an opportunity to take advantage of the location. There were many different professors teaching the class which also made it a little disjointed. I never participated in lecture because there really was no time to- it was just power points and the teacher reading off of the slides. We were assessed with online quizzes, exams and field trip assignments.
Credit Transfer Issues: NO problem