Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Brisbane, UQ, and International House were amazing and you should go! Past Review

By (Geology, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 07/23/2012 to 11/18/2012 with

The University of Queensland: Brisbane - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was totally worth it. I learned a lot about Australian culture as well as other cultures around the world. It was a great time!

Review Photos

The University of Queensland: Brisbane - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo The University of Queensland: Brisbane - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo The University of Queensland: Brisbane - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo The University of Queensland: Brisbane - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo The University of Queensland: Brisbane - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The University of Queensland had great teachers as well as resources for geology.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I didn't really interact at all with the Study abroad administration at UQ besides the random general information sessions at the beginning of the semester.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed at the International House College. It was amazing! If you want to live, interact, and make friends with students from Australia and all over the world, I would definitely recommend staying at International House. This was the best part of my study abroad experience.

* Food:

Things in Australia are fairly expensive compared to here, but the food tastes fairly similar to American food, except there's a lot more lamb on the menu.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

If I hadn't stayed at International House I wouldn't have gotten as integrated into the local culture. At IH I was able to interact with people from Brisbane, as well as other places around Australia.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I hit my head and was bleeding pretty badly. I was taken to the hospital, which was very clean and modern. They gave me a few staples, and I was back at my international home in roughly 2 hours if that. The health insurance covered the cost of the ambulance and medical treatment. I also got sick and went to the doctor on campus. The healthcare covered the cost of that as well. If you have any health issues at UQ, you'll be well taken care of.

* Safety:

Brisbane was very safe. It's much cleaner than Sydney (and not to deter you from going to Sydney, but a few times I heard on the news of shootings in Sydney while I was staying in Brisbane). Brisbane is a great city. I felt safe getting on all the public transport busses; they even have their own bus roads that are sectioned off from car roads to reduce traffic. I mean, just don't go walking down dark alleys at 3 am, and you should be absolutely fine.

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)

Things in Australia are just more expensive, but it's not too horrible.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? The food was included in where I stayed, so I don't know about that. Other expenses, it really just depended on what I wanted to do/explore...
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Go to the large grocery chains and not small little village grocery stores bc they over price things. Kmart, is a good store that's cheap and sort of like Walmart in that it has everything for low(er) prices

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? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Staying at International House
* What could be improved?
  • nothing?
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Don't ship things back home via sea route. It may be slightly more expensive to ship it over faster, but DO it anyway.

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.