University of Queensland, Australia: The perfect mix of adversity and pleasure Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload can seem pretty heavy at times but the grading system is a bit more relaxed so the two seem to balance each other out. I felt I had to devote myself a little more to school that semester than I had planned on but I feel I came away a better student.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a house with five other international students and some local students in the Highgate Hill area. The house itself was nothing special, it was kind of old with very plain white rooms. However, my house mates were good people and I did not spend too much time in the house so it did not bother me all that much. Safety- four star I could walk to class in about 10 to 20 min. depending on how fast I walked (I passed a park and a bridge along the way (that crossed over the river) so the walk was very enjoyable. I could also take the bus for about 1.20 and get there in 5 min (the stop was right in front of my house. Nightlife- two places to go... west end or the valley. west end was either 5 min by bus or 15-20 min by foot(for me at least). The Valley was about 20 min by bus. Both were pretty easy to make happen.

I bought cheap food so I could use the money to spend on traveling.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I did not get to travel as much as I had hoped but when I did get to get out and see things I loved every bit of it. I explored the entire south island of New Zealand(strongly recommend getting over there if you can), met tons of cool locals in Noosa and on the Gold Coast. The gold coast and the city of Brisbane always have cool little festivals going on so keep your ear to ground so you can catch some it. I went on a tour of Lamington National forest the first week I was there and it was amazing! It certainly set the tone for the rest of my trip.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The city is pretty clean and gives of a very safe vibe. Things at night can be a bit shady if your not in the right places so just always be with friends and you will be practically guarantied to be fine. One of my house mates was mugged in West end right before I left so I suppose you should keep your head up and your things put away when your alone in that area. The Gold Coast had the most crime on the east coast from what I noticed on the news. I never had any problems myself though.

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

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• Other

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• International Students

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