Semester in Adelaide, Australia Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found classes to be easier than at W&M. In each of my classes the professors put their powerpoint slides online and also recorded their lectures and posted the lectures as well. This made it really easy for me to travel a lot since I knew I could always go back and listen to a lecture online if I missed class. Classes are much less intense than at W&M, if you choose this program you'll have a nice semester. Most classes have a couple big assignments or tests that make up your final grade so you just have to worry about those deadlines and not so much class every week.

On-site administration of your program

I never had to deal with any administrators except when I needed to fax a form back to school. They were pretty nice though. You probably won't need to see them very much though.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in university accommodation at the Village while I was in Adelaide. If you want to live there then apply as early as possible! It fills up fast. I liked living in the Village because it was convenient, I had my own room, it was close to the market, and other exchange students lived there. I will say that it was really easy to make friends with lots of international kids who were in the same position as I was, but living at the Village made it difficult to meet Aussies - unless you join a club. Walking to school can get a bit long (it usually took me about 20-25 minutes) but you get used to it. I think as an international student, the Village is the most convenient place to live but it has its negatives too.

A lot of the food is similar to what you find in the states. There is also a lot of good seafood, Asian food, and sushi. Try Vegemite while you're there...it's not so bad! The only bad thing about the food is the prices can be a lot more expensive if you're eating out!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I really liked all of the Aussies that I met and getting to travel all throughout Australia. The people in Adelaide (and all over Oz) are really friendly and easy to get along with. If you want to get to know more Aussies I would suggest joining a club of some sort so you can get to know more of them...especially if you are living at the Village!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had to go to the health centre while I was in Oz, but it was easy to find on campus and is where I would have gone if I had become sick. Some friends of mine went there and never had any problems.

I felt very safe while I was in Australia, especially Adelaide. Since it's not as busy as the other cities I felt very safe especially in Adelaide...though I never felt uncomfortable when I traveled to the other big cities. I think as long as you use good judgement you won't find Adelaide to be unsafe, at all.

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

Australia is expensive...I didn't really realise this until I went over there. However, after your first week or so there you will figure out how to manage your money better. Everyone always seems to spend a lot in their first few days and then panics a bit. You'll be fine! Just know it is expensive over there.

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• Dorm
• Apartment

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• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• International Students

• Being in Australia
• Learning more about Australia culture
• Meeting Aussies

• I wish they'd set up more programs for international students and Australians to interact
• I wish I'd known more about what Adelaide is like (from students) before going there
• Knowing more about housing options