A Taste of Australia Past Review
By A student (Anthropology and Psychology, The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 06/16/2012 to 07/27/2012 with
University of Melbourne: Melbourne - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot about society and culture in Australia and how different it is from American society. It was interesting to see a different way of life, and how different the universities are. The courses were great and I learned so much about Australian society and indigenous and multicultural issues. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The program provided apartments in a great central area of Melbourne |
| * Food: |
The program took us out for meals at great restaurants on many occasions. Food at the university was inexpensive and decent. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The courses were exclusively for the American students in the program, and there wasn't much opportunity to meet other students at the university. We also all lived together in the apartment housing, so we all felt pretty isolated from the culture and more like tourists although we did live in the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
The program didn't provide all meals, so we had to buy groceries and cook or eat out, which can get expensive in Melbourne. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50-$200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shop at local markets and look for good deals at grocery stores, only eat out occasionally. Set aside money for other trips you plan to take while you are studying abroad. Avoid buying things like clothing that you can buy at home! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had been prepared for the cost of living and the cold weather. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
AU 208: Politics, Society, and Identity in Australia |
| Course Department: | Australian Studies |
| Instructor: | Jess Carniel |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
CU 209: Cross Cultural Currents: Indigenous and Multicultural Issues in Australia |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Liz Dean |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Challenging and great educational field trips around Melbourne and a 5 day trip to Central Australia |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
