Loved the Country of Australia, but not the University of Sydney Past Review

By (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 02/27/2012 to 06/30/2012 with

University of Sydney: Sydney - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Absolutely worthwhile. I learned about new people, cultures and ways of life. It was awesome.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I would say that The University of Sydney is an extremely academically rigorous school, especially considered against other popular study abroad universities.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The University of Sydney is not very helpful at finding housing if you are on exchange. Students who studied through programs had housing coordinated for them but I had to figure that out on my own.

* Food:

Lots of good food in Sydney, but pretty pricey.

* 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? No

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)

Sydney was very expensive and I was fortunate to have a larger budget than most students abroad.

* Was housing included in your program cost? No
* 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? $100-$200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't eat out very often! And drink goon (boxed wine) instead of beer/liquor to save money.

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

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • Getting to travel
* What could be improved?
  • More info about the school
  • More info about how pricey Australia is
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To choose a different university that the University of Sydney! I had an amazing semester but I had to work very, very hard to maintain my grades (and that is not what I expected or wanted for the semester)