Just the start of my international experiences Past Review

By A student (MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS., Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/20/2014 to 11/21/2014 with

University of Sydney: Sydney - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned mostly about independence and being less judge mental about cultures and customs... And that the smallest of habits can make someone who they are or a culture the way it is. It was definitely worthwhile. I want to encourage everybody to go abroad.

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* 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?	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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Depended on if I cooked or ordered/how much time I had that week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	I treated study abroad as a once in a lifetime opportunity and felt that I would earn my money back once I came back to the U.S. obviously this doesn't mean go spending without a purpose, but it is definitely worth every penny in my eyes.

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?	Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	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?	Flexibility Openness Choice of classes
* What could be improved?	Hard to meet locals Financial stuff/expenses Living but I think more options for living
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	That it was going to be hard to meet locals

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Introductory logic
Course Department:	Philosophy
Instructor:	Nicholas Smith
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class was good because we had weekly problem sets that was more similar to my experiences with courses at Middlebury. There was also a "tutorial" class equivalent to a discussion course at midd which I found super helpful. My tutor/leader was really good at explaining topics and made it easy to participate.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Not that I know of

Course Name/Rating:	Psyc 1002
Course Department:	Psychology
Instructor:	There were 6 professors
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was a huge lecture with almost 600 students which is so different from middlebury but I am glad I got the exposure to a class like that. The professors are all well versed in their particular fields which was wonderful.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Not yet, not that I know of

Course Name/Rating:	Australian Economy
Course Department:	economics
Instructor:	Multiple
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was so different from the other Econ courses I took at midd because it focused more on the social side and policy making than the logistics of intro macro and micro which I took here. We had a group presentation, essay and final exam which I thought was a good mix of evaluations.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No, I got it approved by the Econ department at midd before leaving.

Course Name/Rating:	Australian sports and culture
Course Department:	Not sure
Instructor:	Steve Georgakis
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was great because of the balance between field trips, lecture, research, and discussion. I felt I got to really understand the culture and was so happy to have the opportunity to take this course and see modern Australian culture from an education standpoint.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No problem at all; this was a last minute change to my schedule after arriving and counted as my "Australia" class. Got permission from Stacey Thebodo via email upon finding this class. Would definitely recommend it!!