Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Liberation: The Good, The Bad, and The Down Right Ugly! Past Review

By (Public Health Education and Promotion., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 07/04/2013 to 11/29/2013 with

University of Technology - Sydney (UTS): Sydney - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned mostly about my strengths and weakness for real; what I cared about it life, who should I allow in my space, and learning how sometimes you just have to let go of your inhibitions. I more so learned about life in general than I did structured education sitting in a classroom all day!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Being in their classroom environment, I learned that they are more educationally advanced in particular subject than we are here in America, specifically for me in science. Overall, the intensity levels are about the same at my home university.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

UTS Administrative staff had been very helpful to me, more so better than my home university staff!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I actually liked my flat housing! It only became difficult when the rooms would heat up and we didn't have AirCons in our rooms, but there were certain common areas like the computer lab or theater that had cooling systems which was great!

* Food:

I mostly had to buy and supply my own meals. I would like to see the Uni implement a meal plan for on-campus living students. I think it would be very convenient and saving money for these students.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I integrated very well with students from all over the world, but a lot with the locals because I want to come back and visit one day and I wanted to make sure I had a foundation with local people in the area.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

MediBank is awesome... wish we had it in America!

* Safety:

Like every new city you travel to, always be cautious of your surroundings, but for the most part I felt safe in Sydney especially in the CBD where a lot of traffic and people commute to and from everyday.

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)

It was so/so... some days were better than the others, which is why I wish UTS had a meal plan for on-campus students. But I was able to do the things I wanted and travel to different cities in Australia such as Cairns, Byron Bay and Nimbin!

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I don't really know for a week, I bought groceries for a month thanks to Paddy's Market and coupon and it was roughly about $125-150.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Before you depart for any abroad program, have at minimum $1500 cash. Only America is cheap!

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

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • International students
  • all the Thai food I wanted
  • the beaches
* What could be improved?
  • Communication b/w host and home admin.
  • Communication b/w home admin and student
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew more of how classes and grades were translated to and from universities, but other than that I expected what information that was given to me before departure to Sydney!

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.