University of Western Sydney (UWS)

The campus I attended (Nirimba) is located in a fairly small suburb of Sydney, so most acivities, outside of campus-hosted activities, required travel into a nearby suburb, or Sydney itself. This did not present much of a problem thouhg, given the excellent transportation system and the vast array of activities avaliable in nearby cities. The local pub at Quakers Hill provided an excellent spot for meeting with the locals, and the campus bar, where many parties were hosted, lent itself as a place for student gathering.

Although fairly old, the on-campus accommodations were well kept and maintained. The cost was reasonable and the space and furnishing were acceptable.

With the native language of Australia, being my own native language, the only difficulty I had was in understanding the accent and other lingo. I enjoyed the interaction with other international students and professors, and while the different languages did present some difficulty in communicating, it also provided great opportunity to teach and learn of other languages and cultures.

I was actually suprised at how inexpensive travel is in Australia. The public transportation, whether locally or over longer distances, was well priced and easily accessible. The availability of second-hand items was a great cost-savings as well.

My best advice to someone traveling abroad would be to PLAN!! Study up on activities and travel opportunities and then take advantage of them. Most study abroad experiences are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, so make the most of them.