It’s hard to dread the first day of school when Sydney is your campus and exotic restaurants are your meal plan. A growing number of students report that studying abroad is the highlight of their learning careers. If you’ve never studied abroad, you don’t know what you’re missing—and if you have studied abroad, you do know what you’re missing. Either way, let’s go back to school!
Study-abroad programs range from basic language and culture courses to university-level classes, often for college credit. In order to choose a program that best fits your needs, research as much as you can before making your decision—determine costs and duration, as well as what kind of students participate in the program and what sorts of accommodations are provided. Australia’s study-abroad programs range from informal cultural courses to college-level classes. Unless you plan to complete your full degree in Australia, most undergraduate programs require current enrollment in a university. Although this section deals primarily with university-level study abroad, International Student Exchange Australia (www.i-s-e.com.au) features programs for high school students, and Elderhostel, Inc. (☎1 800 454 5768; www.elderhostel.org) has two- to five-week educational opportunities for seniors ages 55 and over. Back-to-school shopping was never this much fun.
If English is not your first language, know that there is a trade-off when you enroll in programs with large groups of students speaking your language rather than Australia’s. You may feel more comfortable in the community, but you probably will not have the same opportunity to practice a foreign language or to befriend other international students. For accommodations, dorm life provides a better opportunity to mingle with fellow students, but there is less of a chance to experience the local scene. If you live with a family, you could potentially build lifelong friendships with natives and experience day-to-day life in more depth, but you might also get stuck sharing a room with their pet iguana. Conditions can vary greatly from family to family. Study Abroad Links (www.studyabroadlinks.com) lists the websites of a number of homestay programs spread throughout Australia.
One of the perks of studying abroad in Australia is that most classes are conducted in English. This makes it easier for students to enroll directly in a university abroad—which may be a cheaper option—although ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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