<p>Since there is no Study Abroad forum…I’m assuming some of the parents around here are (somewhat) familiar with sending a kid to another country for a semester or year! I want to study in Australia or New Zealand…and do a good amount of sightseeing in the Outback, the cities, the mountains, the south island of NZ, etc. The program I’m really interested in now is “Study Australia” and “Study New Zealand” (<a href=“http://www.study-australia.com%5B/url%5D”>www.study-australia.com</a>) and I’m wondering if anyone here has experience with them…? </p>
<p>They offer pre-trip excursions to some of the places I listed, as well as a Spring Break trip to Thailand, and post-trip excursions on the way home. For one year, it’s about $25000 ($12K to $14K for a semester) not including these additional trips, which is a little more than double what I pay for my instate tuition here. Are exchange programs better/cheaper? Is it easy to do a lot of exploring if not on a group program with organized trips? </p>
<p>I’m a marketing major, want to work in professional or collegiate athletics some day. Recommendations on which school to study at?</p>
<p>Sorry for all the questions…hopefully someone can help :)</p>
<p>I am not familiar with Australia but I think that a Study Abroad forum is a good idea. Does anyone know how to suggest this to the CC Administrators?</p>
<p>We were living in Brisbane AU for 6 months while husband was on sabbatical. University of Queensland. There were many kids from US there and we also ran into lots more on our travels throughout the country. Australia offers tons of opportunities for students and independent travelers to travel relatively cheaply. Most can be found online and at the various hostels. Many colleges offer study abroad options to both countries either as part of their study abroad program or they will tie into another school’s program. I too would love to see a study abroad forum.</p>
<p>My cousin is a rising junior at Bowdoin and she is going to do a study abroad at the University of Sydney next spring. She’s a neuroscience major.</p>
<p>Cards4Life wrote: “Since there is no Study Abroad forum…I’m assuming some of the parents around here are (somewhat) familiar with sending a kid to another country for a semester or year!”</p>
<p>Yes. Unfortunately they come back.</p>
<p>Seriously, I sent my daughter with a People to People excusion to Australia/New Zealand between her freshman & sophomore high school years.
She was there three weeks and loved it. She keeps asking when she can go back. I tell her when she can pay her own way.</p>
<p>I know of no one who’s been there that hasn’t loved it.</p>
<p>As for the P2P program, if you don’t buy the hype of “student ambassador” or “honor of being selected” it’s quite a cost effective way to have a kid see another country (or more) with a peer group, especially if you don’t have the financial resources. My $.02</p>
<p>D is currently a student in Perth for the spring semester (ends in a week).
She has traveled extensively around Australia and also took her spring break in New Zealand. LOVES LOVES LOVES Australia. Although travel can be cheap (rental cars and campers surprisingly easy for college students to get), the US dollar has continually lost strength since she left home (Jan) so she says it’s “expensive” there. Her trip to NZ was a particular highlight–she flew into Christchurch and visited south NZ.</p>
<p>Also, she had a 3 week study tour before her semester started for 3 credits that took her to Malaysia, China, Tibet and Thailand. Favorite 2 places, by far, were Tibet and Thailand. Those will be on her list to return some day.</p>
<p>She’s had the adventure of a lifetime. Only complaint is she misses some of the conveniences of the US…like 24 hour everything! She’s extended her stay 2 weeks and I really do hope she comes home She had considered doing her study abroad in Europe (her scholarship provides for a study abroad) since so many friends were going there. But ultimately she was glad to go to such a faraway place. As I told her, it will be much easier to take herself to Europe some day…</p>
<p>In summary, it’s been an unbelievable experience for her and a vicarious pleasure for us.</p>
<p>My sister studied in New Zealand for anthropology. Her group had time at the end of classes, so she and some friends traveled to Fiji and Australia on their own. She had a wonderful time. At her school, besides travel and personal expenses study abroad is the same as normal tuition.</p>
<p>Talk to your school’s study abroad office about their recommendations for your particular needs, interests, time constraints, year, and major.</p>
<p>The info on Australian universities is this: it’s hard to go wrong. They are all pretty good. Melbourne and Sydney have the top unis but the entire uni sytem is fairly well-funded.</p>
<p>Why? Australia is a very wealthy, ore-rich socialist country with a tiny population of 20 million. Their students pay next to nothing for four years of uni. Student loans are low-interest and well subsidized.</p>
She had considered doing her study abroad in Europe (her scholarship provides for a study abroad) since so many friends were going there. But ultimately she was glad to go to such a faraway place. As I told her, it will be much easier to take herself to Europe some day…</p>