TEAN: Study Abroad in Melbourne, Australia

I just want to start off by saying I am so incredibly happy that I chose TEAN as my program for study abroad. It can seem like a daunting and scary experience, but TEAN made it so incredibly easy before I left, while I was abroad, and coming home. They really take care of all questions or concerns you or your family could have about study abroad.

I started my study abroad experience with a TEAN orientation in Sydney. TEAN set up a ton of fun activities such as a Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb and going to a wildlife preserve to pet kangaroos and kolas. It was nice to meet other people from the program and get they provided you advice to get you more adjusted to Australian culture.

When I arrived in Melbourne for the rest of my study abroad, I was extremely happy with housing TEAN provided. It was right in the heart of the city near bars, restaurants, museums, and anything else you could want. It was also close to Melbourne University where I would be taking my classes. The accommodations exceeded my expectations.

University teaching style is different in Australia compared to the United States. But overall, it wasn't a hard transition and I got used to the schooling quite quickly. All my professors were approachable if I had any questions. It's fun to go to an actual Australian university and interact with other Australians my age. It can be easy to get distracted while studying abroad, but it's important to remember that you are STUDYING there and to remain on top of coursework.

Melbourne is a vibrant city with so much going on! In each city, TEAN provides a resident director. He or she tells you about events coming up in the city and is also there to answer any questions. Mine was such a great resource and it was nice knowing you had someone to turn to if you had any problems. TEAN also sets up events, such as footy games or music concerts, so you get to experience the Australian culture. I loved all of these activities and made me fall even more in love with Melbourne. The social scene is great and I felt like there was always something to do. Australians are incredibly friendly and nice so it was easy becoming immersed in the culture. Melbourne is also such a safe city! I never felt unsafe and found that really comforting.

I would definitely create a budget before going abroad. Australia is expensive and even though you may know this it doesn't actually hit you until you are there. So be smart money-wise and try to stick to your budget.

I wish I could re-live my study abroad experience. It was 100% worthwhile and I will remember it for the rest of my life. I definitely would recommend TEAN to anybody interested in studying abroad! It's a once in a lifetime experience and TEAN helped make it so amazing.

My typical week in Melbourne was only three days of class a week and four-day weekends. I took all general electives for my major so my semester was very relaxed and much easier compared to my previous semesters at my home university. Classes at RMIT are typically one lecture and one tutorial, both are much longer in duration than classes in the US, but you don't have three lectures a week. I took a biology class which had a lab every week and I felt that was comparable to lab classes at US universities. Work outside of class was also very reduced compared to school in the US. There was no weekly homework assignments; the only required work I had to do outside of class was to prepare two lab reports and one research paper. If you want to do well in your classes though, you do need to spend some time doing assigned reading because most classes have a weekly quiz, midterms and a final exam.

Most weeks I needed to go grocery shopping which was very convenient considering the location of my apartment in the city. My apartment was within the CBD and so I was close (within short walking distance) to everything I needed during the semester. I also went out to eat at least once a week; Melbourne has a huge variety of restaurants so there is something for everyone an almost any budget.

Melbourne's nightlife has an almost overwhelming amount of options when you first get there. There are a huge number of bars and clubs in the city and public transportation is very easy to use if you want to get out to the suburbs. One of my favorite parts of Melbourne's bar scene was that there are several bars that are on building rooftops which give you a great view of the city. The city is very safe and never once did I feel like I was in a "sketchy" place.

Melbourne also has a lot of options for day trips both within the city and outside it. There are a few national parks and the Great Ocean road which I believe anyone who studies in Melbourne needs to visit. There are also several parks in the city if you just want to go out and relax outdoors, which you can almost any day you like because the weather is usually great. I also went to St. Kilda Beach a few times. It's a nice beach, usually not too crowded, and at night you can go there and see penguins that nest in the harbor which is really cool.

My semester in Melbourne was an all around great experience and I believe that going through the semester with The Education Abroad Network only enhanced that experience. Apart from the help I got from them for my pre-semester preparation, they also offered lots of excellent opportunities to get out an experience life as the locals do. If it wasn't for the cultural events they offer, I'm not sure I would have broken out of my daily routine to experience some of them. They are also very helpful for any problems that arise during the semester. I had a problem with the financial department at RMIT and all I had to do was notify my TEAN resident director and the problem was fixed that day.

In short, I highly recommend this program to anyone because I went in reluctant about study abroad and I've come away from it a huge supporter and wish I had time to go again.