Program Reviews

This program gave incredible opportunities to be in or on the water on a daily basis. For someone looking to gain hands-on experience to supplement their studies, this would be an excellent choice. Major pros of this program included its integration into the local community and academic curriculum. Cons were generally related to the remote location - fussy internet connection, a "rice-and-beans" diet if the food delivery boat was a day late, etc.

My greatest experience in this program was my participation in Directed Research, where students work closely with a faculty member to carry out specific research and present the results. For me, this involved snorkeling every day for two weeks to collect data, and gaining a new appreciation for data compilation and presentation.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I learned a lot (probably 150+ organisms by their scientific names, as an example), met some friends I will have for life, dove in a beautiful and diverse ecosystem, and had the experience if a lifetime. Despite few freshwater showers and frequent meals of rice and beans, I liked living in the center because the closeness led to tight friendships and trust. The interns, professors, SAM, and other staff were all so helpful and friendly. I would say there was about a 1 day adjustment period for me, then I didn't want to ever leave!

If living in the middle of a rainforest, surrounded by constant beauty and wonder is your idea of a typical study abroad program then Australia with the School for Field Studies is right for you. Be prepared because when you take the turn off of the highway into the middle of the rainforest, you will be shocked. From then on, for as far as the eye can see, it will be rainforest. The closest town is Yungaburra, which is not much larger than 1,000 people, and is about a 25 minute drive. Cairns is the closest "city" which is about an hour and a half away. If you are looking for a program to be totally immersed in the area around you this is it. You will learn more than you could ever imagined about the people you live with, the people within the town, the natural flora and fauna of Australia, and so much more.

To begin, the program is academically rigorous. Everyday is filled with lectures and field excursions to give real life examples of what is being taught in lectures. While lectures and grading scales are not difficult it provides a low stress experience that allows you to focus on subject matter and learn it well, rather than just committing it to memory. On top of that, this program drives home the goals, and methods of research. 3 different field exercises, and an entire course devoted to research techniques, and scientific writing drills the point home that this program is about research. Have no fear though, even non-science majors participate in the program.

Life at the center is not all about school though. 6 days a week are devoted to class, but the value of a study abroad experience is taken into consideration. Efforts to get away from the center, and spend time among the Australian people are made on weekend trips to cities, and a mid-semester break entirely on your own. Even within the school week, multi-day trips were taken to other places to see more of Australia, at a depth that is unrivaled.

The community aspect of the program is one of the most important aspects it has to offer. Living conditions are rudimentary, kind of like summer camp. Open cabins (single sex) of up to 8 people are shared so you might have to get used to alarms. Internet is all through satellite, but contact to home, and around the area is possible through a student phone at the center. The program consists of twenty-some college students that are driven by a like-minded interest in science, which creates an enormous common ground. Be prepared to share a small setting, in close vicinities with amazing people. Interns, and a Student Affairs Manager are available to mostly help professors with transportation logistics and student social activities.

In the end, you will find that every day will be filled with awe, and your headlamp will be your most important piece of equipment.

I had the best time in Australia. Definitely one of the best things I've done with my life this far. Living in the rainforest, doing field ecology with twenty-something of the best college kids I can imagine was just great. I learned so much, academically and personally through this program. They keep you busy with projects and community work and everything, but some of the best times I had involved sitting in the rainforest, just soaking it all in with some of my friends.

Living situation is very rustic, you're very isolated. I loved that, as did almost everyone on my program, but that's definitely something that you should be sure you want before you go. It's not going to be your typical study abroad program. We had a TON of fun, but if you want to be going out a lot and meeting tons of Australian college students, this is NOT the program for you. Yungaburra is a tiny little town, which is nice because everyone gets to know you and you can get to know them, but you are isolated. The interns try to counter that by taking us on trips around the area on weekends.

Academics are generally good. I didn't find the initial three classes too strenuous, but they were definitely intersting and I learned a lot about the rainforest I was living in. Directed research is the main thrust of the program. As the Center Director told us, getting us through the DR portion of the program is their main goal. And DRs are crazy! You get to design your own research project and do it for a month. It culminates with a massive paper, a fifteen minute powerpoint presentation and a poster. By the time that's all done, you're going to need to sleep for a week! But it's incredibly rewarding to be able to do a whole project like that on your own.

Overall, I had an amazing time and miss it terribly. I loved all the people I went with, and we're doing a pretty good job keeping in touch! I would definitely recommend the program, but while emphasizing that it wouldn't be right for a whole lot of people. You have to really want to live in the rainforest for a semester!

I absolutely loved the SFS- Australia program and would recommend it to everyone; however, you have to make sure it will be a good fit for you. You like in the rainforest in a cabin with 3-7 other students, so you have to accept that you won't have much privacy. There are also snakes and spiders to deal with and intermittent internet at times since you are in the middle of the rainforest. Even if you don't think you can deal with that, it is an incredible experience. You get to learn about the rainforest in the classroom and then walk away from the centre and directly into the habitat you just learned about. You get to interact with the locals and gain a sense of life in the Wet Tropics. One of my favorite experiences was going on a weekend homestay with another student. We stayed with an Australian family and learned all about the Australian way of life. The group takes trips to the Daintree and the Outback. I have never seen so many different ecosystems and learned so much about the environment.

You get a few free weekends in Cairns where you can have fun off of program time. The 5 day long mid-semester break was also a great chance to explore parts of Australia with some friends in a caravan (a great deal and great way to travel) on our own.

For the first 2 months of the program you take 3 courses. With awesome professors! The last month you work on a directed research project of your choosing under the guidance of one of the professors. The directed research project component allowed me to study a topic that I was very interested in and has helped guide my graduate school pursuits and career aspirations.

There is a cook that makes all of your meals, and the food is great! And she takes requests and really wants to make sure everyone is happy.

For those of you who are athletic and want to continue your sport, that can be tough. I am a 3 season athlete, so I really wanted to stay in-shape while I was there. There is a run down elliptical and some weights there. The other option is to run (when you can find time- early morning is best, when it is cool). It is a rough, uphill path.

Even with some of the annoyances, I would go again because it is a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The living situation is not like you're living at a 5 star hotel, but there is a pool surrounded by palm trees that if you go to early enough, you can see monkeys at in the morning. The actual house that we lived in was basically all concrete but it awesome because everyone became a family so quickly and we basically were our own social scene. The early curfew doesn't exactly allow you to develop routine of going out and exploring at night, but we definitely made due. I'd recommend this program to anyone, even if they were not interested in sustainability.

This was a once in a life time experience. I got to meet amazing people both in the program and the community. the best word to directive it w would an adventure. New zealand has rich culture and transits. a couple of the highlights of nz were staying with the mauri, they tested us like family. Another was going canyoning in auckland, a breathtaking experience. Going to australia was a whole new adventure it was gest to actually live tucked into the wet tropics, lots of animals and stars. this was a fantastic trip and words can't describe all of the memories made.

My student abroad experience was amazing and changed me not only as a student but also as a person. I would recommend Turks and Caicos to anyone interested in a hands-on outdoors experience that is truly once in a lifetime. It has made me more excited about my major and I would love to go back someday.

The host country, Turks and Caicos, is a small island developing state with a struggling economy dependent on tourism and the fishing industry. Students should be prepared to spend time in the equivalent of a third world country on the less populated island of South Caicos. Nevertheless, the facilities at SFS provide all the basic amenities needed for a focused experience on marine biology. The local islanders have a great relationship with the students in the program and it is easy to get to know a lot about the TCI culture. TCI is a stunningly beautiful environment with an interesting history that is developing to catch up with the rest of the world's tourism industry. The coral reefs and mangrove forests are easily accessible from the center and make for fantastic snorkeling and scuba diving experiences. The facilities at SFS are all very clean and eco-friendly as well. The program size is ideal, usually between 25 and 30 during the summer which makes for the formation of close bonds and lasting friendship