ISA Study Abroad in Perth, Australia

Studying abroad was the most incredible adventure of my life and Globalinks is to thank for that. From the application process, to the Bridging Cultures program; from my area coordinator, to my return trip home, Globalinks staff made my experience smooth, exciting, and were always there when I needed help or had questions. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND GLOABLINKS TO FUTURE STUDENTS!

My most memorable experience was during the Bridging Cultures program. I got to cross scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef off of my bucket list and it was an experience I will never forget. The skipper even let me drive the boat back to shore!

The program was recommended to me by a friend who studied abroad through Globalinks the year before I did.

I lived in a residential college close to my campus. We each had our own bedroom with shared bathrooms and a community dining hall. My college was a large part of why my experience was so great. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and it was easy to make friends. We felt like a huge family by the end of the semester and I made great friends for life.

This was one of the best experiences of my life. I loved that we were able to do hands on field work, Instead of learning in a classroom. I really got a feel for what I would be doing if I chose to become a marine biologist.
Not only did I get a lot out of the program acedemic wise, but I also made life long friends in the process. I was not expecting to become so close to the people I had just recently met, but it blew me away how much we all had bonded in such a short amount of time.
Participating in this program gave me the courage to stick around when it was over, and try to make it in Australia on my own. It was a wonderful stepping stone for me- allowing me to make connections and sort out my new adventure ahead of time. It was the best decision I ever made.

Coral Bay Marine Biology is a summer shortcourse lasting three weeks where youo spend one week in class for lectures and the next two weeks at a field camp. You get tons of hands on experience at the field camp, meet the locals, absorb the culture and lifestyle of Western Australia, and see the most amazing wildlife. A typical day while on-site in Coral Bay includes a trip to the research station, then head out to spend all day snorkeling the fringing reef doing research and collecting samples. Either way, you are on the water all day enjoying the sunshine and the views!!! Instructors were always close by if students had questions but allowed the students to discover and learn on their own. Also, instructors really tried to get to know all the participants and spent all the free time with the groups of students too! By the end of the course, expect to have a very tight-knit group of people. If you are into the outdoors, then Coral Bay is the course for you because this program allows you to get the full outback experience. Sleeping in tents, salt water showers, continually in and out of the water, eating/cooking outside, lots of walking from site to site, and moonlighting on the beach are all part of this awesome experience. Don't forget about seeing all kinds of amazing fish, sea turtles, dolphins, reef sharks, whales, manta rays, sting rays, jellyfish, starfish, tiger sharks, dugongs, coral, kangaroos, wallabies and koalas to name a few! Be prepared to learn a lot; everything from the widespread effects of global warming to the discovery of what "goon" really is.

While attending the University of Arizona I had the opportunity to study for one semester at the University of Western Australia in Perth. The remains one of the single best experiences I had during my undergraduate education and I would highly recommend considering Perth if you are interested in studying in Australia.
The University of Western Australia is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and attracts an extremely diverse and accomplished student body from all around the world. The campus is simply beautiful and often compared to Oxford or Harvard. The dorms (referred to as colleges) are extremely social and one will quickly be indoctrinated into the 'university' experience via a plethora of activities.

The city of Perth is also beautiful and remains one of my favorite places I have had the chance to visit. You will learn that Perth is one of the most remote cities in the world; with a 2000 mile radius before finding another city equal it's size. That said, it is a city of nearly 1 million people and has all the night life and events one would expect from a city that large. Once you leave the city you quickly see that it is indeed remote and you will experience first hand the 'real' Australian Outback, something those that study in Sydney will unfortunately miss out on. There is great surfing and some of the most pristine and untouched beaches in and around the city. Perth is truly a hidden gem with many people living their whole lives in Australia and never visiting the city.

Lastly, for those considering using the University of Arizona's study abroad program I have only positive feedback for you there as well. I decided to go with only about 1 week before the deadline and the office did everything they could to expedite the process and get me into the program. The University of Western Australia has very high standards for admission and I was thankful for the support I received while navigating the admissions process. They were also helpful in coordinating my living arrangements in the dorm, however this was still a separate process from getting admitted to the program.

Many students from the United States study at the University of Western Australia and most (70%) come from programs run through either Butler or Beaver College. These programs take care of all of the arrangements including travel and even provide a 2 week tour of Australia prior to beginning classes. However, the downside is that these programs are extremely expensive and you pay Beaver or Butler directly. By utilizing the University of Arizona's program I actually spent less money by studying in Australia than I would have by paying out-of-state tuition for a semester at Arizona.
In summary, I highly recommend studying in Perth over nearly any other city in Australia. I also highly using the University of Arizona's study abroad program if you have the opportunity to use them. Lastly, if you do attend the University of Western Australia, make sure you attend the annual toga party,...you won't be sorry!

When I decided I wanted to apply to veterinary schools abroad rather than at home I knew I had a big task in front of me. I did a lot of research into schools that were accredited in the US (a very small group)and ended up settling on Murdoch University in Perth Australia. Having studied abroad for a year in Sweden while doing my undergraduate degree, I knew I wanted to spend my veterinary school years in a location I would really enjoy. In my research I found the program Australearn and decided to use them to facilitate my application to Murdoch. I'm very glad I made that decision. They weren't just a website full of application tools, which would have been helpful enough. I got a lot of personal, one-on-one help from the staff via both email and phone calls. They made sure I had all my application materials, collated them all together, and sent them off to Australia for me. Best of all, they didn't charge me anything for all the help they gave me.

Finding out I got into Murdoch was one of the best days of my life. Anyone applying to veterinary school knows how incredibly hard it is to get in and how much work you have to go through to be a competitive candidate. Australearn was very helpful in getting me prepared for the trip over. I've been here almost two months now and I love it. I'm going to be here for five years so my experience is different then those who are looking for just a semester abroad. I've been impressed with the friendliness of the people, the academic rigor of the school, and the help I've gotten from all the staff at Murdoch. Moving overseas for so many years is a daunting task but at every step I knew I'd have someone to ask for help, whether they were at Australearn or at Murdoch.

As for life here in Perth, it's pretty great. Perth is a lovely small city and Murdoch is set just south of it. It's a quiet place and if I had perhaps one complaint it would be that the night life and social scene is a little less extensive than I'm used to. There are on-campus events for new students that create opportunities to meet people and it's easy to meet people in classes (everyone is super friendly so far). Just a few miles away is Fremantle which has all the trappings of a relaxed beach suburb and is apparently a good place to learn to surf. We're in the middle of winter now but it's still sunny and warm every day and yet the locals still complain about the weather. I'd like to take them all to New York in December so they can see how amazingly good they have it. Many items here are substantially more expensive than they were in the states, especially food. The upshot is that if you decide to get a part time job, the minimum wage is very high (work at McDonalds? $17/hour!). Unlike a lot of universities in Australia, Murdoch does have dorm-style housing on campus. I ended up deciding to live in a house near campus instead with some other university students, but the dorms are comfortable and are filled with a mix of international and local students. Public transportation is ok but not great. The trains are very nice but only go to limited areas while the buses can be a challenge if you rely on them to get everywhere. Luckily there are plenty of rental units around Murdoch in walking or biking distance to class, and lots of bike trails.

The academics are challenging but manageable. I'm happy to say that the rigor is on the level of what I experienced in the US as an undergraduate but the support system of the university is more extensive. Every class has a "tutorial" every week which is somewhat similar to getting help during office hours from your professor if you're at an American university. But it's built in so it's easier to keep up with the work. The veterinary school is a tight knit group and there is a farm on campus so everything you need is within walking distance.

So for those of you looking into getting a degree of any kind in Australia rather than at home, I would recommend Murdoch. It's been a big change for me but I really like it here and I can see myself getting very attached to this lovely country.